AI image generation tools
Images from text prompts. 9 tools we track, checked .
Short answer page: What's the best ai image generation tool?
Ranked by fit for solo businesses: tools we profile in depth first, then those used in our research notes, then the rest. Affiliate status never changes the order.
- 1
Midjourney
Pick this if you want striking artwork, concepts and style exploration.
AI image generator known for its aesthetic quality, used on the web and Discord.
Paid plans only · Free plan: No · $10/mo or $96/yr ($8/mo) · Difficulty 2/5
- 2
Adobe Firefly
Pick this if you want commercially safer generated images.
Adobe's generative AI for images, vectors and video, trained on licensed content.
Free plan + paid plans · Free plan: Yes · US$9.99/mo · Difficulty 1/5
- 3
Ideogram
Pick this if you want posters, logos and designs with words in them.
Image generator that is strong at legible text inside images.
Free plan + paid plans · Free plan: Yes · $0 · then $20/mo monthly ($15/mo billed yearly, $180) · Difficulty 1/5
- 4
Leonardo.Ai
Pick this if you want game assets and consistent styles.
Image and video generation with fine-tuned models and an editing canvas.
Free plan + paid plans · Free plan: Yes · $0 · then $12/mo (billing period not stated) · Difficulty 2/5
- 5
Stable Diffusion
Pick this if you want running image generation locally.
Open-weight image models from Stability AI that you can run on your own hardware.
Free, open source · Free plan: Yes · Difficulty 4/5
- 6
FLUX (Black Forest Labs)
Pick this if you want high-quality images by API.
Image models from Black Forest Labs, available by API and through partner apps.
Pay as you go · Free plan: No · Difficulty 3/5
- 7
Krea
Pick this if you want trying many image models in one place.
Real-time image generation, upscaling and access to many models in one app.
Free plan + paid plans · Free plan: Yes · Difficulty 2/5
- 8
Recraft
Pick this if you want vector icons and illustrations.
AI image generator that produces editable vector graphics and brand-consistent sets.
Free plan + paid plans · Free plan: Yes · Difficulty 2/5
- 9
ChatGPT image generation
Pick this if you want editing images by conversation.
Image creation and editing inside ChatGPT.
Free plan + paid plans · Free plan: Yes
Side-by-side
| Tool | Pricing model | Free plan | Starting price | Difficulty | Output rights | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midjourney | Paid plans only | No | $10/mo or $96/yr ($8/mo) | 2/5 | Ownership with conditions | Striking artwork, concepts and style exploration |
| Adobe Firefly | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | US$9.99/mo | 1/5 | You own or may use output commercially | Commercially safer generated images |
| Ideogram | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $0 · then $20/mo monthly ($15/mo billed yearly, $180) | 1/5 | You own or may use output commercially | Posters, logos and designs with words in them |
| Leonardo.Ai | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $0 · then $12/mo (billing period not stated) | 2/5 | Ownership with conditions | Game assets and consistent styles |
| Stable Diffusion | Free, open source | Yes | Free | 4/5 | – | Running image generation locally |
| FLUX (Black Forest Labs) | Pay as you go | No | See official site | 3/5 | – | High-quality images by API |
| Krea | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | 2/5 | – | Trying many image models in one place |
| Recraft | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | 2/5 | – | Vector icons and illustrations |
| ChatGPT image generation | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | – | – | Editing images by conversation |
"Starting price" is shown only for tools we profile in depth, where we read the official pricing page on . For the others, check the official site.