Midjourney is a leading artificial intelligence (AI) art generator, but it's far from the only option available. There are numerous exciting alternatives, many of which are completely free. Ready to explore your creative side and prompt an AI to create stunning visuals?
Starry AI offers an easy-to-use image generation service at no cost, requiring only a simple account registration. You can also speed up the process by signing in with your Google or Facebook account, making Starry AI one of the quickest options for generating art. It includes a variety of art styles and allows you to customize the canvas size or upload an image to be incorporated into your artwork. While it may not always be the fastest—our tests revealed it occasionally seems to pause but has actually completed generating—it consistently produces impressively detailed pieces. With practice on your prompting techniques, you can greatly enhance your results.
Thanks to Microsoft’s collaboration with OpenAI, Dall-E 3 is embedded in the Copilot chatbot, allowing users to harness its functionality for free. Simply visit the Copilot homepage and type in your desired prompt. You can either create your own or utilize a prompt helper, which provides tips on crafting effective prompts for optimal results. After generating the image, you also have the option to adjust or refine it further with additional prompts.
If you're an Adobe Photoshop subscriber, you can delve into Adobe Firefly within the software. By downloading the latest beta, you can utilize the Generative Fill feature to enhance your workflow or create random AI art inspired by your prompts. If you're not a Photoshop user, you can still access Firefly through its dedicated web portal. Here, you can explore pre-generated images and input your descriptions in the context window. While an Adobe account is necessary for access, using this AI tool remains free.
Another user-friendly AI art generator is Nightcafe, which is among the fastest options available. You start with a few free credits to create various image styles, after which credits can be purchased at $8 for 100. You can also earn free credits by accepting marketing emails and receive five additional credits daily, making it a great choice for ongoing creativity. Nightcafe excels at creating character art, particularly useful for tabletop gaming like Dungeons & Dragons.
For those seeking simplicity, DeepAI allows you to generate images without the need for an account. Just head to the homepage, click the image button, and enter your prompt. Select a style, and you’ll receive a visually appealing image in under 20 seconds. While some advanced features require payment, DeepAI is an excellent tool for quick and straightforward AI art generation.
Idiogram stands out with its impressive range of features and speed, all offered for free. After a quick sign-up with your Google account, you can customize art styles and enter detailed prompts. Most of the time, the wait is under 10 seconds, and you can refine results later. This robust service feels destined for a paywall, so it’s worth exploring while it remains free.
Accessible on web, iOS, and Android, Dream is an AI image generator suitable for nearly anyone. While it limits you to a few art styles and allows only one image at a time without a premium upgrade, it offers many customization options. Its cross-platform functionality makes it a versatile choice for generating AI art.
Leonardo.AI features a comprehensive suite of free generative tools, including text-to-image and image-to-video capabilities, along with various image editing tools. It allows real-time adjustments to the input art styles, giving you the freedom to create everything from cartoon-like illustrations to nuanced folk art. In tests, it successfully recreated complex imagery like a Bandai-inspired Green Power Ranger.
Stable Diffusion is another versatile AI generator that offers a free tier for users. With it, you can enjoy features like text-to-image, image-to-image, and sketch-to-image generation, as well as image upscaling and background removal. Despite limitations on the free tier compared to the subscription plans ($7/month for Pro and $14/month for Max), you can still produce numerous images monthly or buy additional credits as needed.
Playground boasts an impressive selection of artistic styles, ranging from photorealistic to high-definition illustration, available on both its web and iOS platforms. The free tier allows users to create up to 50 images daily, albeit at reduced resolutions compared to the $15/month Pro and $45/month Turbo plans.