Best AI Image Generator Apps 2024 (Free and Paid)
It’s often not easy to find the right image for your content when you need it. AI image generator apps can help you save some time designing images and thus can be a great asset for publishers and marketers. You can let your imagination run wild and guide these tools via text prompts to generate exactly what you are looking for to express yourself lucidly. While the concept of AI-generated images may seem futuristic, these tools have been around for almost a decade and have rapidly evolved over the past few years. Today they are easily accessible and can cater to the needs of different users on different platforms.
Limitations of AI Image Generator Apps
- Most free options make it hard to change aspect ratio from something other than 1:1.
- AI image generators often struggle if you need unique or very specific images.
- Very few AI image generator tools prioritize realism, while the majority tend to lean towards creative art and abstract concepts.
- Most currently available AI Image generators may not grasp the finer points of what you want even when you are extremely detailed with your prompts.
- It’s not always clear who owns the copyright on AI-generated images.
- Most popular options prioritise web apps and don’t yet have dedicated apps for Android and iOS
Now that you have your expectations set straight, let’s proceed to best options that you should consider.
Also Read: 26 Best AI Tools for Productivity – Chatbox, Presentation Makers, Image Generators and more
Which is the best AI Image Generator app?
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to AI image generators. Each available option is a work in progress and there is no single perfect option that will suit all users. The best approach is to experiment with several options and decide which one best aligns with your specific requirements.
Here are a few things to check for:
- Consistency in results
- Customization options
- Cross-platform availability
- Value for the price
Also Check: AI Laptop Buying Guide 2024 – Everything you should know
Best AI image generators to try
1. Midjourney
Prompt: bouillabaisse architecture
Midjourney is one of the most powerful AI generators available to consumers. The images look refined and have realistic textures and details. The –aspect or –ar parameter can be used to change the aspect ratio of the generated image. Midjourney is best suited for creative users who have some experience with prompts for AI image generators. Earlier it was restricted to Discord but that’s no longer the case. You can access it from the Midjourney website and via some other AI tools.
Price: You can license it starting from $10 per month for 200 images/month and commercial usage rights. You can get an additional 20% discount with annual billing.
Pros
- Great accuracy and consistency.
- Community support is helpful.
Cons
- The user interface is complicated, especially for beginners.
2. DALL.E3
Prompt: bouillabaisse architecture in a realistic image
DALL.E from Open AI is perhaps the most popular AI image generation software that can be credited for popularizing AI image generators. The third iteration, DALL.E3 is even smarter and more accurate at catching nuances from text prompts. This image generator is well-suited for content creators, marketers and students who wish to make their content and presentations more appealing.
The free version has its limitations but you can access it easily via Windows CoPilot or Microsoft Designer. The paid version is bundled with Chat GPT Plus. You can also ask Chat GPT Plus to refine your prompts for better results with DALL.E3.
Price: Bundled with Chat GPT Plus which starts at $20 per month
Pros
- User-friendly interface makes it easy to use
- Great value if you also need Chat GPT Plus
- Fast processing speeds
Cons
- Can be expensive for users who don’t require ChatGPT integration.
- Struggles with realistic images
3. Dream Studio
Prompt: Horse in a train; Style: Neon Punk
Dream Studio or the web app for Stable Diffusion is an open-source AI Image generator which is a great option if you want to try image generation AI for free. You can decide exactly how your pictures will look by adjusting sliders, adjusting their size or matching them more closely to what you asked for. You can generate different aspect ratios and use sliders to customize your image. When you sign up, you get 25 free credits that will last for about 30 images. If you use more AI power, you can exhaust these credits faster.
Price: $10 for 1000 credits
Pros
- Great value
- Supports multiple aspects ratios (free and paid)
- Simple customization options
Cons
- Struggles a bit with complicated prompts
4. Adobe Firefly
Prompt: A symbol of peace made of scrap iron with dark red liquid stains and thick smoke, in a post-apocalyptic context, among a few colourful flowers and rubbish. Professional photo. Fallout ash, darkcore.
Adobe Firefly integrates a ‘Text-to-image’ generator, a handy ‘Generative Fill’ tool and ‘Text Effects’. Generative Fill helps you edit pictures effortlessly, whether you’re removing stuff or adding new elements. The Text Effects can be used to add all sorts of styles and effects to the text. Even the free version gives you the option to switch aspect ratio to 4:3 or 16:9.
Adobe Firefly is designed for professionals. It is a great option if you are used to editing your image using Photoshop. You can generate an image or portions of it using AI and then edit the elements directly in Photoshop. The customisation options are very well sorted and you can try it for free using the web app.
Price: The premium plan starts at $4.99 per month and includes 100 generative credits.
Pros
- Helpful for professional Adobe Creative Cloud users.
- Great set of customization options.
Cons
- Consistency needs to improve.
5. Gemini
Prompt: Horse in a train; Style: Cyberpunk
Gemini is a free creativity and productive tool that you can use to generate 1:1 images. It is still a work in progress and thus not very reliable, but it can be awesome when it’s right. Google recently admitted that Gemini got it wrong and paused its ability to generate images related to people. Gemini image generator is still worth trying because it’s free and does well when you have to generate realistic images of popular items like a Vada Pao and a croissant side by side on a plate.
Prompt: Show a Vada Pao and Croissant on a plate.
Besides, there is always the hope that Google will get things right eventually.
Pros
- Free for 1:1 images
- Can be great with realistic images of popular objects
Cons
- Feels limited as of now
6. Generative AI
Generative AI by Getty is powered by the Nvidia Picasso model and is great for generating stock-live images for commercial use. The model has been trained only on licensed images and is thus free from all copyright hassle. This is not a creative image generator and many users will find the results a tad blonde. You can also not have prompts with the names of actual persons, since the model hasn’t been trained to know real people.
Price: There is no free web trial for the tool and the paid version starts from $14.99 for 100 AI generations.
Pros
- Generates realistic stock-like images.
- Trained on licensed images to avoid copyright issues.
Cons
- Doesn’t respond well to complex prompts.
- Not good at creative artistic images.
7. Nightcafe
Prompt: Horse in a train, cyberpunk style
Nightcafe is based on SDXL and is worth trying for casual and professional users. It offers text-to-image as well as image-to-image generation that can be used to create unique artwork. Customers will need some experience with using text prompts and numerous customization options to master the image generator. NightCafe Studio is easy to use and offers free credits for users to try before they buy. The community-sharing feature helps with inspiration and ideas for image generation.
Price: The free plan gives you five credits daily. You can opt for monthly or quarterly plans starting at $5.99 (100 credits) and $14.37 (100 credits per month), respectively.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Great customization options
- Free credits for beginners
Cons
- Not much variation in images
8. Davinci AI Image Creator
Prompt: Horse in a train; Style: Cyberpunk
Davinci is another user-friendly AI image generator that lets you choose between Midjourney and SDXL or Stable Diffusion XL models. You get 3 credits for free to try it thrice. The free trial is restricted to a 1:1 aspect ratio. The pro version lets you choose between Landscape or portraits for both 4:3 and 16:9 images. At the time of writing, there are 80+ different styles that you can choose for generated images like Cyberpunk, Lego Characters, Melting Surreal and more. There is also a body tattoo style to help you with ideas for body art.
Price: You can unlock the pro version for $14.99 per month or $59.99 per year.
Pros
- Fun for social media purposes.
- You can access multiple AI image-generation models.
- App is available for Android and iOS.
Cons
- Not best suited for professional creators.
Best AI image generator apps for Andriod phones and iPhones
Most AI image generators have a web option so you also access them from your smartphone browser. Many smartphone OEMs are also adding AI enhancement options natively within their phone photo and video editor apps.
Dedicated AI Image apps on smartphones still uplift the experience for causal image generation and sharing. If you are looking for AI Image generation apps for smartphones from where you can quickly post your exploits on social media, here are the best options to consider:
Deepak Singh
Deepak is Editor at Digit. He is passionate about technology and has been keeping an eye on emerging technology trends for nearly a decade. When he is not working, he likes to read and to spend quality time with his family. View Full Profile