Key Points
- Our choice for the #1 Best Overall AI Image Software is Dall-E 2.
- AI Image software can help you create amazing art using stock photos or text prompts.
- When shopping for the Best AI image software, consider how easy it will be to use, stability and performance, and whether it has a range of art styles, templates, and customization options.
AI image software has completely changed the game when it comes to generating images. If you’re an artist or designer, you might be wondering how you can use these tools to create mind-blowing pieces of art. In today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape, AI image generators are a game changer, taking simple text prompts and turning them into stunning visual representations within seconds.
However, exploring the world of AI art generators can be a bit overwhelming with the number of options available. Luckily, we’re here to make your decision easier. In this post, we highlight the best AI image software available today, plus what you need to look for in AI image software.
History-Computer’s Top Picks for the Best AI Image Software
Best Overall AI Image Software: Dall-E 2
Dall-E 2 is an impressive AI image generator developed by OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT. This tool actually powers a lot of other AI image-generation tools too. It allows you to create images from the text and descriptions you enter. Once you enter a prompt, you’ll get four image variations to choose from. It also combines a variety of different styles of art. The interface is very simple and easy to use. Plus, it lets you save the past prompts you used to generate your digital art.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It has a simple interface. | It does not have the most-in-depth editing features. |
| You can see your image history. | It does not produce photo-realistic results. |
| It creates high-resolution images. |
©NMStudio789/Shutterstock.com
Most Unique Style: Midjourney
Midjourney is a popular AI text-to-image generator that made headlines when a user won an art competition with an image they created. This tool is unique in that it’s operated through a Discord server. Simply enter prompts into the server and you can generate images based on your input. The resulting images are incredible, but the only downside is they won’t be very photo-realistic. Images that are created using Midjourney definitely have a unique style. Since it’s a Discord server, the experience will be a bit different, as you’ll see the art that others create while you wait for your image to load.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It produces incredible high-quality images. | It can only be used via Discord. |
| The Community feature can help with inspiration. | Every image you create is public. |
Best Editing Features: PhotoSonic
PhotoSonic is another fun and easy-to-use AI image software. Like other tools on this list, it uses a text-to-image model to take your descriptions and turn them into beautiful works of art. There’s a unique autocomplete feature that’ll expand your prompt based on simple requests. You have full control over both the quality and style of the image. It also has some unique editing features that let you remove the background from photos, change the aspect ratio, and more. The tool is also very easy to use and has a very low barrier to entry.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The tool has unique editing features. | Images are not copyrighted. |
| There are affordable plans for unlimited images. | It does not always produce accurate results. |
| You can modify and sell the photos you create. |
Best Library of Stock Photos: Shutterstock AI
Shutterstock is well-known as a popular stock photo provider, however, it’s also getting into the AI image software game with Shutterstock AI. With this tool, you can choose from several pre-set styles, add a description, and the tool will get to work. You can use it to create 3D art, digital art, and even realistic photos. Now, it is a bit slower than others, but that’s because it utilizes its vast library of stock photos. For those concerned about the ethics of AI, this tool has also been ethically designed.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It creates photo-realistic images. | It can be slower than other tools. |
| It has a huge library of stock photos. | There aren’t as many styles or templates. |
| Images you create can be licensed. | |
| They support creators whose images are used to train AI. |
Best AI Image Software for Beginners: NightCafe
NightCafe is a beginner-friendly AI art generator that can help you generate digital art in a couple of clicks. Once you enter your prompt, you can choose between four different images and further refine your image as you go along. It’s also backed by a large global community with a huge library of images that have been created by others on the platform. You’ll find a variety of unique styles to customize your image, including filtering by specific artists, art movements, genres, and more. Plus, it’s also available as a mobile app. So you can create AI-generated images whenever creativity strikes.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It has an easy-to-use interface. | There are long wait times for image generation. |
| You can generate images quickly. | You need to be skilled at writing prompts. |
| It creates print-ready images. | |
| The tool lets you create five free images daily. |
Best Open Source AI Image Software: DreamStudio (Stable Diffusion)
DreamStudio is an AI art generator that operates more like a classic image editing tool like Photoshop. It’s the official web app for Stable Diffusion, which is open source. So, anyone can download the software and run it on their computer. If you have the right tech skills, you can also train it to create the exact kind of images you want. That makes it more powerful, but that also means it will have a steeper learning curve. DreamStudio gives you a ton of control over the type of image you want to generate. You can enter a prompt, a negative prompt, upload an image to work with, choose a style, and much more.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It has very affordable pricing options. | The tool has a steeper learning curve. |
| The tool offers the highest levels of customization. | The editing tools aren’t the easiest to use. |
| It produces high-quality results. |
How to Pick the Best AI Image Software: Step by Step
When choosing the best AI image software, there are several factors you’ll want to keep in mind.
- Is it easy to use?
- Is it stable and high-performing?
- Does it have a range of art styles, templates, and customization options?
Let’s take a look at each of these considerations in more detail.
©Lightspring/Shutterstock.com
Is It Easy to Use?
A user-friendly interface is crucial for any software. You’ll want an AI image tool that is not only powerful but also easy to navigate. Look for features like drag-and-drop functionality, well-organized menus, and tooltips to explain different options that might be unclear. The software should also support input formats like text-to-image generation, allowing you to convert written descriptions into visuals.
Is It Stable and High-Performing?
When working with AI-driven image software, stability, and performance should be one of your main concerns. The software you choose should consistently produce high-quality photorealistic images without crashing or slowing down during use. A lot of AI writing tools that utilize ChatGPT 4 have issues with speed and crashes.
Finally, Make sure the AI image tool you choose is compatible with your OS or browser to ensure it runs smoothly. It’s also useful to have AI image software that offers image enhancement options. This will enhance lower-resolution images, and make sure the end product looks professional and polished.
Does It Have a Range of Art Styles, Templates, and Customization Options?
The best AI image software should offer a wide variety of art styles, genres, and templates, allowing you to truly unleash your creativity. Whether it’s just for fun, or work, having access to different art styles and compositions can help you create something truly unique. Also, look for a variety of customization options, so you can further refine your image.
What to Know Before Buying AI Image Software
With AI image software, you’re truly only limited by your own creativity. Some users simply create images for fun, while others use them in more professional settings. How you plan to use it will determine your choice. Here are a few things you should know before selecting AI Image software.
You Can Enhance Existing Photographs
AI image software has become a useful tool for photographers, letting you improve your photos with a couple of clicks. With these tools, you can adjust brightness, contrast, and color, and touch up virtually every part of your photo. Essentially, all you need to do is upload the photo, and the tool will take care of the rest, without any information loss.
You Can Create Custom Illustrations and Art
AI image software can create real works of art. Whether you’re having fun or need a logo design for a new project, AI image software can help you create exactly what you’re looking for. If you’re a designer yourself, then you can use these tools to help with the brainstorming process or to further enhance a design you already created.
You Can Use Your Images for Social Media Posts and Content Marketing
AI image software has become a valuable asset in social media and content marketing as well. Instead of searching for the perfect image to compliment a blog post or social media post, you can use AI prompts to generate a new image instead. Since most platforms rely heavily on visuals, the images you create with AI tools can be visually striking and help to grab attention.
Using the Best AI Image Editing Software: What It’s Like
Whether you’re creating images for marketing materials, or just having fun, AI image editing tools can help you create unique and awe-inspiring images. You can use the software to enhance your own images, create new images for social media, or you can even create custom works of art to sell. The more powerful the tool, the steeper the learning curve is likely to be. However, once you have mastered your tool of choice, the only limit is your imagination. It’s important to remember that AI image editing is just getting started, so only time will tell the true power of these tools. Hopefully, you have a better understanding of the best options available today, along with what to look for in an AI image editing tool.
Summary Table
| Rank | AI Image Software | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Best Overall | Dall-E 2 | Simple interface, image history, high-resolution images |
| Most Unique Style | Midjourney | Produces high-quality images, community feature for inspiration |
| Best Editing Features | PhotoSonic | Unique editing features, affordable plans, can modify and sell photos |
| Best Library of Stock Photos | Shutterstock AI | Creates photo-realistic images, huge library of stock photos, images can be licensed, supports creators |
| Best for Beginners | NightCafe | Easy-to-use interface, quick image generation, print-ready images, allows five free images daily |
| Best Open Source | DreamStudio (Stable Diffusion) | Affordable pricing, high levels of customization, high-quality results |
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Thongden Studio/Shutterstock.com.
