Are you like me?
To be through to the end and unexpectedly met with a paywall that required you to pay to generate your image?
I have a solution for you.
Not just one but I compiled 10 Image AI tools for you! And more importantly, they are all Free!
Here are the Top 10 Incredible and Free Image AI Tools That Still Work in 2024.
1. Microsoft Bing Image Creator
One of the most popular free Image AI nowadays.
Bing Image Creator is an image generator AI from a well-known company, Microsoft. It is recently improved and powered by DALL-E 3 which is developed by OpenAI, the same company who developed ChatGPT.
Since the introduction of DALL-E 3, Bing image AI can produce images with higher fidelity, accuracy, and details.
It follows the prompt accurately.
I also like its ability to follow my prompt closely. However, in a recent development, it became heavily censored and may limit the usage of certain prompts.
Still, this is a very useful tool for a beginner to start with.
The website is pretty straightforward.
You just log in with a Microsoft account and you can use it directly. Unfortunately, you cannot use the image produced by Microsoft Bing for commercial use. More information here.
I could not find the exact information on the number of free images that they gave daily. But, according to my experience, it is roughly between 10 to 15 images daily.
You can increase the credits to generate more images by completing tasks like making Microsoft Edge your default browser or making Bing your default search engine.
2. Leonardo AI
Leonardo AI is using one of the most powerful image-generative AIs in the market right now.
Leonardo AI keeps improving and getting better day by day. It uses Stable Diffusion architecture developed by Stability AI.
It works well in producing photorealistic results.
If you are a technical nerd and want more control of your image, there are also options to include negative chat prompts, adaptive models, and many more.
To start experimenting:
You would need to sign up with your email, Microsoft account, or Google account. The app gives you 150 daily tokens and each token translates to roughly one image depending on the customization that you use.
This will make you smile from ear to ear.
With Leonardo AI, you can use the images you generate for commercial usage. Full information here.
3. Civitai
You have more customization and freedom to write the prompt.
Civitai is a simple image AI app to use but it can be advanced if you choose to do so. Many people particularly like Civitai because of built-in image training techniques using LoRA (Low-Rank Adaptation) and Checkpoint which are advanced model-building techniques.
I provide the link here If you want to know more about it.
A huge collection of artwork.
They have a huge collection of artwork that is published by other users. You are free to browse and explore them to get more inspiration or to support them with likes or follow if you like their artwork.
Be warned, they have an NSFW section on their website. Make sure to put an NSFW filter on to avoid seeing something that you cannot unsee.
To get started with Civitai:
You would need to sign up with your email, Discord account, Github Account, Reddit account, or Google account.
When you first create your account, you will get 100 credits and you can earn daily credits every day. If it’s not enough, you can earn more free credits by finishing the tasks they give you like giving reactions, posting, and following other users.
4. Playground
Great user interface, great speed, and great image quality.
If you want to have a great user experience, fast generative speed, and excellent image quality.
Look no more, it’s Playground.
Do not be afraid of getting lost.
They have a short 3-minute interactive tutorial that is simple and easy to understand. With the help of the filter function, you can choose different styles to apply to your image which makes writing the prompt easier.
To get started with Playground:
You would need to sign up with your Google account.
Besides the user interface that will help you produce your first image smoothly, Playground’s generous free credits will help you experiment with more prompts and more images to generate.
500 free images every day. Yes, you see it correctly.
Playground gives 500 free images every day and you can use the images for commercial purposes. With the abundant free credits that they give, you can practice without worrying about running out of credits. For more information read here.
5. NightCafe
NightCafe is a popular image AI that has been around since 2019.
NightCafe creates stunning images ranging from cartoons to realistic images. Similar to Civitai, there is an option to train your model to create personalized images with the help of their powerful image fine-tuning model SDXL.
Awesome Image quality with a simple prompt.
You will get an excellent image even with a simple prompt. I tried “a cat wearing a white apron” on the default setting and I was amazed with the result.
If you would like to learn more about how to write the chat prompt. You can check it here.
To use NightCafe:
Like many others, you can create an account with your Email, Google account, or Facebook account.
But having an account is not a must!
They have a function called Magic Link that enables you to log in without a password. Just enter your email and they will send the link to your email for you to start using NightCafe.
I like it.
The number of free credits given daily is lower than average.
You get 5 free credits daily. But, you can earn more free credits by completing tasks such as following, publishing an image, and liking an image.
6. Canva
Hey, who does not know Canva?
Canva, an incredible online graphic design app, has helped students, business owners, and professionals create social media posts, presentations, and other creative materials quickly and easily.
Here’s the good news:
Canva has expanded and incorporated text-to-image AI into its app! It is easy to follow and use regardless of whether you are a first-timer or a seasoned Canva veteran. You can also further edit your image with integrated tools that Canva has to make slides, logos, posters, and many more.
To use the service:
You will need to log in with your Canva account.
You will get 50 free credits to generate AI images. Unfortunately, 50 free credits are for the lifetime of the account and the only way to get more credits is to purchase more credits.
7. Artbreeder
More towards Sci-Fi and anime-looking images.
Artbreeder is a collaborative and machine learning-based art website. You can produce backgrounds, faces, paintings, and many more.
What makes Artbreeder interesting:
Artbreeder has a blending function called Mixer. It will enable you to combine several images and text to create a new image. Furthermore, you can further adjust your image to your liking with the Tuner function.
And if you are looking to create portraits or landscape images, they have the right tools for it!
To use Artbreeder:
You do not need an account to generate an image. But, you will need to create an account with your Email or Google account to be able to download your image.
The free credits they give are on the low end. They give 3 credits monthly as a way to earn more credits. You can earn more credits by contributing to the community.
8. StarryAI
It is known for its capability to create stunning fantasy, painting, and anime images.
StarryAI is easy to use but takes some time to master.
They have a user-friendly interface so you will not have any problem trying to use the AI as a first-timer. You may need to spend some time experimenting with writing the prompt because it does not follow the prompt as closely as Bing Image Creator.
It is SFW.
In opposite to Civitai, StarryAI’s content policy does not allow NSFW content on their site.
To use StarryAI:
You will need to log in with your Google account or Apple account.
StarryAI gives 5 free credits daily which translate around 5 images a day. Looking at the number of free credits given, you need to pay attention to your customization like the canvas size. A higher canvas size will cost you more credits to create.
9. Dream
Another free alternative to generating fantasy art.
Dream AI, as the name implies, you enter a prompt, choose your style, and Dream AI will make your idea come true.
What I particularly like about this AI is the option to choose artwork styles such as anime, comic, cartoon, whimsical, HDR, and many more.
There is a limit on the number of letters you can input.
They set a maximum of 350 letters to input.
If you are looking to write more than the maximum amount of letters, this AI may not suit you.
I heard that the limit is even lower on the IOS app.
To use Dream:
Even though they advised you to sign up it is not necessary to have an account to use their service.
I tried to find out how many credits they give daily but I could not find it. However, I generated several images and it worked well without any issues.
10. Boredhumans
A fun app and it’s more than just image AI.
Boredhumans is a simple text-to-image AI without many filters to choose from.
You write the text prompt and the AI will give you the image. It takes some time for the image to appear.
What I like about BoredHumans:
There is no limit to generating images and does not require any account to use the service. There is even an option to let their AI take control and enhance your chat prompt.
If you want to generate a quick image without a hassle then you may like BoredHumans.
More than just text-to-image AI.
Besides the image AI generator. they also have many AI tools that you can try on their site.
Travel Guide — Let AI plan your vacation
Lyrics Generator — use AI to write song lyrics for you
Famous Quote Generator — Letting AI inspire you
Conclusion
There are still free image AI tools to use in 2024.
The free image AI tools listed here are capable of producing high-quality images that are comparable with the paid version.
Most of these AI tools are in a freemium model which is free until you run out of credits. There are some functions on some apps that are locked unless you are becoming their premium users.
But those functions are optional and I am satisfied with what I get on with a free plan.
Each of these tools has its strengths and weaknesses.
Some tools produce better photorealistic images, while others produce better fantasy images.
Some tools can follow the prompt closely but are heavily censored, while others do not follow as closely but allow higher freedom in writing the prompt.
If you ask me which tools are my favorite:
I would say Bing Image Creator and Leonardo AI are my favorites. Both have great image quality and I like the results. You can try these two first and from there you can start to explore and try other free image AI tools listed in this article.
But again, it is my opinion based on my experience using them.
You will need to discover and choose for yourself which one of these tools suits best for you. Your choice of words when writing the chat prompt will also impact the quality of your image.
Here’s a short guide If you’d like to know how to write a great chat prompt for image AI.
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