The Best AI Image Generators Compared: DALL-E vs Midjourney vs Stable Diffusion vs Adobe Firefly vs Microsoft Designer vs Flux

Creating compelling visuals is key to grabbing attention and telling a story, but it can take time and expertise. That’s where AI-generated images come in and make things so much easier. 

Instead of spending hours designing or searching for the right image, AI tools like DALL-E and MidJourney let you type in a description, and voilà—your image appears! But wait, is it as great as it sounds?

In this article, I talk about all things AI image generators. I’ve generated images with the most popular tools and talked about whether or not AI image generators are any good. Let’s begin!

How do AI tools generate images?

AI tools generate images using trained artificial neural networks that mimic how the human brain processes information. These networks are trained on vast amounts of data to learn patterns and relationships between pixels, enabling them to create images from scratch based on input prompts.

Diffusion models are vital to this process. They start with random noise and gradually refine it through multiple steps until a coherent image emerges. This allows AI to generate detailed, high-quality visuals.

The quality and diversity of the dataset used to train the AI are crucial. The more varied and representative the dataset, the better the AI can produce accurate and creative images across different styles and subjects. Poor or biased datasets can limit the tool’s ability to generate reliable or diverse outputs.

The Best AI Image Generators at a Glance

Tool NamePriceMobile appKey features (Highlights)Suitable For
DALL-EStarts $20/monthNo dedicated app but can be used via ChatGPTCustomizable visuals, Creative versatility, Seamless integration with ChatGPTCasual users and beginners, professionals and developers
MidJourneyStarts at $8/monthNo dedicated app but can used via the Discord appCreate variations, upscale images and edit specific portionsCasual users and professionals
FluxFree plan availableYesAspect ratio customization, Multiple outputs, Private or public settingArtists
Stable DiffusionFree plan availableNoFine-tune settings to match, Versatile , Open-source and accessible without costDevelopers and Coders
Adobe FireflyStarts at $4.99/monthNo Effects such as “Bokeh effect,” “Layered paper,” “Synthwave,” and more can be applied, Customization options.Graphic Designers and Content Creators
Microsoft Designer$69.99/yearYesChoose between various size options , View the various images you’ve created in the past, download generated imagesAnyone looking for a simple AI image generator (non-professionals)

The Best AI Image Generators

Dall-E

DALL-E is an AI model developed by OpenAI that generates detailed images from text prompts. You can easily tweak and customize the visuals, and it makes high-quality, creative images with hardly any effort.

The latest version, DALL-E 3, integrates directly with ChatGPT for easier image refinement and collaboration.  This model is available for users who have the ChatGPT Plus, Team and Enterprise and the OpenAI API. So, you’ll have to buy either of these plans to get started. 

Key features

Some key features of DALL-E include:

  • Customizable visuals: DALL-E allows you to tweak and refine images based on your preferences.
  • Creative versatility: It can generate a wide range of images, from realistic scenes to abstract concepts.
  • High-quality output: DALL-E produces sharp, visually appealing results with minimal input.
  • Seamless integration: The latest version integrates with ChatGPT, making image refinement and adjustments easier through conversation.

Using Dall-E

I asked Dall-E to give an image of a dog jumping over a fence trying to catch a butterfly, this is what it gave me:

I can also make changes to the image with the help of prompts. For example, I tried adding the dog breed, fence color and butterfly size.

With a little back and forth, Dall-E can give a decent image that can be worked with. A great thing is that you can ask it to input various kinds of text, or other elements and get what you want.

Next, I asked Dall-E to create a logo for an AI sales bot service and add a tagline into it. Here’s what it came up with:

Here we can see that Dall-E has problems adding text into images because the empowering part looks a bit botched up. Moreover, the logo also feels very generic but its also only the first output, with additional edits it could be made better. 

Now, the question of whether you can make any good out of Dall-E with advanced prompting? In my experience, yes. 

DALL-E allows you to specify styles such as “hyper-realistic,” “vintage photography,” “oil painting,” or even combine multiple styles. You can include descriptors like lighting, color schemes, and specific art styles. Advanced prompting options allow you to combine creative input with realism or surrealism.

For example, I could say, “Add cinematic lighting or sunset backlight for specific effects in the images.” For DALL-E prompting tips, there is this thread on the OpenAI community forum.

Dall-E Pricing

As mentioned, you can access Dall-E with a ChatGPT Plus, Team or Enterprise plan. Or you could get OpenAI’s API.

  • ChatGPT Plus: $20/month
  • ChatGPT Team: $25/user/month
  • ChatGPT Enterprise: Contact Sales

The pricing for OpenAI’s API is as follows:

Who is Dall-E for?

DALL-E is easy to get started with for casual users and beginners by being available via ChatGPT. Users do not need a deep understanding of AI or design. It’s perfect for those looking to generate fun, creative visuals for personal projects, social media content, or simple design tasks. And professionals can use the advanced capabilities (see above) to get the exact image they want.

Midjourney

Midjourney, like the others in this article, is an AI-based tool that generates images from text prompts, offering both casual and professional users creative control through various customization features. Originally accessible via Discord, it now includes a web interface for added convenience.

With MidJourney, you can fine-tune your image generation through advanced settings. You can adjust the “weirdness” level, which controls how abstract or unusual the generated image will be. You can also select different models that cater to various styles or levels of detail. 

Key features

  • Creating Variations: You can generate multiple variations of an image based on a single prompt.
  • Upscaling Images: MidJourney provides an upscaling option to enhance the resolution and detail of images.
  • Editing Specific Portions: Users can select specific areas of an image to edit, modify, or enhance without altering the entire composition.
  • Advanced Prompts: Midjourney offers features for professionals to create images matching their style. 

Using MidJourney

MidJourney gives lots of examples to users to get the exact images they want. If you master MidJourney, a lot can be done. 

For example, you can add parameters to generate an image in a specific format or use art styles such as “cyberpunk,” “steampunk,” or “fantasy illustration.” Midjourney also allows aspect ratio control and other formatting tweaks.

By adding –ar 16:9 to your prompt, you can create an image in a 16:9 landscape format. Or adding –stylize 1000 creates a more artistic and abstract version of your prompt.

MidJourney Pricing

  • Basic: $8/month billed annually
  • Standard: $24/month billed annually
  • Pro: $48/month billed annually
  • Mega: $96/month billed annually

Who is MidJourney for?

MidJourney is ideal for casual creators (especially with the web interface) and professionals who want to explore artistic expression. Users who enjoy experimenting with AI-generated images for fun or personal projects, like creating artwork, fantasy scenes, or unique visuals, will find it particularly enjoyable. But it’s also used at creative agencies, by artists, and professional digital creators maxing out the possibilities with Midjourney by utilizing the many parameters and settings Midjourney offers.

Flux

Flux AI Studio is another AI image generation tool where you can enter a prompt and get the image you desire. The latest model, Flux.1 Schnell is optimized for speed and precision, allowing users to generate high-quality visuals in a matter of moments. 

Flux comes with a couple of models to choose from. For example, Flux.1 Dev focuses on more creative and animated visuals. Flux.1 Pro delivers professional-grade results, and Flux.1 Dev – Image to Image allows for modifying existing images. 

Even though Flux doesn’t have the same level of integration with tools like ChatGPT like DALL-E does, it’s still a solid choice for creating custom visuals quickly. With its regular updates and improvements, it continues to be a reliable tool that gets the job done efficiently.

Key features

Here are some key features of Flux:

  • Aspect Ratio Customization: It allows you to select different aspect ratios (3:4, 1:1, 4:3) for your images, giving you control over the size and shape of the final output.
  • Multiple Outputs: You can choose how many image outputs you want, which is great for getting different variations based on the same prompt.
  • Private or Public Setting: You can choose whether to make the generated images public or keep them private, giving flexibility in terms of sharing your work.

Using Flux

I put the same prompt as Dall-E and asked Flux to generate an AI sales bot company logo. Below is what it gave me. 

It’s pretty simple to get images out of Flux. However, unlike Dall-E, I cannot keep chatting to make further improvements. It’s also worth mentioning that the image generation for free users takes more than 1-2 minutes. 

In terms of advanced prompting, it’s pretty similar to what you can do with Dall-E. You can prompt something like “in the style of minimalist poster design” to create a sharp, sleek aesthetic. Browse the showcase page of Flux AI to see what users create with it.

Flux Pricing

Here’s a summary of Flux AI’s pricing plans:

  • Free Plan: 10 credits, limited features.
  • Basic Plan: $9.99/month, 800 credits, all model access, private generations.
  • Plus Plan: $19.99/month, 2000 credits, longer generation history.
  • Pro Plan: $29.99/month, 4000 credits, unlimited generation history.

Credits vary by model with Flux.1 Schnell costs 1 credit per image, while advanced models like Flux.1 Pro costs up to 20 credits per image.

Who is Flux for?

Flux AI is great for artists who want to quickly create unique visuals. It offers a range of models to experiment with, whether you’re looking for realistic images or creative, illustrative styles. 

It’s super easy to use, making it perfect for bringing ideas to life fast, whether you’re designing digital art, concept pieces, or illustrations. Plus, you can tweak your creations to get exactly the look you want!

Stable Diffusion

Stable Diffusion (a model by Stability AI) is much more advanced as compared to the other AI image generators. Stable Diffusion is directed more towards developers and coders.

Stable Diffusion requires an API key. Then, you use Google Colab (or try it via Hugging Face) to run a few pre-written code blocks by simply hitting the play button. Once set up, you can enter your prompts, and the model will generate images based on your inputs. It’s a simple process after the initial setup.

Key features

  • Customizable: Fine-tune settings to match specific creative needs.
  • Versatile: Supports a range of styles, from photorealistic to artistic.
  • Free to use: Open-source and accessible without cost, aside from hosting or computing needs.

Using Stable Diffusion

After the set up, I had asked Stable Diffusion to give an image of a dog jumping over a fence. The image was definitely more realistic as compared to the other AI image generators. 

Here, you can see the design and colors look pretty good. I’d say this can be a ready-to-use image.

When I asked it to generate a logo, the tool fumbled a bit. As you can see, the logo looks quite artistic, but as a SaaS brand, I would not use it.  

A more formal design would have been better. You can experiment a bit with the editing options in the left bar and maybe it would look slightly better. 

Stable Diffusion provides rich options for guiding the creation process, such as specifying “photorealistic,” “watercolor painting,” or even controlling the camera angle in scenes. In terms of style, you could say Add “photorealistic” for lifelike images or “impressionist painting” for a more artistic style.

Or for composition you could say, Use “wide-angle shot” for expansive, cinematic scenes or “macro shot” for extreme close-ups.

Stable Diffusion Pricing

Stability AI offers a free tier for basic usage, providing a limited number of image generations. Paid tiers start at $9/month for additional API calls and higher limits, which is ideal for developers and small projects. 

Who is Stable Diffusion for?

Stable Diffusion is for developers and individuals with a coding background who want more control over AI-generated images. It’s an open-source tool, offering flexibility for customization and integration into various projects. 

Users need a basic understanding of coding and platforms like Google Colab to set up and run the model effectively. This makes it ideal for those who want to experiment with the underlying code, fine-tune the outputs, and explore the full potential of AI image generation.

Adobe Firefly

Integrated within the Adobe suite, Adobe Firefly is a simple to use text to image generator. The regular works the same way as most AI image generators. You enter your prompt and you get image results. 

Adobe Firefly gives you four image options and you can download any one or all. One way Adobe Firefly shines out is the editing features. You can add texts or shapes and also use an image for a social post. 

Screenshot: The Inspire page of Adobe Firefly 

You can also choose whether you want an art or a photo, also between different aspect ratios. If you have any references you’d like to replicate, there’s an option to upload them as well. 

Key features

  • Effects: A variety of effects such as “Bokeh effect,” “Layered paper,” “Synthwave,” and more can be applied to tailor the visual style.
  • Customization Options: Users can adjust color and tone, lighting, and camera angles to enhance their images.
  • Favorites Feature: Users can save generated content to their favorites for easy access later.

Using Adobe Firefly

I asked Adobe Firefly to generate the logo for me. It did a good job considering I had chosen the content type as “art”.

When I asked it to generate an image of a dog jumping over the fence, I selected the content type as “Photo” and you can see it did a really good job with it. 

Like DALL-E, Firefly supports advanced design elements such as “3D text” or “vector art” to achieve professional results. You can include detailed instructions for texture, light reflections, and surface finishes directly in your prompts.

Adobe Firefly Pricing

  • Adobe Firefly: $4.99/mo
  • Adobe Express: $9.99/mo

Who is Adobe Firefly for?

Adobe Firefly is perfect for graphic designers and content creators who want to speed up their creative process. With its AI-powered tools, they can quickly generate and customize visuals, saving time while still producing high-quality content. 

It’s great for anyone who needs to create eye-catching designs, like for social media or marketing, without getting bogged down in technical details. 

Microsoft Designer

Coming from the house of Microsoft, Microsoft Designer is a graphic design tool that lets you create images with text prompts. You can add instructions as to what you need and it will generate a few image options you can choose from. 

Microsoft is invested in OpenAI and relying on DALL-E for Microsoft Designer. Thus, you could view Microsoft Designer as a different interface to work with DALL-E.

The AI image generator can be used by anyone with a Microsoft account. Users get 15 credits and one prompt takes away one credit. So, for free, you can generate images 15 times. Unlike DALL-E you cannot chat further to make improvements. 

There are no editing options as well. Once the images are generated you can only download them. 

Key features

  • Size options: You can choose between various size options to get images in that size. 
  • Creation history: You can view the various images you’ve created in the past.
  • Download: Generated images can be downloaded onto your PC, although this is common across all image generators.
  • Edit existing images: Users can remove background or objects in the background using the tool.

Overall, there aren’t many features to the tool, and it is quite simple. 

Using Microsoft Designer

When I opened Microsoft Designer, all I had to do was enter the description for the image I was looking to generate. When I asked it to generate an image of a dog jumping over a fence, this is what it gave me:

For the logo design, it gave me four options, however, none of these look formal enough to be used. In fact, none of these were ready to use. 

The images this tool generated look and feel a lot like DALL-E. In fact, a lot of the advanced prompting options that it has are also similar to DALL-E. You can specify design elements like “modern minimalism” or “neon color palette,” and adjust other fine details like typography, spacing, and layering to match your brand or style.

Microsoft Designer Pricing

Microsoft Designer is a part of the Microsoft 365 plan. Pricing is as follows:

  • Microsoft 365 Personal: $69.99/year.
  • Microsoft 365 Family: $99.99/year (for up to 6 people).
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $6.00/user/month 
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50/user/month

Who is Microsoft Designer for? 

Examples shown on the Microsoft Designer homepage give a hint at the intended audience for the product.

If you’re looking for the simplest AI image generator that creates visuals just for show, Microsoft Designer is for you. It’s designed to quickly churn out images without much depth or purpose beyond aesthetics. 

If all you need are basic visuals to fill space or add some polish, it gets the job done—just don’t expect it to serve a higher purpose or be a powerhouse design tool.

Microsoft Designer caters to casual users. In addition to the text-to-image AI tool, it offers features like background removal, frame images, and more.

The Role of AI Image Detection

AI image detection tools exist but aren’t entirely reliable. Detectors like Hive Moderation, Deepware, and Sensity AI can spot AI-generated images, but their accuracy can be hit or miss. While detecting AI content is crucial in some areas, with images, it’s often less of a concern. 

As long as the image serves its purpose and is relevant, it doesn’t really matter if it was generated by AI or not. Unlike written content, where authenticity is key, AI-generated images can still be perfectly fine for most uses, like marketing or presentations.

Are AI Image Generators Any Good?

While we’re on this topic, you must be wondering, are AI image generators any good?

From my experience, it depends on a couple of factors:

  • The kind of AI image generator you use
  • The amount of learning and manual work you do

Tools like Microsoft Designer, Adobe Firefly, and Dall-E are great if you’re working on a casual project or need some quick visuals.

But if I talk about Stable Diffusion and MidJourney, these tools are capable of giving you something close to a ready-to-use asset. But you will have to learn your way around it. You’ll have to experiment with advanced prompting and put in time to get the results you need. For example, Midjourney has a feature called “Style Tuner,” which makes it possible to personalize the appearance of your Midjourney images, making sure the images created match your brand’s style.

How do AI Image Generators Benefit Creators?

AI image generators offer a range of benefits for creators, making them an exciting tool for those who need visuals quickly and efficiently. One of the biggest advantages is how they allow creators to realize visual ideas almost instantly

Whether you’re brainstorming, need to share a concept, or create a digital prototype, AI-generated images can bring those ideas to life in minutes. 

Text-to-Image AI tools are available 24/7, and your creative sparring partner. Only your imagination is your limit. You can visualize anything at any time.

Cost savings are another big draw. With AI, you can avoid paying hefty license fees for stock photos or custom images, which can really add up over time. This can be a game-changer for startups and small businesses that need to stretch their budget.

In short, AI image generators empower creators:

  • To work faster
  • Communicate more effectively
  • Keep costs down 
  • Visualize any creative ideas

Making them a valuable tool for anyone from solo creators to small businesses.

Ethical Considerations to Keep in Mind

It’s important to consider copyright issues when using AI image generators, as AI can unintentionally mimic existing works, raising ownership concerns. 

Additionally, there’s the risk of misleading or harmful content, like when Elon Musk shared a fake image of Kamala Harris as a communist. Such misuse can spread misinformation and cause harm, highlighting the need for responsible use of AI-generated images.

Use AI Chat Assistants to Create Prompts

If you are completely new to creating images from text prompts, you can also try using any of the available AI chat assistants to create text-to-image prompts.

Instead of writing the prompt yourself, you can give the AI chat assistant the talking points that describe the image you want and let the AI create the text-to-image prompt.

Here is an example:

This prompt was used to create the featured image for this blog post.

You can also infuse specific colors into your generated image. Upload a brand asset, ask AI to extract the color codes, and update the prompt.

Final Thoughts

AI image generators are a game-changing technology for anyone working as a creator or in a creative role. Visualizing ideas, creating photos, illustrations, and drawings… There are limitless opportunities to use these tools in your existing workflows.

Like digital photography, which turned the lives of photographers upside down some 30 years ago, these AI-powered image creation tools will again change the whole industry—the industry of creative workers and digital creators.

Both casual creators and professionals can already reap the benefits of these tools, and we are just beginning to understand the implications of this new technology.

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