The Best Free AI Art Generators – RANKED Worst-Best (Most Are New to You)
AI art generators have come a long way from just piecing together images found on the internet. With advancements in AI, these tools can now create some truly unique and fascinating pieces of art. However, it’s important to remember that AI-generated images may not hold the same artistic value as human-made art, since there isn’t a direct human intent behind the creation.
This raises questions about the ownership and originality of AI-generated art. Many art communities have criticized the use of AI-generated images, pushing for more authentic and human-made content. Meanwhile, companies like Shutterstock and Adobe have developed their own AI image generators, focusing on using images they own to train their AI, thus avoiding legal issues related to copyright infringement.
Getty Images has also joined the fray with its AI art generator, but is simultaneously involved in legal action against stability AI, creators of Stable Diffusion for copyright issues. Given the murky legal waters surrounding AI-generated art, it’s best to use these images for personal enjoyment. Most AI art generators offer a few free tokens for initial use, but soon ask users to pay for more images or better quality.
The landscape also includes AI video generators, with OpenAI’s Sora model and DALI-3 standing out, although access to them may be restricted. To rank various AI art generators, tests were conducted using esoteric prompts inspired by recent reads, including Under the Pendulum’s Sun, The Dispossessed, and A Memory Called Empire. For systems that require a photo instead of a text prompt, a picture of a young greyhound named Skip was used.
So here’s a rundown of the AI art and video generators mentioned, from least to most impressive.
Modelscope
1. Modelscope This AI video generator creates short 2-second video clips that often come with odd distortions and watermarks from   Shutterstock.
It’s quite basic and the first to grab attention for text-to-video AI generation, but its outputs are more curious than practical.
Zeroscope
2. Zeroscope An improvement over Modelscope, Zeroscope produces higher-quality videos with an option to upscale to better      resolution.
It takes longer to generate videos, especially on public servers, and results can be unexpected with complex prompts.
Runway
3. Runway Text-to-Video Offers longer video generation capabilities than its predecessors, but still falls short in quality.
Most videos are simple with basic movements, showing that text-to-video technology has a long way to go.
Pixray
4. Pixray Utilizes an older generative adversarial network algorithm resulting in confusing and low-resolution images.
The process is slow, and the outcomes are not very clear or detailed.
DeepAI
5. DeepAI A simple and basic AI generator that produces images more akin to internet collages.
It lacks the advanced features found in newer systems, making its outputs less appealing.
Cryon
6. Cryon Formerly known as DALI Mini, Cryon is straightforward but requires payment for high-res images and removal of watermarks.
It’s more about making quick low-res images than detailed art.
Shutterstock
7. Shutterstock AI Image Generator Collaborating with DAO eCreator OpenAI, this generator produces better-quality images, but isn’t free beyond initial uses.
You need to pay for downloads if you’re not subscribed.
Hotpot AI
8. Hotpot AI Offers basic AI art generation, but also features like object and background removal for a fee.
Free usage is very limited, emphasizing small, thumbnail-sized images.
Runway ML
9. Runway ML This platform contributed to Stable Diffusion’s development, offering quality text-to-image services.
However, with only 25 free images before payment is required, its accessibility is limited.
Dream Studio
10. Dream Studio Developed by Stability AI, it offers various options for image creation.
Despite its speed and variety, it tends to produce derivative images unless very specific prompts are given.
Stable Diffusion
11. Stable Diffusion A free, open-source image generator that performs better when emulating specific artists.
It’s versatile but faces ethical concerns regarding the emulation of living artists’ styles.
VQGAN PlusClipÂ
12. VQGAN PlusClip Easy to use and open to all.
This generator shows the development process of images, resulting in unique but sometimes perplexing outcomes. It stands out for its simplicity and openness.
WomboDream
13. WomboDream Initially more captivating as a GAN model, its switch to a diffusion model made it less interesting.
Styles are largely locked behind a paywall, and the free version offers limited creativity.
StarryAI
14. StarryAI Despite updates to a diffusion model, StarryAI’s images have become less interesting, often feeling generic.
It offers a few daily credits for free image generation but limits creativity without specific styles.
DeepDream
15. DeepDream Generator Google’s tool transforms photos into art, but often the results feel like using advanced filters rather than creating new art.
It’s fun but lacks the depth of more sophisticated generators.
Night Cafe
16. Night Cafe Offers various styles but quickly prompts users to pay for continued use or higher quality.
The free version provides a taste of its capabilities but is limited in resolution and creativity.
DALL-E2
17. DALL-E2 Highly anticipated for its ability to interpret detailed prompts, DALL-E2 often defaults to an impressionistic style and struggles with accurate face replication.
It offers a good number of free prompts but has room for improvement.
Google Image FX
18. Google Image FX Allows unlimited creations without a credit system but its prompts are somewhat restrictive. Some generated images are impressive while others lack excitement.
Adobe Firefly
19. Adobe Firefly Provides 25 free credits monthly and uses Adobe’s stock images for training, resulting in basic but ad-friendly outputs.
It’s not the most creative but it’s user-friendly and accessible.
Stable Diffusion XL
20. Stable Diffusion XL Turbo Attempts to offer high-quality images but struggles with detail in faces and hands without specific instructions.
It’s an improvement over previous models but still has limitations.
DALL-E3
21. Image Creator from Microsoft Designer Benefits from Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI Offering 99 free prompts per day with the DALL-E3 model.
Despite its watermark, it’s one of the most capable free tools available.
Leonardo AI
22. Leonardo AI Provides stunning and highly stylized images with extensive options for creation. Although using more settings and upscaling cost tokens,
it stands out for its quality and style. Bonus Mention Mid-Journey While not free anymore, it deserves mention for its high-quality outputs and influence in the AI art generator space
It’s transitioned to a subscription model but remains a top choice for those willing to pay. Now, I’m curious, how many of these AI art generators were new to you? Be honest and let me know in the comments. Also, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the list.
Is there anything you’d add or shuffle around, or does it all seem spot-on to you? Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you in the next one.
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