The best AI image generators in 2026

The best AI image generators can be useful tools for photographers, editors and digital artists wanting to produce images that they couldn't create with a camera alone. They can generate images from scratch based on short text prompts, or you can use AI image generation to edit your own photos or add new elements to create imaginative composites and collages.

Generative AI remains controversial because of unresolved copyright issues and fears about its impact on jobs, but it's become part of many creatives' workflows, and it powers tools in a lot of the most popular photo editing software. Most people working in visual arts need to at least know about the tools while being aware of the ethical concerns and remembering that many AI-generated images may not be safe for commercial use.

Most of the best AI image generators work in a similar way, but some interpret prompts more precisely, produce more realistic results or provide more useful tools and interfaces. I tested and compares the process and output from a dozen of the latest models to choose the best AI generators for different needs, focusing mainly on the needs of photographers or artists who want to generate photorealistic images.

Below, I'll sum up the pros and cons of the six I found most useful. See the questions section at the bottom to learn more about how AI image generators work and how I tested them.

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The best AI image generators in full

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The best AI image generator for photo editing

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You might be surprised to find this photo editing and digital art stalwart at the top of a list of the best AI image generators, but hear me out. For photographers who want to use generative AI as part of an editing or compositing workflow, I've found Photoshop to be the most practical and useful tool to use, and chances are you already have it, or you're considering it, for traditional layer-based image editing and retouching.

Photoshop has generative AI capabilities powered by Adobe's own Firefly models, which are trained on licensed images, making them an option for commercial use. It now also has models from a range of third parties, including some that appear further down in this list, like Google's Nano Banana 2. These tools become more powerful and useful when combined with Photoshop's legacy editing tools.

Since AI imagery can be generated on a separate layer, you have a lot of flexibility for compositing using masks and blending modes. There are also practical tools designed specifically with photo and image editing in mind. Generative Fill allows you to select an area of an image and replace it with something else using a text prompt. Generative Expand, which allows you to expand a composition beyond its borders, is a life safer for those times when you wish you'd taken a wider shot or you need to change the aspect ratio of an image.

For compositing, Harmonize can save potentially hours of time by automatically adjusting the colour, lighting, shadows and tone of a new image layer to match the underlying image. This allows easy blending of people or objects into a different background. For more traditional retouching, the AI remove tool achieves cleaner and more powerful results than the legacy Clone Stamp and Content-Aware Fill. Photoshop also has its older Neural Filters for specific finer tasks like changing the direction of a subject's eyes.

Whether you're a traditional digital photographer looking for a more efficient retouching workflow or you're more of a digital artist exploring imaginative collaging, the AI image generation tools in Photoshop are varied and precise enough to allow you to use as much or as little AI as you want, while also using all the traditional tools that have become a standard part of image editing.

Adobe's own Firefly model has improved a lot and now produces more realistic imagery more reliably, but the third-party generators still have the edge for photorealism. That can lead to a conflict between whether to use the more responsibly trained Firefly model or a model that may not be commercially safe.

The main downside is the subscription cost. You'll need a Creative Cloud Pro subscription to make full use of Adobe's AI features, and even then you might find yourself having to pay for extra generative credits if you use image generation heavily. Adobe has already tweaked its AI pricing multiple times.

Read our full Photoshop review for more details.

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The best AI image generator for moodboarding

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One of the use cases that AI image generators are so often plugged for is for testing out ideas to find inspiration, yet so few programs are set up for that use. Adobe's Firefly Boards is a fairly convincing attempt to change that, providing an infinite canvas on which to experiment with your own images, stock photos, AI-generated images and combinations of all three.

You can create multiple artboards, pull in files from your computer, Adobe Cloud or Adobe Stock, generate new images and video using Firefly or various third-party models and automatically arrange them on the board. Then you can experiment by mixing and matching elements from the different sources using text prompts by selecting the images you want to use as references for style or composition.

I found comparable alternatives like Midjourney Boards and Kaiber's desktop-based Superstudio to be less intuitive and less practical in the editing tools provided. Firefly Boards also has the advantage of its integration of many of the best image and video generation models, including Flux, Nano Banana and Ideogram for imagery and Veo, Kling and Runway for video, and its integration with other Adobe apps, so you can send assets or artboards straight into Photoshop, for example.

The integration of third-party AI generators in Adobe's software has been controversial, but there is at least transparency on where images have come from. The application of embedded Content Credentials means that images are tagged to clarify when they're AI generated, including which model was used, which is vital when you're mixing your own imagery with AI content that may not be commercially safe.

Firefly Boards is free to try, although non-subscribers are limited to just 25 free monthly generative credits, enough for just 25 generations, and you're limited to using certain models. Like with Photoshop above, for full access to the AI tools, you'll need a Creative Cloud Pro subscription.

For tips on using Firefly itself, see our article on How to make Firefly work for you.

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The best AI image generator with chat integration

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Traditional software interfaces aren't the only way to access the best AI image generators. Most AI chatbots can now generate images, from Meta's bot in Instagram and to OpenAI's ChatGPT. This way of using AI image generation allows a back-and-forth dialogue in natural language through which you can build on an initial image generation, requesting further edits to fine tune the results.

Based on the results with the range of prompts that I tested, Google's Gemini provided the most convincing image generations when it comes to photorealistic styles and also most closely adhered to the text.

At the time of testing, the default image model is Nano Banana 2 (AKA Gemini 3.1 Flash Image). Images were sharp and detailed with generally sound physics, smooth focus transitions and few unusual artefacts. Any text was generally rendered clearly, adhering to the style requested.

Images can be generated in a wide variety of aspect ratios up to around 2K resolution (you can get 4K with Nano Banana 2 if you use the Gemini API or Google AI Studio). Gemini also did best out of the chatbots I compared when asked to add or remove objects in a previously generated image without changing other elements, retaining the cohesion of the composition and making the requested edits in a natural way.

AI video generators is a topic for a whole other guide, but Gemini can also generate short videos using Google's Veo 3, whether directly from text prompts or by adding movement to your own images or ones you've generated in Gemini itself.

Gemini's more generous than ChatGPT and some standalone models in terms of free image generations: you're limited to 20 images and three videos per day. For more than that, you'll need a Plus or Pro subscription for $4.99 or $19.99 per month, which is comparable to other subscription plans.

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The best open-source AI image generator

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Use Flux 2 Dev via Playground | Download via Hugging Face

Black Forest Labs' Flux 2 Dev is a free open-weight AI image generator, which means unlimited use with no need to sign up or subscribe. It also means you can run it locally on your own computer for greater privacy without your every request passing through a tech company's cloud servers.

Developers can also customise the model to add further training with a particular focus if they want to generate a particular type of imagery. There's an active community of users who have created their own LoRAs (Low-Rank Adaptations) – fine-tuning scripts that can enable Flux to generate content it wasn't trained with, including specific artistic styles or even specific faces.

Using the Flux 2 Dev FB8 version in ComfyUI, an open-source node-based graphical interface for generative AI models, and results had a very high level of fidelity, with sharp detail, and a close adherence to the prompts tested. Human portraits were particularly strong, on a par with Nano Banana for realism, although complex landscape scenes were less convincing.

The downside with an open model is that the software isn't packaged and ready to use in an intuitive way. To run it on your own computer, you'll need a higher-end Nvidia RTX 4000 or 5000 series GPU, and you'll need to get to speed with how to navigate ComfyUI. There's a template setup in the software to help you on your way if you're not used to working in the node-based interface, but it will still involve a learning curve.

The FB8 version was developed with Nvidia and reduces VRAM requirements by around 40 per cent. I did my testing on a PC with an RTX 5070 GPU, and the model ran smoothly, generating individual images within a few seconds. You'll also need at least around 50GB of hard drive space.

If you don't have a powerful-enough GPU, Flux 2 Dev is available in various commercial apps, including Adobe Firefly (above) and Playground, but you'll need a paid subscription and lose the advantages of privacy and the potential to customise the workflow. Also, bear in mind that Flux may have been trained on copyright material, making commercial safety doubtful.

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The best AI image generator for ease of use

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I found Perchance to be the best completely free AI image generator that's available in your browser with immediate easy access.

There's no need to create an account, no need to run any code and no limit to how many images you can generate. Just go to the website, type what you want in the text box, and Perchance will generate up to 32 images for each prompt.

The results don't come close to Nano Banana 2 or Flux 2 in terms of realism, but they're impressive for an ad-supported tool, and it's capable of turning up surprises that can serve as a springboard for ideas.

Unlike other free AI image generators like Craiyon, Perchance makes things easy for people who aren't used to crafting text prompts to generate images. It has a prompt generator, so you can describe the image you want in a more natural way and have Perchance structure the text into a prompt that the image generator is more likely to successfully interpret.

You can also choose from a wide range of styles to guide your prompt, from 'professional photo' to things as specific as '50s infomercial anime' (there's even a 'cursed photo' option that can throw up disturbing results).

Some of the styles provide additional guidance. 'Professional photo' invites you to choose a 'shot' type, such as 'extreme close up', 'high angle' or 'over the shoulder' and effects like lens flare or light leaks to add to your prompt.

Images can be generated in square, portrait or landscape orientation, and you can 'redo' generations, modifying the prompt but keeping the seed to maintain consistency – a feature often missing from many free AI image generators. On the downside, there are no editing tools, and images are generated at a low resolution of just 768 x 512. That makes Perchance a tool more for fun and for experimenting than for any serious finished imagery.

There's little information available about who runs the platform, but the AI model appears to be a version of Stability AI's open-source Stable Diffusion. If you want to quickly, easily and freely experiment with AI image generation without having to give your email address away, download a model or learn how to use a complex node-based interface, Perchance is a good place to start.

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The best AI image generator for text

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When Ideogram emerged in August 2023, it had one clear advantage over other AI image generators: it could turn out coherent text while others rendered letters as gibberish.

Today, many of the best AI image generators have improved their handling of text immensely. That reduces the need for Ideogram, but I found it still has the edge for neatly rendering text, particularly for prompts that request longer phrases placed on a sign or poster within an AI-generated image or an existing image. That makes it potentially useful for photographers who want to create composites adding stylised text to their own photos.

This remains Ideogram's main advantage. In terms of image generation alone, I found realism and prompt adherence to have lagged behind the latest models from Google, Black Forest Labs and Midjourney. The free access is also among the most stingy out there: you only get a couple of free image generations per day. The Plus plan costs $16/month. You can also use Ideogram via Adobe Firefly Boards.

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How to choose the best AI image generator

There are several things to consider to choose the best AI image generator for you. They include what you want to use it for, how much time you want to spend getting set up, what kind of results you expect, whether you're prepared to pay for it and if you accept how it was trained.

If you've never used an AI image generator and want to very quickly see how they work, you can jump into Perchance immediately and experiment to see how they work. For the best balance between the ease of use and quality of results, however, we'd suggest trying Adobe Firefly or DALL-E, which are capable of producing more coherent and accurate images, including in more realistic photography styles.

Stable Diffusion and Flux are open source and can be used for free, but while running them locally provides privacy and control, it also requires a bit of tech knowhow and a powerful computer. Meanwhile, Midjourney is very impressive when it comes to generating a wide range of styles, including very convincing photorealism. It also has a strong community to learn from, but it's no longer available for free.

We think that if you want a guiding hand – and you want to be sure that nobody's copyright was infringed in the process, Adobe's Firefly is the most best AI image generator for most people interest in fully blown AI image generation. Meanwhile, Photoshop, which has generative AI tools powered by Firefly, is the most useful tool for photographers who want to use generative AI to edit images.

No AI image generators have a 100% success rate in interpreting the prompts given. The same prompt used in the same image generator will return different results each time (unless you specify the same seed value). Sometimes the results may reflect accurately what you described, at other times they may be way off. This is something to consider when using text-to-image generators that charge for credits, as you're likely to use up a certain amount of generating images that you don't like and don't go on to use.

How we tested the best AI image generators

I ran a series of identical text prompts through the AI image generators Adobe's Firefly 4 and 5, Black Forest Lab's Flux, Canva AI, ChatGPT 5, Grok, Ideogram, Meta's Imagine, Google's Nano Banana 2/Gemini 3, Midjourney 7, Stable Diffusion XL and Perchance (based on Stable Diffusion).

I chose the prompts in order to test the model on a range of different kinds of photorealistic images. Where possible, I also prompted each model to edit several of the generated images to add and remove an object and tested image-to-image generation.

I then compared the quality of the results in terms of realism, the accuracy in the interpretation of the prompt and the presence of any artifacts or hallucinations.

After scoring the output of each model for output, I also considered ease of use and the practicalities of any tools provided to consider which tool is most convenient, reliable and practical to use for different scenarios.

Prompts used:

1) To check world physics and the rendering of human facial features and skin:

"An extreme close-up, macro-photographic portrait of a 74-year-old fisherman with deep-set wrinkles and sun-weathered skin. He is wearing a heavy, salt-encrusted yellow PVC rain slicker. Individual droplets of seawater are clinging to his gray beard. In the reflection of his pupils, a small distant lighthouse is visible against a stormy gray sky. Shot on a Sony A7R V, 90mm macro lens, f/2.8, natural overcast lighting. No smoothening, high-fidelity pores and skin imperfections visible."

2) To test interior logic, text clarity, materials and refraction

"A high-end lifestyle product photograph of a half-full glass of sparkling water with lemon slices and ice cubes, sitting on a dark walnut café table. A small, elegant white business card leans against the base of the glass with the text 'Lumina Design Studio' printed clearly in a minimalist black serif font. The background shows a blurred, sun-drenched bistro. The refraction of the lemon through the glass and water must be optically accurate. 8k resolution, ray-traced shadows, sharp focus on the business card text."

3) To test adherence to a prompt containing multiple subjects and complex lighting sources

"A wide-angle cinematic shot of a futuristic archaeological dig site in a neon-lit sandstone canyon at night. In the foreground, two researchers in matte-white tactical gear are kneeling over a glowing, cyan-colored ancient artifact embedded in the rock. Dust motes are caught in the beams of their shoulder-mounted flashlights. In the distant background, a massive moon hangs low over the canyon rim. The color palette is a high-contrast mix of warm desert oranges and cold electric blues. Shot on 35mm film, anamorphic lens flare, heavy atmospheric haze."

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AI image generators FAQs

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