<\/p>\n
I love writing (surprise), cooking, design, and photography. I also used to paint and sew. But thanks to artificial intelligence (AI)<\/span><\/a>, you no longer have to be a lifelong creative to turn an idea into a visual reality.\u00a0<\/p>\n AI image generators help anyone create visuals that are weird, wonderful, and \u2026 weirdly wonderful. (Remember the Willy Wonka debacle in Glasgow<\/span><\/a>?)<\/p>\n But how exactly do they work and what\u2019s the best AI image generator for marketers? I tested the top options for you. Here\u2019s the scoop.<\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Plagiarism<\/span><\/a> is a big concern with even the best AI image generators. And it makes sense considering the very nature of how they work. AI image generators create by reimagining things that already exist. They don\u2019t copy<\/em>. They borrow and recycle.\u00a0<\/p>\n How It Works:<\/strong><\/p>\n Think of it like a contemporary singer sampling a song from a bygone era. They\u2019ve made it their own, but pieces of the original are still there and recognizable.\u00a0<\/p>\n (Author\u2019s note: <\/span>Britney Spears\u2019 Bollywood sample in \u201cToxic\u201d<\/a> will always be a work of art on its own, of course.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n AI image generation can get pretty wild. You can create images in any style and of practically anything.\u00a0<\/p>\n For instance, I made one of \u201ca photorealistic orange rabbit wearing a traditional Indian sari and playing an acoustic guitar\u201d using Google\u2019s Gemini<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Why exactly? Well, as I\u2019m sure many people justify their oddball AI creations: Because I could.<\/p>\n For the purpose of this article, I focused on a common marketing use case<\/span><\/a>: creating an original image for a blog article.<\/strong><\/p>\n I tested nine of the most popular AI image generators and evaluated them on their speed, ease of use, and image quality.<\/p>\n To fairly compare the options, I also eliminated variables by:<\/p>\n I also ran each tool three times after each prompt, giving them a fair opportunity to deliver. Consider these my \u201ctrials.\u201d This is science after all.\u00a0<\/p>\n The prompt:<\/strong> \u201cGenerate an <\/em>image of a young marketing executive presenting information on a television screen in front of a small group of teammates\u201d<\/p>\n The edit: <\/strong>Generate a photo-realistic <\/em>image of a young marketing executive presenting information on a television screen in front of a small group of teammates.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get started.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Midjourney<\/span><\/a> is considered one of the most powerful generative AI tools out there, so my expectations for its image generator were high. It focuses on creating artistic and stylized images and is popular for its high quality.<\/p>\n Pricing<\/span><\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong> $10-120 per month, depending on the plan.\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019m used to the chatbot setup of ChatGPT, so Midjourney wasn\u2019t what I expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n To create, you have to join the Midjourney Discord channel (similar to Slack). From there, you use keyboard commands within chats to have the Midjourney bot perform your desired tasks.<\/p>\n In this instance, I had to join a\u00a0 \u201cnewbie\u201d chat (there were several to choose from) and enter the command \u201c\/imagine\u201d followed by my prompt. Then, the Midjourney bot processed my request (and sometimes those of others simultaneously.)<\/p>\n It delivered four images with each trial.\u00a0<\/p>\n From there, I could click numbered buttons underneath the images to get \u201cupscales\u201d (U) or variations (V) of a particular image. It isn\u2019t entirely clear to a \u201cnewbie\u201d what an upscale or variation means.\u00a0<\/p>\n Personally, I wasn\u2019t the biggest fan of this process. Anyone in the chat can see your prompt and results and even download them for their own use. Your results could also quickly be buried by others, and you\u2019d have to scroll up to find them.\u00a0<\/p>\n Speaking of results, they were quick but varied in quality.\u00a0<\/p>\n The AI delivered a variety of styles and included some diversity in its human subjects (no glaring issues with features), but it produced the same settings and poses in each option.\u00a0<\/p>\n Also, there was no clear way to edit the images created. I tried responding to the bot to no avail.\u00a0<\/p>\n My second prompt resulted in less photo-realistic images \u2014 even though I specified that\u2019s what I wanted:<\/p>\n Overall, I have to say I was disappointed by Midjourney. Navigating was frustrating and didn\u2019t produce the quality I expected from the hype.<\/p>\n Someone with more experience in Discord or prompting it might yield better results, but it didn\u2019t win me over.\u00a0<\/p>\n What I like:<\/strong><\/p>\n What can be improved:<\/strong><\/p>\n Best For: <\/strong>Artistic endeavors, marketers with advanced technical knowledge, web developers<\/span><\/a>, or those comfortable within Discord who can learn to navigate the nuances of prompts.\u00a0<\/p>\n Owned by OpenAI<\/span><\/a> (the company behind ChatGPT), DALL-E is a pioneer in image generation.\u00a0<\/p>\n DALL-E3, the latest iteration of the tech, is touted as highly advanced and is known for generating detailed depictions of text descriptions. This means users can create original images and modify existing ones based on text prompts.<\/p>\n Pricing<\/span><\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong> It is available to ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Enterprise users, as well as developers through the API, starting at $20 per month.<\/p>\n Unlike most tools on our list, DALL-E3 generated only one image at a time.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a world where a search engine can find millions of pictures in seconds, this is highly limiting and, honestly, underwhelming. But the image quality was impressive.\u00a0<\/p>\n It showed detailed, realistic portrayals of people and had no visible difficulty replicating fingers or eyes, as we often see with AI. It also allows users to edit specific image details:<\/p>\n For example, I requested that the main subject of the image above shift to a woman of color and that the information on the television screen be changed to an Instagram profile.\u00a0<\/p>\n After editing, the photo wasn\u2019t as seamless. You could see where the AI spliced in the new content and certainly did not use an Instagram profile, but I digress.\u00a0<\/p>\n As you may be able to guess from my requested edit, where DALL-E3 fell short was its lack of diversity<\/span><\/a> and variety.\u00a0<\/p>\n After running two more trials with my initial prompt, the settings of the image stayed the same \u2014 a generic, corporate office, while main subject in all of the images looked very similar as well, and most noticeably, all White or European.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the results for the initial prompt were quite photo-realistic, I ran my second prompt.\u00a0<\/p>\n The results were consistent, and the diversity issue also remained. Out of curiosity, I ran one more test in a new chat window and found that all images were now of men, but again, they all appeared to be White or European.\u00a0<\/p>\n I was able to request changes to make the people in the image more racially diverse, but it took several tries.\u00a0<\/p>\n Stereotyping and bias are common concerns with AI image generators, and that may be an issue with DALL-E3.\u00a0<\/p>\n What I like:<\/strong><\/p>\n What could be better:<\/strong><\/p>\n Best For:<\/strong> Brands that would benefit from ChatGPT’s greater AI abilities. In my opinion, the cost is not worth it just for image generation, especially considering some of the amazing free options in this list.\u00a0<\/p>\n Pro Tip: <\/strong>If you find yourself getting the same results with each regeneration, or requesting edits proves fruitless, try opening a new chat window.\u00a0<\/p>\n Designer<\/span><\/a> is an AI image generator from Microsoft. It\u2019s positioned as a tool to help you \u201ccreate social media posts, invitations, digital postcards, graphics, and more, all in a flash.\u201d Many say it\u2019s a Canva competitor<\/span><\/a>, and I can see why.\u00a0<\/p>\n Designer uses DALL-E2 to generate images from text prompts, but you can also start with one of the built-in templates or tools.\u00a0<\/p>\n Its user-friendly templates include stickers, collages, greeting cards, and social media posts. Users can also perform everyday editing tasks like removing a background from an image.\u00a0<\/p>\n Pricing<\/span><\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Everyone gets 15 free generations per day, but this jumps to 100 with a Microsoft Copilot Pro membership for $20 per month.\u00a0<\/p>\n Test Results:<\/strong><\/p>\n Coming from DALL-E3, I was immediately pleased to see Designer deliver four images with each run of my test prompt. I was also happy to see the diversity in gender, race, and even setting.\u00a0<\/p>\n Like DALL-E3, the Designer results were realistic from the start (with no face or feature issues), but most still had an illustrative stroke.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nevertheless, after running my second prompt, the results remained similar:\u00a0<\/p>\n Once I found an image I liked, Microsoft Designer let me download, copy, edit, or use it in another design on the platform:<\/p>\n What I like:<\/strong><\/p>\n What could be better:<\/strong><\/p>\n Best For:<\/strong> Microsoft Designer is a great free option for almost anyone<\/em>, but it’s especially valuable to teams looking for design flexibility or those heavily invested in social media. Microsoft Designer makes it easy to create graphics using its images.\u00a0<\/p>\n Firefly<\/span><\/a> is design giant Adobe\u2019s answer to generative AI. It can generate art or photo-style images in four common aspect ratios (square, portrait, landscape, and widescreen), and it allows users to select or upload resources for reference.<\/p>\n Pricing<\/span><\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong> Free for 25 credits per month, but premium plans offer more credits starting at $4.99 per month.\u00a0<\/p>\n Test Results:<\/strong><\/p>\n Honestly, Firefly immediately blew me away.\u00a0<\/p>\n Not only was it the fastest tool, but it also delivered four images in various styles, with a diverse group of subjects and<\/em> some of the most photo-realistic results I\u2019ve seen.\u00a0<\/p>\n The depictions of humans were mostly realistic, but as I ran my additional trials, I did spot flaws like missing faces or choppy cut-outs in the backgrounds.<\/p>\n Since Designer has a built-in option for photos, I deviated a bit from my experiment. I ran the initial prompt under the art filter to evaluate the differences.<\/p>\n Again, they were striking. The results were a mix of vectors and illustrations that employed bold colors, precise details, and visual depth for beautiful results.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The platform also let me edit the images, generate more based on one I liked, and use any of the images in an Adobe Express design.\u00a0<\/p>\n What I like:<\/strong><\/p>\n What could be better:<\/strong><\/p>\n Best For:<\/strong> Great option for anyone, <\/em>especially as a free tool. Both the artistic and photo results are top-notch and easy to repurpose into design inside and outside of Adobe.\u00a0<\/p>\n Canva\u2019s AI image generator, Magic Design<\/span><\/a>, brings the power of AI to the masses. You can use it to generate images, graphics, or videos in square, vertical, or horizontal aspect ratios, and you can choose from over 20 visual styles.<\/p>\n Pricing<\/span><\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>All users get 10 free Magic Designs over their lifetime, but if you want more, varying usage limits are available in Pro, non-profit, and Education accounts, starting at $120\/year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Test Results:<\/strong><\/p>\n With the initial prompt, Canva delivered four graphic\/illustrated images in each trial. Many figures were simple vectors without any defining features, reminiscent of 1990s clip art.<\/p>\n You can see the results of each trial circled in the same color.\u00a0<\/p>\n Upon entering my \u201cphoto-realistic\u201d prompt, the results changed accordingly but left much to be desired.\u00a0<\/p>\n The AI appeared to struggle with recreating finer details like hands, fingers, eyes, and on-screen content.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Nevertheless, if you find an image you like, you can easily use it in a new design within the Canva platform.\u00a0<\/p>\n What I Like:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n What could be better:<\/strong><\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> Those already investing in Canva Pro. This can be useful for art, vectors, or social media designs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meta AI<\/span><\/a> is a free intelligent assistant from the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. The company claims the chatbot is \u201ccapable of complex reasoning, following instructions, visualizing ideas, and solving nuanced problems,\u201d including generating images.<\/p>\n Pricing:<\/strong> Meta AI is free for all Facebook users.<\/p>\n Test Results:<\/strong><\/p>\n Meta AI is set up as a chatbot, and upon entering my test prompt, I was floored.\u00a0<\/p>\n With each trial, Meta delivered four images \u2014 all vibrant, detailed, and in various settings. They also featured diverse groups of people.\u00a0<\/p>\n Looking closely at the faces, you can see some imperfections. But, for the most part, the images could easily be used in smaller sizes without any concern.<\/p>\n Meta AI also allows you to click into an image to request edits (though this will change the entire image, not just a part, like with DALL-E3).<\/p>\n Or you can animate the images with the click of a button.<\/p>\n What I like:<\/strong><\/p>\n What could be better:<\/strong><\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> Small digital graphics for social media, eBooks, or otherwise.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gemini<\/span><\/a>, formerly Bard, was launched by Google in December 2023. Similar to competitor ChatGPT, Gemini responds to text prompts as a chatbot.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, taking a page out of the Google search engine playbook, it can natively understand images, audio, video, and code. In other words, you can upload a video and ask Gemini to summarize it.<\/p>\n Pricing:<\/span><\/strong><\/a> It’s free, but \u201cFor Business\u201d accounts are available with Google Workspace. Gemini Advanced is also available with a Google One AI Premium plan for $19.99 per month.\u00a0<\/p>\n Test Results:<\/strong><\/p>\n This test was short but not necessarily sweet.<\/p>\n After entering my test prompt, I was met with a message saying, \u201cWe are working to improve Gemini’s ability to generate images of people. We expect this feature to return soon and will notify you in release updates when it does.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Download](\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/53\/b72f2b25-8cc9-4642-9a1b-1e675d3d273b.png\")
<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nHow do AI image generators work?\u00a0<\/h2>\n
\n
How I Tested the Best AI for Images<\/h2>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-gemini-rabbit-example.webp?width=450&height=450&name=Best-ai-for-images-gemini-rabbit-example.webp\")
Then I asked for an electric guitar:<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-gemini-rabbit-example2.webp?width=450&height=450&name=Best-ai-for-images-gemini-rabbit-example2.webp\")
<\/p>\n\n
The Best AI Image Generators<\/h2>\n
1. Midjourney<\/h3>\n
Test Results:<\/h4>\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-midjourney1.webp?width=650&height=331&name=Best-ai-for-images-midjourney1.webp\")
<\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-midjourney2.webp?width=650&height=332&name=Best-ai-for-images-midjourney2.webp\")
<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-midjourney3.webp?width=650&height=331&name=Best-ai-for-images-midjourney3.webp\")
<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-midjourney4.webp?width=650&height=333&name=Best-ai-for-images-midjourney4.webp\")
<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-midjourney5.webp?width=650&height=330&name=Best-ai-for-images-midjourney5.webp\")
<\/span>
<\/span><\/p>\n![\"upclose](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-midjourney6.webp?width=650&height=650&name=Best-ai-for-images-midjourney6.webp\")
<\/p>\n\n
\n
2. DALL-E 3<\/h3>\n
Test Results:<\/h4>\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-dall-e3%20(1).webp?width=650&height=298&name=Best-ai-for-images-dall-e3%20(1).webp\")
<\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-dall-e3-full.webp?width=650&height=371&name=Best-ai-for-images-dall-e3-full.webp\")
<\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-dall-e3-2.webp?width=650&height=329&name=Best-ai-for-images-dall-e3-2.webp\")
<\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-dall-e3-3.webp?width=650&height=331&name=Best-ai-for-images-dall-e3-3.webp\")
<\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-dall-e3-4.webp?width=650&height=330&name=Best-ai-for-images-dall-e3-4.webp\")
<\/p>\n![\"DALL-E3](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-dall-e3-5.webp?width=650&height=332&name=Best-ai-for-images-dall-e3-5.webp\")
<\/p>\n\n
\n
3. Microsoft Designer<\/h3>\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-designer1.webp?width=650&height=245&name=Best-ai-for-images-designer1.webp\")
<\/strong>
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-designer2.webp?width=650&height=318&name=Best-ai-for-images-designer2.webp\")
<\/strong>
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Microsoft](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-designer3.webp?width=650&height=323&name=Best-ai-for-images-designer3.webp\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-designer4.webp?width=650&height=250&name=Best-ai-for-images-designer4.webp\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-designer5.webp?width=650&height=333&name=Best-ai-for-images-designer5.webp\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\n
4. Adobe Firefly<\/h3>\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-adobe-firefly1.webp?width=650&height=330&name=Best-ai-for-images-adobe-firefly1.webp\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Adobe](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-adobe-firefly2.webp?width=650&height=331&name=Best-ai-for-images-adobe-firefly2.webp\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-adobe-firefly3.webp?width=650&height=332&name=Best-ai-for-images-adobe-firefly3.webp\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-adobe-firefly4.webp?width=650&height=331&name=Best-ai-for-images-adobe-firefly4.webp\")
<\/p>\n\n
\n
5. Canva Magic Design<\/h3>\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-canva3.webp?width=650&height=308&name=Best-ai-for-images-canva3.webp\")
<\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-canva2.webp?width=650&height=307&name=Best-ai-for-images-canva2.webp\")
<\/p>\n\n
\n
6. Meta AI<\/h3>\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-meta-ai1.webp?width=650&height=430&name=Best-ai-for-images-meta-ai1.webp\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Meta](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-meta-ai2.webp?width=650&height=432&name=Best-ai-for-images-meta-ai2.webp\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-meta-ai3.webp?width=650&height=330&name=Best-ai-for-images-meta-ai3.webp\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"GIF](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-meta-ai4.gif?width=600&height=304&name=Best-ai-for-images-meta-ai4.gif\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\n
7. Gemini<\/h3>\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/best-ai-for-images-gemini-people.webp?width=650&height=260&name=best-ai-for-images-gemini-people.webp\")
<\/p>\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-jasper-ai1.webp?width=650&height=336&name=Best-ai-for-images-jasper-ai1.webp\")
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-jasper-ai2.webp?width=650&height=335&name=Best-ai-for-images-jasper-ai2.webp\")
![\"Jasper](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-jasper-ai3.webp?width=650&height=336&name=Best-ai-for-images-jasper-ai3.webp\")
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-jasper-ai5.webp?width=650&height=334&name=Best-ai-for-images-jasper-ai5.webp\")
<\/p>\n![\"Jasper](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-jasper-ai4.webp?width=650&height=333&name=Best-ai-for-images-jasper-ai4.webp\")
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-jasper-ai6.webp?width=650&height=332&name=Best-ai-for-images-jasper-ai6.webp\")
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/knowledge.hubspot.com\/hs-fs\/hubfs\/Best-ai-for-images-jasper-ai7.webp?width=650&height=333&name=Best-ai-for-images-jasper-ai7.webp\")