7 Best Free AI Image Generators That Rival Paid Tools
Let’s get straight to the point—Midjourney starts at $8/month, ChatGPT and Gemini cost $20/month. These are some of the most talked-about AI image generators, but what if I told you there are free AI tools (not just free trials) that can generate equally good images? After binge-testing countless AI tools for months, I’ve found the best free AI image generators you should be using.
Note:All the example images I have added to this article are compressed before uploading them.
Table of Contents
1. Fooocus
It is a free and open-source AI image generator available onGitHub. While you caninstall and run Fooocus on your system, you can also use it directly online viaGoogle Colab. The setup process can be a bit complicated, even for accessing the online tool, but the images generated by Fooocus are high quality, and you get manycustomization options.
You can generate images from scratch using text prompts or upload images and edit them. Some examples include adding and removing objects or upscaling them. Other customization options include adjusting the aspect ratio and image quality, providing negative prompts, choosing the art style, and more. Since it is an open-source model, you can use it with fewer restrictions. While youcannot generate images of real-world people, you can create explicit and NSFW images. However, text generation in Fooocus is hit or miss.
As mentioned, the main advantage of Fooocus is that you can use it online or run it locally. Note that the minimum requirement is4GB Nvidia GPU memory (4GB VRAM)and8GB system memory (8GB RAM)if you decide to download and run Fooocus AI locally. Be aware that there are many services online by the same name. The GitHub version is the only original version. Here are some images generated from Fooocus.
Try Fooocus on GitHub
2. Meta AI
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of running Fooocus, you may use Meta AI to generate images for free. It’s an open-source AI model accessible directly from the Meta AI website. Simply visit the site and select theImagine an Imageoption. Then, enter a prompt, and Meta AI will generate images in real-time, allowing you to see the details as you type.
Meta AI also offers anAnimateoption, that transforms images into live photos. While the image quality is on par with other models and it can even generate images with text properly, there aren’t many customization options, and the platform struggles to generate photorealistic images.
Meta AI has regulations in place and does not allow the generation of explicit or controversial images.
Try Meta AI
3. Grok AI
This is an AI model from Elon Musk’s company, xAI. Currently, it is available only via X (Twitter), with plans of a standalone app in the future. While the image quality is not on par with other AI models, it can generate even controversial images, including those of real-world people. Additionally, it handles text very well, similar to Meta AI. However, there aren’t many customization options. While its photorealistic images are better than those from Meta AI, they still have an AI-generated look and feel to them.
The app is not completely free, but you can generate up to 10 images every two hours. Here are some images generated usingGrok AI.
Try Grok AI
4. Flux and Stable Diffusion
BothFluxand Stable Diffusion are open-source image-generating models. They are among the best in quality, often surpassing Midjourney. These models can generate images in various styles, handle text generation perfectly, and produce high-quality photorealistic images.
However, they are heavy models, so Hugging Face (site that hosts both image-generating models) requires a subscription to use them in most spaces. While a few spaces do allow free usage, they typically run the smallest versions of Flux and Stable Diffusion. Both models are also available on variousthird-party serviceslikeTensor.artandMage.space, but these platforms charge a subscription.
The best way to use these models is to download and run them on your system for free. Just note that they require at least12GB to 24GB of VRAMon your GPU for optimal performance. Please note that the example provided below is from the lite version of the Flux model.
Try Stable Diffusion
5. Playground AI
This is a unique AI-powered image generator because it doesn’t create traditional images. Instead, it focuses on generating logos, t-shirt designs, stickers, social media posts, e-book covers, song album covers, mobile wallpaper templates, and more. If you need images for a specific purpose, this platform allows you to generate them in your desired style.
Additionally, the platform offers a feature where you may upload an image, and it will generate a new image in the same style but with different content. Another major advantage of this app is its text generation, which performs better than many other image-generating models.
The app is not completely free, but you get15 generations every 3 hours, which is a reasonable deal. Here are some examples from Playground AI.
Try Playground AI
6. Adobe Firefly
Firefly is integrated intoAdobe PhotoshopandIllustrator, which require an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. However, Adobe allows you to use Firefly for free on their website. While you get a limited number of images without watermarks at the start (we got around 40+ images), all subsequent images will include watermarks. Despite this, the image quality makes up for it.
Adobe Firefly produces high-quality images with a wide range of customization options, including the ability to adjust thecamera angle, color tone, visual style, lighting,and more. The only downside is its text generation, which is hit or miss.
Try Adobe Firefly
7. Microsoft Bing Image Creator and Microsoft Designer
The image-generating model used in ChatGPT isDALL·E 3. While ChatGPT allows only2 free images per day, the same model is available for free onMicrosoft Bing Image CreatorandMicrosoft Designer. The model is decent and gets the job done, but it’s not as robust as some other AI models on this list. You may not notice a significant difference when generating animation-style images, but photorealistic images often have smooth, unnatural textures.
The major difference betweenMicrosoft Bing Image CreatorandMicrosoft Designeris their focus:Image Creatoris designed for generating generic images, whereasDesigneris more specialized in creatinglogos, designs, illustrations,and similar graphics. Here are some examples.
Try Microsoft Bing Image Creator
Try Microsoft Designer
These are our favorite but free AI image generators. Fooocus, Stable Diffusion, and Flux are the best overall—they’re free, open-source, and highly capable. Meta AI is the fastest and super easy to set up. Grok gives you more flexibility with fewer restrictions, while Playground AI is great for creating logos and merchandise.
Ravi Teja KNTS
Tech writer with over 4 years of experience at TechWiser, where he has authored more than 700 articles on AI, Google apps, Chrome OS, Discord, and Android. His journey started with a passion for discussing technology and helping others in online forums, which naturally grew into a career in tech journalism. Ravi’s writing focuses on simplifying technology, making it accessible and jargon-free for readers. When he’s not breaking down the latest tech, he’s often immersed in a classic film – a true cinephile at heart.
