Text-to-image generators are a fun and helpful tool powered by AI. You just type in a prompt, and the tool creates a picture based on your words. You can use these tools for many things—like making greeting cards, invitations, wallpapers, or even for work projects like brand designs, social media posts, and ads.
There are many AI image generators out there, and each one is good at different things. To help you choose the right one, I tested a bunch of them and shared the results below.
How I Tested
AI image tools have gotten much better since late 2022. They can now handle tough tasks like creating human faces or adding text to images in a realistic way. I’ve been testing these tools since then and have updated my methods to keep up.
For my latest test, I gave each tool the same prompt:
“A person standing in front of the camera smiling with a green colorful pasture in the background with a sign that says ‘green meadows’.”
I also included screenshots so you can see how each tool did.
What to Look For
Some tools are better at drawing people, some at writing readable text, and others at backgrounds. It’s helpful to look at each part separately, depending on what you need.
I also compared other things like cost, speed, ease of use, and special features. You can sort this data to find what matters most to you.
Best Overall AI Image Generator
Google’s Imagen 3 is the best free option. It makes clear, realistic images (even with text), works fast, and doesn’t cost anything. It performs just as well as some paid tools.
Best Paid AI Image Generator
OpenAI’s new GPT-4o model was the biggest surprise. While DALL·E 2 was once popular and DALL·E 3 fell behind others, GPT-4o is a big step forward. It’s great at making people, scenery, signs, posters, and room designs. Plus, if you subscribe, you also get access to all of ChatGPT’s premium tools, including its video generator called Sora. That makes it the best paid option right now.
Best AI image generator for highest quality photos
I try multiple AI image generators because they make it fun and easy to create digital artwork. However my experiences with different AI generators, nothing could have prepared me for Midjourney AI.