The Best AI Image Generators
We tested 20 tools with the same text-to-image prompt. What's your favorite?
Last updated
Written by
November 27th, 2025
TL;DR Best AI Image Generators in Comparison
The best AI image generator: The best tool is Nano Banana Pro because it finally cracked the one last issue most image generators had: morphing two images perfectly together. And it can basically do everything else too: generate realistic or beautiful images, or change perspectives, elements, styles, literally everything!
The test: 20 AI image generators were evaluated using the same prompt: "Create an image of 2 people looking at each other, one being an AI robot, the other a woman. The background is space and the mood is friendly."
Key findings: Tools vary significantly in prompt responsiveness, with some following instructions precisely while others produce results far from the request. Most offer free trials or credits, though quality and features differ substantially.
Selection criteria: Choose based on responsiveness to prompts, advanced features (character consistency, camera angles), privacy preferences (some tools make images public), and cost per generation - especially important for regular use or social media content creation.
Our review contains a few affiliate marketing links. If you purchase any of the tools, we might receive a small commission. Why you can trust us: Editorial Policy & Testing Methodology
You know it's funny: if you ask ChatGPT what the best AI image generator is, it will answer with, of course, ChatGPT. And while it's quite good, it isn't the best. We've tested the 20 best text-to-image generators extensively and have kept an eye on this exciting category of generative AI for more than two years now. We've seen the beginnings with Midjourney and Dall-E 2 and we're watching now all the exciting editing features the best AI image generators are bringing to the game.
In this new era, we're not just looking at the prompt-to-image capabilities of the tools, but also very closely at how we can enhance or edit the image creation. In this area, ChatGPT is clearly lagging behind and only allows basic edits via image prompts. If I were alone to look at the editing side of things, Adobe Firefly would be my best choice. Or we’ve just added Nano Banana Pro on top of the list because it has really trumped everything we’ve seen so far, and not just in image editing, but overall (read our blog post and all details here).
As for the pure image generation capabilities, I'm currently very fond of Flux, it just generates beautiful images. Although I expected more of Flux 2, at least humans look much more realistic now and the generations are really cheap compared to Nano Banana Pro. But maybe it’s not fair to expect big jumps at this time anymore in image generation. Let’s expect those more for image editing, I think we haven’t hit the ceiling yet by far.
And with its Kontext feature, Flux stepped up the game! It's the first tool that is able to integrate text successfully into images (ChatGPT/Dall-E really struggles with this) and effortlessly replaces elements.
The reason Flux is not farther ahead: Their payment processor is terrible and will charge you even if subscriptions have been cancelled, plus Flux often fails to fetch the correct data and will make you prompt the same thing again.
All relevant Flux models (Flux 2, Flux Kontext Pro, Flux Kontext Max, Flux Fast, Flux 1.1, and Flux Realism) are accessible within Freepik, where you don't have this problem. The great thing about Freepik is also that it let's you access other models like Gemini Flash, Ideogram, ChatGPT and even Runway. This is literally the best deal for creating images, with one subscription, beginners and small businesses can play around with all the important models in one.
As mentioned above, for advanced editing and further refining AI images, I like Adobe Firefly, its Visual Intensity and Lighting Control, and the Camera Angle Adjustment features are an example of that. Adobe Firefly also top ai images and was the first unbiased tool, it generated an older woman for test prompt, which we have written out below.
While Canva is also great for AI-powered image editing, the integrated image generator is quite outdated (maybe even still Dall-E 2, which we didn't even take into the review anymore, but is still on the blog image above). Still, since I have a Canva Pro subscription, I'm quite familiar with their editing features and I have to compliment them on their background remover, magic edit, magic grab and image upscaler functions. If you also already pay for a Canva subscription, I would complement it with the free AI image generator by ChatGPT or Google's Imagen (I'm slightly more fond of the first).
You might have noticed that I didn't mention Midjourney yet. I probably make it too rarely behind Midjourney’s paywall and I'm sad that they don't let me access it via fal.ai (which lists almost all AI image generator tools for testing). Designers are still very fond of Midjourney. I really like their SREF (Style Reference) catalog, which lets you steal and apply styles you found from other creators. As an image creator, I still see it lagging behind Flux at the moment.
AI image generation tools like Freepik, Flux, Adobe Fireflies, Midjourney, and Imagen have been working madly on advancing their features and are clearly in the race to be the best AI image generator in 2026.
Check out our blog about the most exciting new AI image generator features.
But first, let's look at all AI software capable of bringing your ideas to life:
10 Best AI Image Generators Overview
| Rank | Tool Name | Best Pro | Biggest Con | Free Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nano Banana Pro | Perfect morphing of two images into one | A bit expensive with 15 cents per generation | 4 free images via Artlist |
| 2 | Freepik AI Image Generator | Huge variety of complementary features | ? | 20 Free Credits |
| 3 | Midjourney | Picture in high-resolution downloadable | Long loading times | Not Available anymore (before 25 free images) |
| 4 | Gemini Flash 2.5 Image | Free Image Generation | Images look immature at times | With Limitations |
| 5 | Flux 2 | Very affordable image generation credits | Payment processor is fishy | 50 Credits |
| 6 | Artlist (Image Gen) | Includes Nano Banana | Prompt limit of 100 words | 2 months free |
| 7 | ChatGPT (DALL·E 3) | Can provide style codes | Strict policies and trouble integrating text | Daily 3–4 generations |
| 8 | Adobe Firefly | Unique features like camera angle | Signup process quite confusing | 100 monthly generative credits |
| 9 | Ideogram | Good image quality | On free plan long loading times | 10 Daily Credits |
| 10 | Fotor | Unique styles such as polaroid | Didn't follow prompt 100% | Limited Credits |
Our Test Prompts
To have a good comparison, we used the same text-to-image prompt for every tool:
Prompt 1 Realism: Create an image of 2 people looking at each other, one being an AI robot, the other a woman. The background is space and the mood is friendly.
The Image Generator Prompt Fomula
Normally we would recommend this simple text formula for input:
Style + Subject
If you have a more specific image in mind, you should add
+ Background + Color Palette + Additional Elements
But we left the style in our test prompt away, because we were curious what the default style choice of each tool would be.
How To Choose The Best AI Image Generator?
Prompt Coherence: Check how well the tool listens to prompts in general. This is where the biggest difference is: Adobe Firefly will do a much better job even with a relatively open request like ours above, compared to Crayion or DeepAI.
Advanced features: Also ask yourself if you need advanced features such as character consistency or different camera angles? The top 3 players from our comparison will comply.
Public vs. Private: Do you mind if your AI-generated images are public domain content or do they have to stay private? Flux AI and PIXLR specifically state that your pictures are yours and yours only.
Cost per generation: How expensive is it to generate an image? This is especially relevant if you want to use the software on a regular basis or for example for social media posts.
One weird human bias came to light when we used text to image AI: some had a sexual touch as if that's how "friendly" was interpreted. The opposite to the famous Google AI art generator debacle: the tool was too woke to generate white vikings. Even after repeated attempts and requested exclusions of black skinned vikings (which IRL simply never existed), the tool wouldn't obey. A real shitstorm followed, so traumatic that Google took extra time to release Imagen.
Ok, but now it's time for you to answer the question: "What is the best AI image generator?" and compare images as you like. By the way, if you generate images for your SME, you might also be interested in our AI Website Builder Comparison or Social Media Tool Comparison.
Expect a big surprise at the end of this all… first place took a tool we absolutely did not expect to reign the text-to-image AI of 2026.
Best AI Image Generator - Review 2025
IMAGE QUALITY:
5
USER EXPERIENCE:
5
SETUP:
5
PROMPT COHERENCE:
5
Key Features
- 4K resolution
- Multimodal reasoning
- Advanced text
- Image blending
- Creative controls
- Multiple aspect ratios
- Real-time data
- Commercial use
- Scaled pricing
- Pro content
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Incredibly versatile
- For free (mind blowing)
- Can change perspectives of images
- Perfect morphing of two images into one
Cons:
- A bit expensive with 15 cents per generation
Price Point
Morphing images like a pro: Anime lady + book fighters becomes this
Input images:
IMAGE QUALITY:
5
USER EXPERIENCE:
5
SETUP:
5
GENEROSITY:
5
Who is it for?
Personal Use
Key Features
- Daily downloads
- Daily AI text-to-image generation
- AI Art generator with Pikaso
- Online Editor
- Vectors
- Photos
- AI images
- Icons
- Videos
- AI Background Generator
- AI Image Generator
- Image Upscaler
- Background Remover
- Photo Editor
- SVG file Download
- Background remover
Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages:
- Nice designs
- Huge variety of complementary features
Disadvantages:
- ?
Price Point
3
MIDJOURNEY
IMAGE QUALITY:
5
USER EXPERIENCE:
4
SETUP:
5
GENEROSITY:
5
Who is it for?
For Designers and Creative professionals
Support
Email Support
Key Features
- Character Consistency
- Text-to-image
- Community Gallery
- Community chat
- Instant Setup
- Unlimited Generations
- Multi-Account Management
- Image Queueing
- Real-Time Updates
- Omni-Reference (--oref)
- Personalization Profiles (--p)
- Style References (--sref)
- Draft Mode (--draft)
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Good image quality
- Easy onboarding
- Picture in high-resolution downloadable
Cons:
- No free trial
- Long loading times
- The tool is only as good as the prompt advanced
Price Point
4
Gemini Flash 2.5 Image
IMAGE QUALITY:
4
USER EXPERIENCE:
5
SETUP:
5
GENEROSITY:
4
Who is it for?
Social media creators, presentations, personal use
Support
Help Center, Community Forums
Key Features
- Character consistency across prompts
- Multi-image fusion capability
- Prompt-based image editing with natural language
- World knowledge integration for semantic understanding
- SynthID digital watermarking
- Cascaded Diffusion Models
- Improved Text and Typography
- Dynamic Thresholding
- Fine Control
- Broad Integration
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Free image generation
- Easy access via Gemini
Cons:
- Images look immature at times
- No "guided" generation as being able to choose from a catalog of styles etc. (only prompt based)
- Background looks unreal
- Put the woman unprompted in a space suite
Price Point
5
Flux 2
IMAGE QUALITY:
5
USER EXPERIENCE:
3
SETUP:
4
GENEROSITY:
5
Use Cases
Create an image of 2 people looking at each other, one being an AI robot, the other a woman. The background is space and the mood is friendly.
Support
Community Support
Key Features
- Private Image Generation
- User-friendly Interface and Collaboration
- Prompt Adherence and Quality
- Accurate Text Generation
- Human Realism
- 10x faster from idea to PCB
- State-of-the-Art Performance
- API Access
- Open-Weight Model
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Very affordable image gen credits
- Model understands intent very well
- Added a unique but well fitting perspective to my 2nd prompt
- More natural humans compared to former model
Cons:
- Payment Processor is fishy
- Some of the generated images (prompt 1 and 3) were a bit underwhelming
Price Point
IMAGE QUALITY:
4
USER EXPERIENCE:
3
SETUP:
5
GENEROSITY:
4
Who is it for?
Social media creators, presentations, personal use
Key Features
- Text-to-Image Generation
- Image-to-Image
- Animation from Static Images
- Text-to-Video
- Multiple visual styles (cinematic, 3D, portrait)
- HD quality outputs
- Commercial licensing included
- Integration with stock footage library
- Aspect Ratios
- Output Formats
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Includes Nano Banana
- Great All-in-one-Toolbox (incl. video & voice gen, sfx, music)
- Style Catalog is super helpful to find unique styles
Cons:
- Prompt limit of 100 words
- I would like to be able to see the whole prompt input window and not have to scroll
Price Point
If you are a ChatGPT plus subscriber, prompt the following: ‘With all the info you have about me by now, create an image of me and my typical surrounding.’
Turns out after all this time it thought I’m a man…
7
ChatGPT (DALL E 3)
IMAGE QUALITY:
3
USER EXPERIENCE:
3
SETUP:
5
GENEROSITY:
5
Who is it for?
OpenAI plus subscribers can play around for days
Support
Help Center, Community Forum, Support Tickets, Email Support, Documentation
Key Features
- Text-to-Image Capabilities
- Advanced Image Generation
- Image-to-Image Transformations
- Style and Concept Blending
- Editable Image Attributes
- High-Resolution Outputs
- Image Editing
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Good image quality
- Understands prompts quite well
- Can provide style codes
- Editing images feature
Cons:
- Strict policies and trouble integrating text
- Struggles with changing perspectives
- Adds text when not required
Price Point
IMAGE QUALITY:
4
USER EXPERIENCE:
3
SETUP:
4
GENEROSITY:
5
Key Features
- Generative Audio and Video
- Text To Image
- Generative Fill
- Generative Expand
- Vector Generation
- Image Generation
- Style Transfer
- Adjust style intensity
- Camera Angles
- Collage Maker
- Text Effects
- Pattern Generation
- Color Palette Creation
- Image Editing
- Template Library
- Generate own templates
- Social Media Templates
- Collaboration Tools
- Integration with Adobe Apps
- User-Friendly Interface
- Export Options
- Learning Resources
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Incredible variety of styles
- Unique features like camera angle
- Automatically provides 4 variations
- Only tool that added an older lady (unbiased)
- Toggle for visual intensity of styles
- One-click social media repurposing
Cons:
- Signup process quite confusing
Price Point
9
Ideogram
IMAGE QUALITY:
4
USER EXPERIENCE:
4
SETUP:
5
GENEROSITY:
3
Who is it for?
Social media creators, presentations, personal use
Support
Email Support, Discord Community
Key Features
- Text-to-Image
- Realistic Image Generation
- Creative Design Capabilities
- Sets of Image Style Tags
- Adjustment of Aspect Ratio and Resolution
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Good image quality
- Humans look quite good
- Let's you choose color palette
- Magic prompt feature
Cons:
- On free plan long loading times
- Few styles to choose from
Price Point
10
IMAGE QUALITY:
4
USER EXPERIENCE:
4
SETUP:
5
GENEROSITY:
3
Who is it for?
Content Creators, Website owners, Anyone who wants a versatile image gen
Key Features
- Text-to-Image Capabilities
- Photo Editing
- Background Remover
- Photo Enhancer
- Object Remover
- Graphic Design Templates
- Collage Maker
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Unique Styles such as polaroid
- posting image generation adds free credits
- Great image quality
Cons:
- Didn't follow prompt 100% (background is not space)
Price Point
