10 Best AI Image Generators You Must Try in 2024

Did you ever need the perfect image to illustrate a story, to create the perfect meme, to use as concept art for a project, or even to hang on your wall? With generative AI, you can create stunning images from text descriptions, even if you're not a skilled artist yourself. Let AI do the heavy lifting and turn text to images to create captivating works of art.

In this article, we're diving into the exciting world of text to image generators. We'll explore the best AI image generators and fill you in on their features, benefits, and quirks.

Whether you're a pro looking to level up your creative game or just a casual artist eager to dabble in AI magic, there's an AI generated image creator out there that'll make your creative dreams come true. Let's dive in and discover the best AI image generator for you!

• Snapshot of Our Top 3 AI Image Generators
• How to Choose The Best AI Image Generator
• How We Test the Best AI Image Generators on This List
• Best AI Image Generators Comparison Chart
• The Best AI Image Generators - Ranked
• What is the Best AI Image Generator?
• Best AI Image Generator FAQ

Snapshot of Our Top 3 AI Image Generators

How to Choose the Best AI Image Generator

Budget

The best AI image generators vary greatly in price. Most programs that turn text to images will allow you to try them out before purchasing, which we highly recommend. That way, you can see if a bump in price equals a bump in quality. 

Features

Once you have your AI generated images, you may want to edit them in a variety of ways. After all, the technology isn’t perfect, and sometimes a picture needs a little help to make it exactly what you were looking for. If you want to change colors, add text, fix blur, or remove an extra leg, you will need editing tools. Some of the best AI image generators also come with these tools, so you won’t need to download/purchase multiple software.

Accuracy

The most important aspect of generative AI is accuracy. There’s always a little trial and error when you turn text to images, but the best AI image generators should match your prompt in as few tries as possible.

How We Test the Best AI Image Generators on This List

Prompts

We choose the same handful of prompts to test on all of the best AI image generators on our list. That way, we can compare the AI generated images side-by-side. We use a range of prompts from short and simple, to long and highly descriptive. We compare the accuracy and quality of the AI generated images and the speed it took to turn text to images.  

Styles

Many of the best AI image generators have a list of styles you can choose for your AI generated images, such as Steampunk, Oil Painting, or Cartoon. After our first round of testing (where we compare the text to image results without any styles attached), we try out the different styles offered. We note how many styles are available, and if the results accurately reflect the given style.

Added Features vs. Added Cost

We want to know which programs give you the most bang for your buck. For instance, many of the best AI image generators only exist for one purpose - to turn text to images. While this is fine for free software, we expect more from the paid options. We compare the price with the amount of additional features offered. We also test these additional features to see if they are worth the added cost.

Best AI Image Generators Comparison Chart

The Best AI Image Generators - Ranked

1. PhotoDirector

Best For: Photo editing with generative AI tools for any skill level

PhotoDirector is a fully-featured photo editing software that combines the photo manipulation tools of Photoshop and the image management tools of Lightroom into one easy-to-use product. It also happens to be the best AI image generator available for Windows and Mac. PhotoDirector’s AI generated images are high-resolution, realistic, and very accurate. Whether you prefer to write a brief prompt or a detailed description, PhotoDirector will produce 4 variations that closely match your needs. We love that you can immediately edit your AI generated images using a large selection of pro-level editing tools, even if you don’t have photo editing experience. 

Another reason we think PhotoDirector is the best AI image generator is due to the number of tools to turn text to images, and additional features/customizations located in each one. The AI Image Generator has 2 categories - portraits and scenery - with specific styles for each. Next, there’s AI People Background, which tailors AI-generated backgrounds to your uploaded images. We would use this tool to create a professional headshot, sell clothing/merchandise on a model, make custom photo Christmas cards, or just for fun! There are around 50 different styles in categories like Simple Color, Forest, and Graffiti. AI Product Background specializes in professional product photography. Choose from 60 background options to make your merchandise visually appealing to customers. What makes both the people and product background tools different from similar products, is the option to turn text to images and create a custom background. There is an Assisted prompt option, which breaks it down into parts (what kind of surface is your subject on? What details are in the background?) or you can write a prompt manually. With AI Anime, you can choose from 18 unique anime styles, or type in a custom style. You’ll find similar features in the AI Photo to Sketch, and Cartoonize Portrait tools. 

One of our favorite ways to turn text to images is with the AI Scenes tool, a unique generative AI feature that transforms your favorite scenic photos via a prompt or pre-set style, such as Christmas, Jungle, or Sunset. We also enjoyed testing the Picture to Painting tool, which changed our photos into oil paintings, watercolors, and more. We’ve tested a lot of AI art effects, but PhotoDirector’s stands out by providing a slider to adjust the strength of the effect, and a brush to erase the effect from part of an image. Subscribers are given 100 credits a month for generative AI features, and unlimited use of AI-powered editing tools.

When it comes to AI generated images, PhotoDirector’s combination of speed, accuracy, and quality makes it the best AI image generator on this list. Once you’ve turned text to images, you can edit them like a pro, using beginner-friendly tools. PowerDirector takes editing to the next level with cutting-edge AI-powered image abilities. You can do style transfers, remove unwanted elements like magic, replace the sky, mask out people, and even create stunning GIF animations.

Key Features:

1. Generative AI tools for images and backgrounds
2. One-click photo enhancements
3. Cartoonizer/Art Effects for portraits and scenery
4. AI tools like Sky Replacement, Bokeh, and Depth Map Blur

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

PCWorld Rating: 4.5/5

Text to Image Accuracy: 5/5

Price: Free
*Premium subscription available for $3.33/month

Hit that download button to experience the mind-blowing integration of AI technology and photo editing prowess in PhotoDirector. Get ready to bring your imagination to life like never before!

Check out these related topics for AI editing:

• Best AI Art Generators
• Best AI Photo Editors
• Best AI Video Editor

2. MyEdit

Best For: Generating environments and avatars

MyEdit is the best AI image generator found online. It includes not only one of the best AI image generators but multiple tools to create AI generated images for custom backgrounds and profile pics. Portrait tools include AI Avatar and AI Headshot. For both features, you can upload images of yourself, choose your favorite styles, and receive a pre-selected amount of professional-looking profile pics. Designers, e-shop owners, realtors, photographers, and more will love MyEdit’s generative background features. AI Room will redecorate a room in your house with a style or custom prompt. AI Product Background creates beautiful product backdrops for your merchandise, whether you own a high-end boutique, or simply need to sell old toys on Facebook Marketplace. 

And that’s not all. Turn text to images with AI Scenes, which converts the setting of your favorite landscape, cityscape, landmark, or house. Using MyEdit’s generative AI and powerful AI effects, you can also turn photographs into cartoons, sketches, or anime, and even change your outfit. AI Outfit allows you to test trending styles and formal wear to help mix up your stagnant style or create a professional headshot. And we’ve yet to mention the AI Image Generator, which provides up to 4 high-quality images per prompt that closely reflect what’s in your head.

Since our last round of testing, MyEdit has come up with tons of new ways to turn text to images and create fun posts and profile pics for social media. It is easily the best AI image generator you can find online. It’s easy to use, cost-effective, and extremely fast - yet the results are as high quality as some of the more expensive options on our list. Users of the free version get 3 credits per day for AI generated images and unlimited use of non-premium tools. You can even edit your creations with MyEdit’s other tools, which include background and object removal, deblur, denoise, crop, flip, resize, and a powerful AI image enhancer.

Key Features:

1. AI photo editing tools like object/background removal and image enhancements
2. AI Headshot, AI Avatar, AI Outfit, AI Anime, AI Sketch, and Cartoonizer for unique profile pics
3. AI generated backgrounds for people and products

Compatibility: Web Browser

Rating: No reviews available

AI Image Quality: 5/5

Price: Free
*Premium subscription available for $4/month for Image and $7/month for Image + Enhancer

You can try MyEdit for yourself by clicking the link below, and see why we think it’s the best AI image generator available online.

3. PowerDirector

Best For: AI images for video editing

PowerDirector is a renowned video editing software, beloved for combining advanced tools and effects with incredible ease of use. Its intuitive user interface and extensive set of features make it a great choice for users of any skill level. It is also the best AI image generator for videos. Create custom stickers for social media reels, or generate backgrounds, storyboards, and artwork for use in a variety of video projects. We found PowerDirector’s AI generated images closely matched our prompts and the Style presets accurately matched the look and tone we envisioned. 

PowerDirector is one of the only video editing software to include generative AI features, and the only option on our list of best AI image generators to include video editing tools. YouTubers and content creators will find all they need to make clickable videos with PowerDirector’s tools, including a mask designer, blending modes, slow motion effects, pan and zoom, and keyframes. It comes with audio editing tools, plus stock music, videos, and images. You can enhance your footage with lens corrections and lighting adjustments and automatically match the color of a badly lit clip to the rest of your video. The video creation possibilities are endless. 

PowerDirector is constantly updating its software, and since our last review, it has added new styles to its image generator, and new AI tools like motion effects and a voice changer. Using PowerDirector to create AI generated images and stickers will produce stunning, accurate results that take no time at all. Its automated tools allow you to turn text to images quickly, and it has some of the fastest rendering speeds of any video editing software. With less time waiting, you’ll have more time for creating.

Key Features:

1. Instantly generate images and stickers from text prompts
2. AI speech to text tool generates subtitles automatically
3. Tons of AI effects, including motion tracking, object detection, and body effects

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

PCMag Rating: 5/5

AI Image Quality: 5/5

Price: Free
*Premium subscription available for $4.58/month

Click that download button below and create extraordinary videos from start to finish.

4. Picsart

Best For: Social media posts and graphic design

With Picsart, you can turn text to images, stickers, logos, GIFs, videos, backgrounds, and even more text! It is one of the best AI image generators not only due to its wide variety of generative AI tools but also because it comes with photo editing and graphic design tools, so you can turn your AI generated images into social media posts in minutes.

It’s one of the best ways to turn text to images for beginners. You simply need to write a prompt then choose a size and a style. You’ll get 4 images per prompt that you can edit right away using the photo editor. The AI Replace tool was a favorite during our test. Upload an image, then either brush a mask onto the part of the image you wish to remix, or it will auto-select based on the box you choose - either person, clothes, sky, hair, or background. Pick a replacement from a list of suggestions, or turn text to image and write a prompt. It worked better than most of the “Replace” or “From Image” tools we tried.

In our last review, we said Picsart was “not the best AI image generator in terms of the quality of the images.” However, that is no longer the case. Now that the results are on par with the very best AI image generators, we had to move it up our list to #4, especially due to the vast feature set and inclusion of photo editing tools. But while we love that you can turn text to images and download the results for free, we always seem to get cut off without warning. We assume credits reload each day, but there is nowhere on the site that tells us how many credits we have, how many we can earn, or how many come with a subscription. We’ve also read quite a few user reviews that caution against the free trial and say it is a scam. Faulty business practices aside, we still think this is one of the best AI image generators around.  

Key Features:

1. 52 unique style presets including Manga, Matisse, and Psychedelic
2. Generate backgrounds, captions, and variants for products using Admaker
3. Layering tools to create graphic designs from your AI generated images

Compatibility: Web Browser, Windows, Mac

G2 Rating: 4.5/5

AI Image Quality: 4/5

Price: Free

*Premium subscriptions are available for $7/month for Plus and $6/month for Pro

5. Midjourney

Best For: Discord users willing to pay for quality

Midjourney is one of the best AI image generators because it consistently delivers top-notch results with images that display incredible cohesiveness, rich textures, and vibrant colors. We think it’s the best AI image generator for Discord users because it is already integrated into the site, and every image generated is shared publicly on the Midjourney page. You can join a chat room, submit to the Daily Theme, and even join an event like an art class or question/answer session. Discord has an amazing built-in Midjourney community that is always available to offer help and answer questions.

Regular users praise Midjourney for constantly updating and releasing new AI models. Every time you try it, your results will be even better than the last time. When you turn text to images, you get 4 options per prompt, with the option to upscale or create variations on selected images.

Midjourney is accessible exclusively through Discord, which is a dealbreaker for many potential users. It’s also one of the most expensive options to turn text to images on our list. It's important to consider its Discord exclusivity, lack of privacy, and high price tag before diving in - especially since other image generators have upped their game over the past few months. However, Midjourney remains one of the best AI image generators for its outstanding results, and its loyal fan base has rated it highly on review sites, helping it jump past DreamStudio on our updated list of best AI image generators.

Key Features:

1. 4 variations are given per prompt
2. A few editing tools including upscale, zoom, and pan
3. Meld 2-5 images into one with the Blend command

Compatibility: Web Browser

G2 Rating: 4.4/5

Text to Image Accuracy: 5/5

Price: $8/month for Basic, $24/month for Standard, $48/month for Pro, $96/month for Mega

6. DreamStudio

Best For: Those of any skill level who prefer a pay-as-you-go model

DreamStudio puts you in control, giving you a ton of options to fine-tune the image-generation process. You'll find sliders that let you adjust various aspects like the final image size, similarity to your prompt, number of diffusion steps, and number of generated images. You can even choose which algorithm version to use and input a specific seed and sampling method for repeatable results (unless you prefer the randomness).

Once you have your AI generated image, you can generate variations, or edit the image. Use a brush to erase an element of your image, then turn text to image by writing a prompt for the missing part. If you like to pay-as-you-go instead of purchasing a monthly subscription, then DreamStudio is the best AI image generator for you. However, the credits system can be confusing and the amount of AI generated images you get per credit fluctuates due to a variety of factors (one day it was .23 credits per image, a few days later it was .67 credits per image).

When you sign in to DreamStudio for the first time, you’ll be given 25 free credits, but these do not replenish daily like in other programs. It uses the Stable Diffusion AI model and advanced users can tweak it for even better results. The site can freeze at times, and sometimes features don’t work as they should. But when all is up and running, it is one of the best AI image generators around. If you require more than a tool to turn text to images, we recommend PhotoDirector, the best AI image generator on this list. It comes with a full suite of editing tools so you can perfect your images with effects, text, color tools, and more. 

Key Features:

1. Unique style presets such as Origami and Craft Clay
2. Aspect Ratio slider changes the default 1:1 image to any size you need
3. A few editing tools including object removal and adding blur

Compatibility: Web Browser

ProductHunt Rating: 4.6/5

AI Image Quality: 4.5/5

Price: Free for 25 credits, $10 for 1,000 credits

7. Stable Diffusion

Best For: Users who need unlimited AI generated images for free

Stable Diffusion has a database of 12 million searchable prompts. Simply type in a keyword and you will see all the AI generated images created with that word. You can read the detailed prompts for each and compare the results, thus refining your prompt-writing skills.

You can either turn text to images from scratch or upload an image and make AI-generated modifications. When we tried the “From Image” feature, we got an entirely new image, instead of our original image with the change we requested (although it did a good job of maintaining the look and feel of the original and did make the change). You can also choose an aspect ratio and choose the number of variations per prompt.

Oh, what a difference a few months makes in the ever-changing world of generative AI. Since our last review, Stable Diffusion has undergone massive changes to its user interface, AI model, feature set, and pricing structure. It has removed features such as the prompt generator, support for negative prompts, and a handful of styles, but we found the quality of the AI generated images has improved so much that we didn’t miss these tools. For instance, while we used to love the Gaming category that had Style options like Mario, Zelda, and Street Fighter, now you can simply write “in the style of Zelda” and get an even better result. Even though it has moved to a subscription-based model, you can still use the free version with up to 10 credits added daily. You will have to put up with annoying ads that block key functions, your results will be watermarked, and your images will only be stored on the site for 7 days. By contrast, our #2 pick for the best AI image generator, MyEdit, also gives you free daily credits, has no ads, no watermark, and stores your images for 1 year.  

Key Features:

1. Keyword search to find prompts and view the resulting AI generated images
2. From Image tool generates images based on a previous image
3. Sliders to adjust height and width

Compatibility: Web Browser

G2 Rating: 4.4/5

AI Image Quality: 4.5/5

Price: Free

*Premium subscriptions available for $7/month for Pro and $14/month for Max

8. NightCafe

Best For: AI art community

NightCafe is the best AI image generator if you love sharing and discussing your AI generated images with others. Turn text to images, then post your results to receive Likes and Comments, similar to other social media sites. There are daily contests, chat groups, and the ability to follow your favorite creators.

You can utilize all the aforementioned tools with a free account. When you sign up for NightCafe, you are given 5 credits, which reload daily. You can also earn free credits in various ways, such as getting Likes, publishing your images, and agreeing to emails. Additional credits are available through a subscription. We think NightCafe is one of the best AI image generators for quality and accuracy. Additional features include image enhancement, image variations, and the ability to turn text to images to remix a personal photograph.

NightCafe is a fun site for getting feedback on your AI generated images. It’s also a great place to browse other users’ work. The AI algorithm has safeguards in place to ensure all generated images adhere to community guidelines, so scrolling through images is a safe experience for all. That being said, many online reviews mentioned their accounts were shut down with no warning or explanation and all of their content was lost as a result. If you think NightCafe is the best AI image generator for you, we recommend periodically downloading your favorite images, just in case.

Key Features:

1. Receive Likes and Comments on your published images
2. Teach the AI model using uploaded images and put your favorite people, animals, and objects into AI generated settings
3. Turn text to images then order prints of your favorites directly from the site

Compatibility: Web Browser

Get App Rating: 4.3/5

AI Image Quality: 4.5/5

Price: Free

*Premium subscriptions available for $4.79/month for 100 credits, $7.99/month for 200 credits, $15.99/month for 500 credits, or $39.99/month for 1400 credits

9. Fotor

Best For: Generating faces for profile pics or avatars

Fotor is one of the best AI image generators for creating realistic human faces. While many of the very best AI image generators struggle when it comes to facial features, Fotor delivers stunning portraits that could grace a magazine cover. It has a number of text to image tools, including generators for avatars, headshots, images, artwork, and the aforementioned faces. There’s also a Face Swap tool, where you can swap bodies with friends, or put your head on the Mona Lisa.

You can also use many of Fotor’s AI tools on your photographs, to transform yourself, your pet, or your favorite setting into a work of art. Like Stable Diffusion, it offers a “From Image” feature, where you can change your photographs into different styles. The AI Replace tool lets you erase certain parts of your image and replace them via a prompt.

In our test, we found the text to image results were top quality and mostly accurate. Fotor also includes a fully-featured photo editor, just like PhotoDirector, the best AI image generator on our list. Fotor’s Pro subscription even costs the same as PhotoDirector, however, while PhotoDirector has one low price for all of its tools and features, Fotor saves some perks for its Pro Plus plan. Be advised that even if you subscribe to Fotor, you still get a limited number of credits per month.  

Key Features:

1. AI photo to painting converter transforms your images into works of art
2. AI Expand zooms out of your images and fills in the added space
3. AI Face Generator creates realistic and unique human faces from a prompt

Compatibility: Web Browser, Windows, Mac

G2 Rating: 4.2/5

AI Image Quality: 4/5

Price: Free

*Premium subscriptions available for $3.33/month for Pro and $7.49/month for Pro+; credit plans are also available

9. DALL·E 3

Best For: AI generated prompts

When we last tested OpenAI’s image generator, it was called DALL·E 2 and was available online as a standalone software. It has been replaced with DALL·E 3, a far superior upgrade with an emphasis on more closely reflecting prompts. OpenAI has integrated it with its popular AI writing assistant, ChatGPT. Not only can you generate visuals from scripts, stories, and conversations, but you can also use ChatGPT to write and refine prompts. Describe what you want to see in a few words, and let ChatGPT provide a detailed description. It’s an improvement that makes DALL·E 3 by far the best AI image generator for those who struggle with writing prompts.

Users can feel good about using DALL·E 3 to turn text to images. OpenAI has taken great pains to make sure it declines requests for art that mimics the style of living artists unless they opt-in to have their work used. It eliminates one of the biggest controversies over using AI art generators and ensures AI and artists can live in harmony. There are also safeguards in place to keep out pornographic, hateful, or violent images.

If you are a current ChatGPT user or have always wanted to give it a try, then DALL·E 3 is the best AI image generator for you. However, you can no longer access the image generator separately, and the price for ChatGPT is steep. If you prefer to turn text to images with a tool that does much more than image generation, we recommend PhotoDirector. It’s the best AI image generator and one of the best photo editing software on the market today.

Key Features:

1. Expand images beyond the original canvas with Outpainting
2. Visualize conversations, stories, articles, and more
3. Build your own app with the DALL·E 3 API

Compatibility: Web Browser

G2 Rating: 3.8/5 (for DALL·E 2)

AI Image Quality: 4.5/5

Price: $20/month for Plus, $25/month for Teams

What is the Best AI Image Generator?

We’ve looked at the best AI image generators and found that all have their strengths and weaknesses. We found PhotoDirector to be the best AI image generator overall, thanks to its lightning-fast generation, impressive results, affordability, user-friendliness, and vast set of editing features. 

PhotoDirector can turn text to images with superior quality that closely matches your prompts. There are separate styles for portraits and scenic images, which further refine the AI model, offering more realistic results. It’s not only the quality, but also the quantity of AI generative features that make PowerDirector the best AI image generator. AI People, AI Product Background, AI Anime, and AI Scenes are just some of the features that let you turn text to images.

Once you have your AI generated images, you can edit them to create countless variations. Remove unwanted objects, swap backgrounds, blur faces, add light hits, change colors, or add text to make a hilarious meme. The creative options are endless. 

Get PhotoDirector for free today by clicking that download button and bringing your dreams to life.