Best AI art generators of 2023: DALL-E 2 and alternatives
If you’ve ever searched Google high and low to find an image you needed to no avail, AI is coming to the rescue. With AI art generators, you can type in a prompt as detailed or vague as you’d like and have the image you were thinking of pop up on your screen instantly. These tools can help with branding, social media content creation, vision boards, and more. Even if you have no professional use for it, no worries, the process is so fun that anyone can participate.
DALL-E 2 has made a huge splash because of its advanced capabilities and easy access; however, there are plenty of other AI art generators on the market that can all suit different needs.
To put the generators to a test, I put the same prompt, “a baby Yorkie sitting on a comfy couch in front of the NYC skyline” in each one and included a screenshot for your viewing pleasure (yes, I am a Yorkie mom). Using these observations, we put together a list of the best AI generators and detailed everything you need to know before starting your next masterpiece.
Also: I tested out an AI art generator and here’s what I learned
- Fast
- Not copyrighted
- Accurate depictions
Features:
- Generates four images per credit
- Input can be as detailed as you’d like
- Price: Free (unless you opt for more credits)
- Free credit allowance replenishes every month
OpenAI, the AI research company behind ChatGPT, launched DALL-E 2 last November, and since it has become the most popular AI art generator on the market. We are here to tell you that its popularity is well-deserved. The site is very intuitive and will produce results in seconds. All you have to do is type in whatever prompt you’d like, specifying as much detail as necessary to bring your vision to life, and then, DALL-E 2 will generate four images from your prompt. Not happy with the results? You can tweak it a little and try again. Best part is you get 50 free credits your first month and 15 credits every month after. If you need more, you can always buy credits too.
Also: How to use DALL-E 2 to turn your wildest imaginations into AI-generated art
- Mobile app
- Remix your own images
- Multiple templates
- One image per prompt
- Subscription cost for full access
Features:
- Mobile and desktop versions
- Different templates to choose from
- Realistic renditions
- Price: Free limited access
This app’s major success landed it a first-place spot for the best overall app in Google Play’s 2022 awards. With the app, you are able to create art with the simple input of a quick prompt. An added plus about this AI art generator is that it allows you to pick different design styles such as realistic, expressionism, comic, abstract, fanatical, ink, and more. In addition to the app, it has a free desktop mobile version that is simple to use. If you want to take your use of the app to the next level, you can pay $90 a year, $10 a month, or a lifetime subscription of $170.
- Free
- Unlimited access
- Simple to use
- Longer wait
- Distorted images
Features:
- Completely free to use
- Straightforward interface
- Unlimited prompts
- Price: Free
Despite originally having the name DALL-E mini, this AI art generator is NOT affiliated with OpenAI or DALL-E 2, rather, it is an open-source alternative. However, the name DALL-E 2 mini is somewhat fitting, as it does everything that DALL-E 2 does, just with less accurate renditions. Unlike DALL-E 2, the outputs from Craiyon lack quality. The good thing is that because you have unlimited prompts, you can continue to tweak the prompt until you get exactly what you were envisioning. The site is also so simple to use, adding to the overall appeal and making this AI generator a strong contender.
- Very high quality outputs
- No duds
- Discord community
Features:
- Utilizes Discord
- Highest quality photos
- Creates art for a variety of uses
- Price: Starts at $8/month
I often play around with AI art generators because of how fun and easy creating digital artwork is. Despite all my experiences with different AI generators, nothing could have prepared me for Midjourney. The output of this image was so crystal clear that I had a hard time believing it wasn’t an actual image someone took of the prompt I put in. This software is so good that it has produced award-winning art. To create your images, all you have to do is go to the site and join the beta by signing up through Discord. Then you get access to 25 free renderings and can upgrade to a plan after starting at $8/per month. A really fun perk of Midjourney’s platform is that you get to see everyone else’s inputs and outputs in the Discord chat.
To show you just how good these renditions are, I included a close-up below.
- Lots of options
- Great quality renditions
- Make great profile pictures
Features:
- Creates portraits of you through the ages
- Accurate outputs make great profile pictures
- Inexpensive premium version
- Price: Free during certain windows
Last fall, in a mega-viral TikTok trend, people were sharing AI-generated portraits of themselves on the app. The photos were powered by MyHeritage’s “AI Time Machine” which uses 10 to 25 user-inputted photos to create realistic portraits of what you’d look like throughout the ages.
Also: You can use an AI Time Machine to see what you’d look like in different eras throughout history
Although you have to wait 30 to 90 minutes to get the results, the beautiful artwork makes it worth the wait. The trick to getting them for free is refreshing the site and waiting until the free trial window opens up, designated by a “Try it now for free” button. If you can’t wait, there is only a $12 fee to have your photo.
The best overall AI art generator is DALL-E 2 because of its cost and efficiency. By using DALL-E 2 you can get a rendering of exactly what you envisioned within seconds with free credits that replenish every month.
AI art generator |
Price |
Key Features |
DALL-E 2 |
Users get 50 free credits the first month and 15 credits every month after. You can purchase additional credits starting at $15 for 115 credits. |
|
Dream by WOMBO |
Free limited access and subscriptions start at $10/month. |
|
Craiyon |
Unlimited, free access |
|
Midjourney |
Users get 25 free rendering, but the subscription starts at $8/month. |
|
MyHeritage’s AI Time Machine |
Free during certain times of day, otherwise $12 per pack. |
|
Although we crowned DALL-E 2 the best AI art generator overall, there are other AI art generators that perform better for specific needs. For example, if you are a professional using AI art generation for your business, you may need a tool like Midjourney which delivers consistent, reliable, quality output. On the other hand, if you just want to play with AI art generating for entertainment purposes, Craiyon might be the best option because its free and unlimited.
If you want… |
Then choose this AI art generator… |
The best AI art generator overall |
DALL-E 2 |
The best AI art generator for your phone |
Dream by WOMBO |
The best free AI art generator |
Craiyon |
The best AI art generator for high quality renders |
Midjourney |
The best AI art generator self portraits |
MyHeritage’s AI Time Machine |
In order to find the best AI art generators, we tested each generator listed and compared their performance. The factors that went into testing performance included UI/UX, image results, cost, speed and availability. Each AI art generator had different strengths and weaknesses, making each one the ideal fit for different individuals as listed next to our picks.
An AI art generator refers to software that uses AI to create images from user text inputs, usually within seconds. The images vary in style depending on the capabilities of the software but can typically render an image in any style you want including 3D, 2D, cinematic, modern, Renaissance and more.
Like any other AI model, AI art generators work on a learned data they are trained with. Typically, these models are trained on billions of images which it analyzes for characteristics. These insights are then used by the model to create new images.
AI art generators are trained on billions of images found throughout the internet. These images are often artwork that belongs to a specific artist, which are then reimagined and repurposed by AI art to generate your image. Although it’s not the same image, the new image has elements of an artists original work which is not credited to them.
Contrary to what you might think, there are so many more AI art generators than DALL-E 2 out there. Some produce even better results than OpenAI’s software. If you want to try something different, check out one of our alternatives listed above or the three additional ones below.
For all the latest Technology News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.