Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few months, then you have no doubt seen some of the impressive images people have been creating using artificial intelligence. Between the release of large language models, and text-to-image generators, AI is exploding.
If you have been looking around the internet for a good AI art generator, you might be a little disappointed to find that most of the best-looking ones cost money or require a subscription.
But if you want to get in on the AI art game without spending any real money, we have you covered. Today, we’re showing you the 5 best sites for creating free AI art. Let’s get into it!
Pick #1: Playground.ai
For the low price of free, you can use Playground.ai to produce a wide range of intriguing images based on your text prompt. You do need to create an account to use it, but once you’re in, you have access to several different generative models, including Playground V1, Stable Diffusion 1.5, Stable Diffusion 2.5, and DALL·E 2.
It’s no Midjourney, but you can’t argue with the price. You can create up to 1000 pictures a day with the free plan. But if you want more capabilities, you can upgrade to a pro plan, which also gives you access to higher-resolution output options.
Pick #2: NightCafe
If you’re looking for an easy-to-use option, you can’t go wrong with NightCafe. You get three different styles to choose from when creating your image: NightCafe, Cubist V2, and Anime. What makes NightCafe a great pick is that you don’t need an account, and you don’t need to pay a dime.
It works like every other text-to-image generator. Just input your text, and the app will take a moment to cook up something unique. You can use a single word or a full sentence. But the more descriptive you can be, the better.
NightCafe offers a few perks you won’t find in other free AI art sites, most notably the extensive community. You also get access to features like bulk creation, bulk download, and even custom seeds.
Pick #3: Dream by Wombo
Dream.ai by Wombo is a fun and easy way to create images using AI. You don’t need to make an account or sign up for a subscription, although the site does give you access to a lot more features if you do.
While there are some display ads and in-app purchases present on the site, you can still create unlimited images with ease. The only complaint about Wombo is that it isn’t always the most accurate, and you only get to see one image at a time with the free plan. But, it is still a great option if you want something fast and simple.
Pick #4: Craiyon
Another free and easy-to-use site for creating AI art is Craiyon.com. This site is not as powerful as some of the others, and it makes you wait for around one minute as it generates the image, but you can create some interesting pictures pretty quickly.
Unlike Dream by Wombo, you get a selection of six images with each prompt. This is great if you want a little variety and like having a few options to choose from. Plus, it makes up for making you wait around as the site generates your image.
The free plan comes with unlimited image generation (as long as you are cool with the wait times). However, the biggest complaint is the watermark that will be present in the end results.
Pick #5: AI Input
This one looks a little basic at first glance, but AI Input is a hidden gem. Like the other popular text-to-image sites, it is powered by Stable Diffusion, but what sets AI Input apart is its speed and simplicity.
There are no frills, and the design of the site looks like something from the 90s, but it offers some of the fastest and most accurate results. Enter your text prompt, and AI Input will generate four images for you in about ten seconds — not bad for being completely free!
Final Thoughts
You may have noticed that most of these free AI art sites are powered by Stable Diffusion. If you have the necessary requirements, such as a powerful graphics card and processor, we would recommend installing Stable Diffusion locally.
This way, you can generate infinite images for free, without needing to be online. The only downside is that you need a relatively capable system. A laptop or desktop computer with at least 4GB of graphics memory, or an Apple computer with an M1 or M2 processor will do just fine.
If you would prefer to stick to the online options, you can still enjoy plenty of features and capabilities, without needing to download or pay for anything. We hope you enjoyed this list, and happy creating!
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Lightspring/Shutterstock.com.
