Best AI tools for generating images

An independent research lab's text-to-image (and now short video) generator, used mainly via Discord and its own web app, known for a distinctive, stylized aesthetic.

Stylized, artistic imagery — concept art, illustration, mood boards — for creatives who prioritize aesthetic distinctiveness over literal prompt accuracy.

No native free tier on Discord/web. All generations are public by default unless Stealth Mode is on (Pro/Mega only). Weaker text-in-image rendering and instruction-following than newer competitors. No broad public API.

None on Discord or the web app. Only a limited trial inside the separate niji-journey mobile app, with an unpublished exact quota.

All prompts/images are used to train Midjourney's models by default with no opt-out, even on paid or Stealth plans — a broad license is granted to Midjourney over user content.

Native conversational image generation and editing built into ChatGPT and the OpenAI API (GPT-image family), enabling multi-turn edits and accurate text rendering through chat.

Iterative, conversational image creation and editing bundled with a general assistant, especially where accurate text-in-image matters.

Image generation shares rate limits with general chat use rather than having its own separate quota. The underlying model is a moving target — GPT-image-1 is slated for deprecation in late 2026.

Included in ChatGPT Free, but OpenAI publishes no exact image-generation count — any "2-3/day" figures found online are third-party estimates, not official.

Consumer ChatGPT (Free/Plus/Pro) uses conversations to improve models by default, with an opt-out toggle. Business/Enterprise/Edu plans and the API do not train on data by default.

Google's image generation spans two families across three surfaces (Gemini app, AI Studio, Vertex AI): "Nano Banana" (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) for conversational, character-consistent generation/editing, and Imagen for higher-fidelity, prompt-driven output.

Nano Banana for fast conversational iteration and photo editing; Imagen for prompt-driven photorealism.

API rate limits are explicitly "not guaranteed." Every output carries an invisible SynthID watermark, resistant to clean removal. Consumer usage limits can change without notice.

The Gemini app gives no published exact daily/monthly image quota — Google describes limits only qualitatively ("standard limits," resets on a rolling window).

Consumer Gemini app: human reviewers may review a subset of conversations to improve models by default (opt-out via disabling "Keep Activity"), retained up to 3 years. Gemini API/Vertex AI does not train on customer prompt data without explicit opt-in.

Adobe's generative model family/platform for image, video, audio, and vector generation/editing — used standalone at firefly.adobe.com or embedded in Photoshop, Illustrator, Express, Premiere, and Lightroom.

Commercial/enterprise content production needing "commercially safe" assets with IP indemnification and provenance metadata inside existing Creative Cloud workflows.

Nearly all generations consume non-rollover "generative credits"; running out drops you to slower/reduced access. IP indemnification excludes partner-model features (Gemini, GPT Image, Kling, Runway, ElevenLabs) and applies only on paid plans.

Offers "limited daily generations" refreshing daily across a curated model set — the exact numeric count is unpublished by Adobe.

Adobe states Firefly does not train on customer content, Creative Cloud personal content, or submitted prompts — models are trained only on licensed Adobe Stock, openly-licensed, and public-domain content. Content Credentials (C2PA) are automatically attached to every output.

A web-based generative platform for image (and increasingly video) generation, with multiple selectable models, custom/personal model fine-tuning, and production tools like upscaling and background removal. Acquired by Canva in July 2024.

Commercial/production image generation needing fine control via custom-trained models and multiple selectable model options rather than one fixed model.

Token costs vary non-transparently by model, resolution, and settings, so generations-per-token can't be predicted precisely. Free-tier content is public by default, with no rollover on unused daily tokens.

150 tokens/day, resets every 24 hours, no rollover — roughly 20-30 basic images/day (that image-count conversion is an estimate, not an official figure).

Won't use private/non-public content for training without express consent; reference images and API-generated images are never used for training. Public content (the free-tier default) grants Leonardo a broad license to use it, including for advertising.