AI Image Models vs. Paid Plans
Most plans contain access to multiple models, including video models
Twenty months ago, I wrote a post over on Medium titled, “Which AI Image Generator am I"? that reviewed the top four tools and categorized them by archetype. That number seems quaint now, as there are over 50 different models on the AI image generator leaderboard. If you’re just getting started with AI image generation, I’m going to go over the top tools, where to find them, and how much you’ll expect to pay. To be clear, this is a bit of a popularity contest as I’ll be discussing the tools that I encounter frequently. I’m sure there are many great tools that I haven’t used yet. I’m also not going to rank them, because they’re all improving every few weeks, and everyone’s needs are different. I’ll post the price for one month, on an entry level plan, because you shouldn’t commit to a yearly plan when things are changing so quickly. Finally, many of these tools also allow you to make continuous edits via chat and convert your images into video.
The Individual Players
Let’s begin with the four proprietary brands that don’t load anyone else’s model: Midjourney, Ideogram, Recraft, and Reve. The first three are OG players that I think are still excellent, but don’t quite crack the top ten in the leaderboards. Reve is the new kid on the block, ranks higher, and produces incredible images. It also renders text really well, on the same level as Recraft and Ideogram. All of these tools are excellent and if you wanted to read no further, just pick one.
Middjourney: $10/month
Ideogram: $8/month
Recraft: $12/month
Reve: $10/1000 credits, equal to 1000 images.
The Big Boys, Google and OpenAI
Not surprisingly, OpenAI and Google are always hovering near the top of the leaderboards because they have unlimited resources, and multiple models. They also have expensive and often confusing subscription plans. OpenAI blew everyone away with their big release in March and are currently in the #1 slot if you’re willing to pay for their $200 Pro plan. However, the $20 Plus plan uses a different model and still creates amazing images. Google has several top models in their Imagen family and some of these are part of an expensive plan, but can also be found for free in other places. Pro Tip: If you’re going to pay $20/month for either ChatGPT or Gemini, you’ll also be getting a top rated image generator. Or go to Google Image FX and try it for free.
Flux: Why go Anywhere Else?
Black Forest Labs released their Flux model back in August of 2024 and it’s been kicking ass ever since. They now have multiple models, you can use them on open source sites for a few cents per image, or in many of the aggregators (below). The best place to get started is their own playground, which gives you 200 credits to start and lets you purchase more as needed ($10/1000 credits). However, their latest model, Flux Kontext is the real hero because it appears to understand the context of your image and makes continuous refinements through a chat interface. While many of the image generators also have this feature, Flux Kontext is currently the best. This means that you can generate an image and then refine it, changing the hair color, the outfit, the setting, or the art style all while maintaining a consistent character.
The Aggregators: One Site, Many Models
If you really want to explore and experiment with as many different image and video models as possible, you should consider Krea, OpenArt, and Freepik. Krea, for example, has access to over a dozen models, including Flux and the less powerful options from OpenAI and Google. Additionally, they have hundreds of community generated styles that you can layer on top of a model. All of these platforms allow you to create a custom avatar for character consistency. If you accept the concept of ‘everything is a remix’, you have an infinite variety of options. However, this many features adds complexity and the interface is more crowded and confusing. If I had to pick one, Krea is still my favorite. Additionally, you can explore a dozen different video models, but you will blow through your credits quickly. For this reason, I’m recommending that you select their intermediate plan, the second number (below).
Krea: $10/$35
OpenArt: $14/$56
Freepik: $9/$39
The Best AI Tools are Coming Out of China
ByteDance (TikTok) has a new tool, Deepseek has a new tool, as does Baidu. However many of these tools are hard to access, have multiple names, or are still in the research phase. Two of the consistently high ranking video tools are Kling and Minimax (Hailuo), but you purchase them as video-first platforms, thus paying up to $100 month for a premium plan. While I can’t pick a best standalone image generator, you can bet that the next big leap in the industry will come from a Chinese company.
The Outliers: Runway, Luma Dream Machine, Adobe Firefly
Full disclosure, I am a member of Runway’s Creative Partner Program, and I get their suite of tools for free and use them every day. Runway was originally a video tool, but their recently added image generator is excellent. Luma’s Dream machine is one of one my favorite tools and their intuitive interface makes it a dream to use. However, these tools are best when used on an unlimited plan that will set you back $95/month. You could get on their entry level plan ($30 Luma, $35 Runway) but you would quickly blow through your credits. Adobe Firefly has made huge improvements in recent months, but it’s expensive and probably only worth it if your commited to an Adobe workflow and your employer is paying for it.
Did I miss anything? Of course, there are many other fine tools out there, such as Leonardo and Stable Diffusion. But if I’m not reading about them, they probably didn’t make the list. Which one is the best? My favorite is still Flux Kontext, but If you want to see a longer post with the images I generated, check it out here.
Or, if you’ve got 8 minutes, you can check it out on Youtube.