18 Best AI Art Generators You Should Use in 2023 (Free & Paid)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been gaining momentum steadily over the past couple of years. The big new addition to the AI bandwagon is the plethora of AI text-to-art generators that have cropped up online. From more popular art generators like DALL-E to lesser-known ones you might not have heard about, options are plenty. While not every AI text-to-art generator is accurate, there are some tools you can play around with or use extensively to show off your creativity. So, we have curated a long list of the best text-to-image generators. So if you’re a reader who’s interested in AI art, check out the details for the best AI art generators below and try them out.

Best AI Art Generators (2023)

Since the best AI text-to-art generators are available across the web, desktop, and mobile platforms, we have divided the guide accordingly. Also, we have included free AI art generators as well as paid options in this list for your convenience. Use the table below to explore these tools with ease.

Looking to create amazing, detailed images from text? LimeWire AI Studio lets you create high quality AI images from text prompts. It features support for multiple models including SDXL, SD 2.1, DALL-E2 so you can create the way you like. Soon, LimeWire will also unveil its own AI model for creating images. What’s more, LimeWire has its own LMWR crypto token, and you can even directly mint your AI generated images into NFTs. LimeWire also pays up to 70% royalties from ad-generated revenue to creators, and you can get started today for free!

Check out LimeWire AI Studio (Sponsored)

Best AI Text to Art Generator Websites

1. Midjourney

While not based on a website, Midjourney is a fantastic AI that generates text-to-art on a Discord server. Created by a self-funded team, this AI bot has found its bearings since the beta and has gotten massively popular recently. Midjourney is only available on the Discord server as a bot and outputs the images right there.

To get started, all you need to do is join the server and feed your text prompts with an easy prefix. Feeding the text puts your request into a queue, and the AI gets on it in a matter of seconds. The finished output takes a while, as you can see the image getting better in front of you. And honestly, Midjourney is one of the best AI text-to-image generators I have tried till now.

The output images are exceedingly accurate and strikingly beautiful. While you don’t get to choose from an art style, the images do look beautiful nonetheless. You also get to choose from different variations, upscale the image, or have the bot at your disposal to redraw the art with a different text query. The AI also does a good job at complicated prompts, so can add more elements to your request, and it won’t get confused.

As one would expect, this AI art generator is not free to use. You get the first 25 image creations for free, but you need to pay US$10 a month for the membership, which lets you create up to 200 images. However, after playing around with Midjourney for some time, I would say the membership fee is worth it. So do give Midjourney a try if you wish to make some cool art for your projects or blog.

PROS CONS
Beautiful and accurate outputs Free image limit quickly runs out
Understands complicated prompts Only available on Discord
Upscaling and alternate output options

Platforms: Discord
Cost: First 25 images free; then costs $10 for 200 images
Try Midjourney

2. Dream Studio (Stable Diffusion)

One of the most popular text-to-art AI generators right now, Stable Diffusion, is an open-source AI art generator that takes text prompts and outputs images in mere seconds. The model was trained on 4,000 Nvidia A100 GPUs over a month. While I tried out the online website that mostly bears all the resource load for you, Stable Diffusion is also available to set up on your own PC, albeit with a heavy load. Also, if you’ve heard of Dream Studio and have confused it with Stable Diffusion, don’t be since they are essentially the same thing. Dream Studio compiles the Stable Diffusion model and APIs in one place and offers faster AI art generation as opposed to the demo version. Also, it is noteworthy that Dream Studio is a free AI art generator tool that you can use in 2023.

As for how Stable Diffusion works, the algorithm refines the image as it gets closer to the prompt. So from the time you enter a prompt, the AI generator converts the text to art and keeps refining the image. It stops until the image has gotten as close as it can to your text prompt. The variety of art generated is far and wide and limited only by your own imagination.

The website includes an NSFW filter, but you can easily disable that with a local installation. A local install also gives you the ability to upscale images. However, do keep in mind that Stable Diffusion’s AI art generator uses a lot of computing resources, so make sure you have a machine with a powerful GPU.

My experience with Stable Diffusion was mostly a nice one with an overall good output generation. I noticed that the text-to-image AI has its strengths in art-style drawings where the character creation can be flexible. The generator does seem to struggle with specific prompts that make it fizzle out and deliver sub-par images. However, it is worth noting that the model does have its limitations since it’s still in the early development stages for now.

Nonetheless, as you can see from the output images above, the 512 x 512 renders are pretty cool when you consider that they were created by an AI. Give Stable Diffusion a try, and let us know what you think.

PROS CONS
Free to use with limitations Website limited to small image dimensions
Renders images from prompts very quicklyResource heavy on local installation
Accurate outputs that reflect prompts

Platforms: Web and Local Installation
Cost: Free to Use
Try Stable Diffusion
Try Dream Studio (Beta)

3. DALL-E 2

DALL-E 2 is probably the one text-to-image generator you might have heard about, as it has gone viral on the Internet. Well, DALL-E 2 is an upgraded yet smaller version of the original and can create even more lifelike images. Made by the OpenAI research lab, this AI text-to-art generator was initially closed off and available to select individuals with limited access. However, as time has passed and its model has improved, DALL-E 2 is now open to use for everyone, provided you sign up for an account.

Unlike Stable Diffusion, DALL-E 2 gives you 50 credits that you can use to generate images. Each output equals one credit, and you can purchase more credits once you are out, thus, contributing to the research. This helps them pump more funds into the project and train the existing AI to make it better. From the time it arrived to now, DALL-E 2 has definitely gotten better in terms of overall accuracy and quality of its outputs.

As per my testing, I appreciate the fact that DALL-E 2 took my prompts and delivered life-like drawings, surpassing my expectations. While there were times the AI art generator took a bit longer and stalled, that didn’t happen too often. I tested a variety of scenarios, ranging from simple drawings to superclusters on fire, and the outputs were amazing. Moreover, the edit tool in DALL-E 2 gives you the option to add a generation frame, so you can add more keywords and produce a new output based on your older one.

This text-to-image generator also provides an option to request alternatives, so if you are not happy with your output, you can ask the AI to draw more images and then choose from among them. Also, to make the experience better, DALL-E 2 intelligently gives you handy tips on how to make the AI art better, so make sure you read those between the loading times for information.

PROS CONS
Simple and easy to use Occasional freeze while loading
Lifelike output with right prompts
Edit tool to create variations

Platforms: Web
Cost: 50 free Credits in first month and 15 free Credits in the following months; costs $15 for 115 Credits
Try DALL-E 2

4. Japser Art

Besides its excellent writing capabilities, Jasper also has quite a capable AI art generator as part of its services. Like its other services, Jasper AI image generator is hosted on the website online and requires one to buy a seat to access it. The AI art generator has two different methods of using it. You can either begin from scratch by using the Free Form option or try Jasper’s pre-built templates that refine the images for you.

The Free Form option requires a prompt from the user. As with every other generator, the more detailed the prompt, the better the output. Besides that, Jasper also provides fine-tuning as you can choose from moods, mediums, styles, keywords, and even language. Once done, simply click on Create artwork and it gets to work. To its credit, Jasper outputs images in under a minute which is quite fast.

I tested out a variety of image prompts and styles and Jasper’s art is quite amazing. The AI art generator understands the prompts quite well and gives images based on them. You also get high-definition image variations like Midjourney that you can download straight away. Since Jasper gives various styles, one can mix and match them with aesthetics to get the image they want. Or if you don’t want to work that hard, choose any of the template options provided and let Jasper do the work for you.

As mentioned above, however, Jasper Art isn’t free. You need to purchase a seat for $20 to freely use it. Fortunately, you get unlimited image generation which is a big plus. Users can, however, also get a 5-day free trial of 200 images to test the service before they get the premium. Get that and check it out.

Pros Cons
Excellent AI art generation No mobile apps available
Provides fine-tuning options
Quick image output
Unlimited image generation

Platforms: Web
Cost: 200 free images in the free trial, unlimited images after.
Try
Jasper Art

5. NightCafe

NightCafe is yet another easy-to-use AI text-to-art generator available online. While working as an image generator that provides variety, NightCafe comes with its own take. This AI art generator provides plenty of customization options when it comes to output. As a user, you can pick not only the output art style but even the algorithm the AI uses, providing you greater control over your creation. So if you prefer Clip Guided Diffusion over the Stable one, you can pick and choose.

NightCafe comes as a paid service that starts out with five free credits that translate to five AI images. You can create an account and log in to get three more credits. But, you will need to subscribe to NightCafe to get more credits, with the prices starting as low as $0.053 per credit. While that does make the service a bit limited, you can choose a plan that will also make it affordable for you.

The image outputs you get from NightCafe are not half bad and appear lifelike and vivid. As mentioned on the website, using Clip Guided Diffusion ensures the images created by AI follow the laws of physics. This grounds them a bit more to reality. However, that doesn’t mean the AI cannot create a space odyssey image.

NightCafe does consistently well with all types of images but struggles with quality. Thankfully, you can upscale the output images by paying more credits or evolve them by feeding more prompts. I did notice the output creation takes a long time when compared to Stable Diffusion but nothing too major. Overall, I did find the NightCafe AI image generator is a good art creator, except for its credit limit.

PROS CONS
Can choose an AI algorithm Small credit limit
A plethora of art styles to choose from
Can upscale images (paid)

Platforms: Web
Cost: Free 5 Credits/day; 100 Credits for $9.99/month
Try NightCafe

6. Fotor

Another excellent AI art generator is Fotor, a web-based tool that outputs images very quickly. A good thing about Fotor is that it’s completely free to use, making it the second free AI art generator tool in this list after DALL-E 2. But, you can only get 10 free images per day All you need to do is create an account and begin. Like other generators, Fotor requires detailed prompts from users. The AI is even capable of generating images from provided images and keeps a gallery of our creations.

As you can see, Fotor outputs excellent images that can be used with little to no editing. For those looking for specific sizes, the AI art generator also provides different ratios for a variety. To maximize creation, Fotor lets users tinker around with other settings including styles, ratios, lighting, and more. While these enhance the output, they can be kept off for basic creations.

As mentioned above, Fotor is fully free to use making it one of the best AI art generators for now. There is also no image prompt size limit so you can type as much or as little as you want. Once done, the service lets users quickly download the output for use. Check out Fotor and give it a shot.

Pros Cons
Outputs images extremely quickly Only 10 free images allowed per day
Beautiful and realistic image generation
No image prompt limit
Fully free to use with no image limit

Platforms: Web
Cost: Free
Try Fotor

7. Pixray

Another easy-to-use AI image generator, Pixray, is available online as a website, for local installation on your PC, and even as an API for all those who wish to make AI art Discord bots. However, unlike other AIs, Pixray takes considerably longer to give an output. While services like Diffusion and DALL-E 2 output an image in under a minute, Pixray takes around six minutes to create a single image. For context, the AI runs on Nvidia T4 GPU hardware.

Thankfully, Pixray has a straightforward website design that lets you input the prompt and see the progress in real-time. Once done with the art creation, there’s a handy slider that you can use to see the process the AI took to get to the final output. The images are also decent in representation. But there are times when the AI gets confused and messes up the image. Furthermore, when it comes to after-image customization, Pixray is limited, as you don’t really get many options except for the ability to download and share the image.

While Pixray is almost free to use, you do get a pop-up to pay for their services after a while. It doesn’t have a credit service like DALL-E or NightCafe. Instead, you get a choice between different PC specifications with a CPU or GPU to render your output. This will set you back anywhere from $0.0002 per second to way higher, depending on the workload. Nonetheless, it is fairly inexpensive but easy to use.

PROS CONS
Extremely easy-to-use/ta websiteLacks customization options
Decent image output Takes a long time to create an image

Platforms: Web and Local Installation
Cost: Free; costs $0.0002 per second after a while
Try Pixray

8. Text to Pokemon Generator

While this AI art generator is a bit niche, it’s perfect for those who grew up watching Pokemon. Based on the replicate website as Pixray, this Pokemon generator allows a user to create new Pocket Monsters just by a text prompt. All you need to do is enter prompts like, say Pikachu Yoda in Red, and behold as the creation unfolds.

While it’s based on the same Replicate website, the AI image generator takes close to a minute to give you a Pokemon masterpiece. While it is not capable of mashing up many scenarios, the output images are amazing in their own right. Requesting the AI to create a terminator as a Pokemon gives you a masterpiece (attached above), and it looks pretty cool to me. However, you don’t need to stick to Pokemon. Feel free to mention real-life figures and watch the chaos unfold as you get drawing-style Pokemon mashups.

PROS CONS
Creates unique mashups of Pokemon Limited to Pokemon-related renditions
Fast render speedsGoes paid after a while
Works without errors

Platforms: Web and Local Installation
Cost: Free; costs $0.0002 per second after a while
Try Text to Pokemon Generator

9. PhotoSonic

While many might have not heard about this AI text-to-image generator, it does quite a good job of converting text to art. Based on a credit model, PhotoSonic comes in the form of a website that does the heavy lifting for you. The AI does accept convoluted long-form prompts, so you can go ahead and tell it to draw just about anything. The AI works on latent diffusion, taking an image full of noise and transforming it into one that matches your prompt.

Signing up for this service gave me 10 credits with an option to purchase more. Credits begin from 100 images for a $10/month ratio, but the AI generator provides a free one-month trial to help you get acclimated.

While the output images might not be as professional looking when compared to the AI text-to-image generators listed above, PhotoSonic is accurate enough for beginners. You don’t get a design template option, but you can mix and match styles by adding your own keywords to refine the artwork.

A good thing I found about this tool is the ability to choose the output size from options like Square, Horizontal, and Vertical, depending on your needs. You can then download the images in a zip format, which is handy.

PROSCONS
Recognizes nuances in text prompts Limited credits
Quick image generation
Free one-month trial

Platforms: Web
Cost: First 10 Credits free; paid plans start at 100 credits for $10/month
Try PhotoSonic

Best AI Text to Art Generator Mobile Apps

10. Lensa AI

While some of these AI art generators focus specifically on creating fresh images, there are other options too. Lensa AI is a new AI-powered tool that focuses on creating lifelike avatars using pre-provided images. Lensa AI uses the Stable Diffusion deep-learning model to go about the process. All that app requires are some of your selfies. It then uses the Diffusion model along with the CLIP image database to study the images and generate photos in different art styles.

Source: instagram.com/lensa.ai

Lensa AI primarily works through its app. Users need to upload a variation of selfies that are clear and in line with the app’s guidelines. Once done, Lensa requires a one-time payment for the set of images and it gets to work. Since the app undertakes heavy processing, it does take around half an hour to output the images.

However, the wait is worth it as the final images are extremely well-defined and lifelike. The app takes the image context into account and creates variations and styles based on that. The company also claims that all uploaded images are immediately deleted so the user’s data is also safe. Lensa AI starts from as low as $7.99 for 50 avatars. For all these reasons and more, Lensa AI makes its way into our list of the best AI art generators.

Pros Cons
Extremely beautiful and lifelike images No subscription model for Magic Avatars
Creates a variety of styles Image generation takes longer
Error-free image creation

Platforms: Android and iOS
Cost: $7.99 for 50 avatars
Try Lensa AI (Android and iOS, Website)

11. StarryAI

Available as an app for Android and iOS, StarryAI is a text-to-art generator that does a good job of AI image creation. I used the iOS app to create artwork and was impressed with its user-friendly interface. The home screen itself houses a text bar at the top, where you enter your prompts to make AI artwork. Once done, wait in queue as your artwork is created, and your phone will light up when done.

The app does provide you 5 free credits, after which you can go pro to buy more credits, starting at $15.99 for 40 credits. Besides that, the app is easy to use and lets you store the created images within the app and share them. The level of artwork accuracy itself is quite nice, but it does mess up occasionally.

The AI can easily understand a mixture of prompts. There were times when complicated keywords resulted in confusing images, but the AI is not infallible after all. You can help the AI output images by uploading a photo or giving it something to build upon, another feature that worked well in my testing.

This is one of the best AI art generator apps as it offers a world full of customization options. You can choose from three different types of AI depending on your output needs. You can even select the Canvas Size, Model, and even the Runtime to give the AI more time to fine-tune your image. However, do remember the latter will use more credits, so keep that in mind when you use this text-to-image generator.

PROS CONS
A plethora of customization options Limited free credits
choice of AI for image creation
Mostly, good image outputs

Cost: First 5 credits free; paid plan starts at 40 credits for $15.99
Try StarryAI (Android and iOS, Website)

12. Dream by WOMBO

Remember Wombo? That deepfake app where you can upload selfies and make people sing different tunes? Yes, that Wombo app. Well, the Dream AI text-to-image generator is a creation by the same company and is poised to continue its AI journey. Dream app by Wombo features a beautiful layout that focuses on highlighting its creations. While elegant, I found the design easy to use as well.

While Dream does have a premium tier, starting at $4.99, you have more than enough art style variety to create free artwork from scratch. Simply enter the text prompt and choose an art style. You get literally dozens of different art styles to choose from, and if the premium tier is active, even more. To allow the AI to get a jump start, you can even select an input image to give it a reference point.

I loved the output images because they had a lot of art style variety. Bonus points to Dream for including a Ghibli art style, even though its output was not up to the mark. All other output images otherwise were extremely lifelike and vivid, as you can see yourself.

Another bonus here is the beautiful real-time transformation feature, which lets you see the image creation on your phone. This works for all kinds of images, so feel free to experiment either on the app or on the equally useful website.

PROS CONS
Beautiful app design Too many details distort the output sometimes
Ghibli art style for anime lovers
Real-time output creation looks amazing

Cost: Free to use; Premium Tier starts at $4.99
Try Dream by WOMBO (Android and iOS, Website)

13. Wonder AI

Another simple-to-use AI text-to-image generator, Wonder AI, is a simple app on Android and iOS that I had some fun with. Like other art generators, the app requires you to input a text prompt. You are then free to choose the art style you feel is best, including the likes of Pen and Ink, Novelistic, Magic, Cinematic, and more. Simply press the create button after entering the text and wait for the artwork to show up on the screen.

Wonder AI does not rely on a credit system, so you are free to create as many artworks as you wish. However, the downside is that you will have to watch a 30-second ad before creating an artwork every time. It does get annoying after a while, but at least you get unlimited, free text-to-image outputs with this app. To remove ads and get faster processing times, you can buy the Wonder AI Pro membership for a week or a lifetime, but I think the free tier is good enough for most users.

Moreover, Wonder AI is fairly accurate when it comes to image outputs. It’s not as good as our website selection at handling complicated prompts, but multiple tries make that better. If you want to see this AI text to art generator work the best, test the suggested prompts you see below the search bar. Overall, while not the best on our list, Wonder AI is a good enough AI tool, even if the ads are not.

PROS CONS
Free to use with no credit system Advertisement before every image output
Fairly accurate artwork output Complicated prompts sometimes break the AI

Cost: Free to use; Premium Tier starts at $4.99
Try Wonder AI (Android and iOS)

14. Craiyon

While you might have not heard of Craiyon, the internet was abuzz with talks about the DALL-E Mini website a few months ago. Craiyon is the rebranded version of DALL-E Mini, which is now back in the form of mobile apps and a dedicated website. However, keep in mind that the app is a progressive web app (PWA), so it essentially loads the website on opening the app.

Craiyon’s design is as simple as it gets. You simply need to enter a text prompt into the barebones website and wait for the art output. You don’t get to choose from an art style, and the images take upwards of two minutes to generate.

Thankfully, there are no credits or limits here, and the ads are mostly unobtrusive despite the fact that it is a free AI art generator tool. When it comes to the artwork, the outputs are decent. While I understand that AI does run into problems, Craiyon lacks the comprehension other text-to-art AI services support.

The images sometimes seem distorted and don’t reflect the accuracy and finesse its competitors had. You can make it a bit better by being more specific, but it’s about the same. Craiyon is a good overall AI text-to-art tool but needs some catching up in 2023.

PROS CONS
Free to use with no credit system Output images are usually distorted
easy to use AI art generator websiteno dedicated mobile app

Cost: Free to use
Try Craiyon (Android, Website)

15. AI Picasso

AI Picasso is a text-to-image generator based on the Stable Diffusion model. While being generic in its app design, the AI at least gives an art style choice to the users, even though they’re limited. AI Picasso follows an ad model, so you must watch a 30-second ad every time an image is generated. Thankfully, image generation is also almost instantaneous and works for free. But the stream of ads after each AI artwork creation can get annoying for any user.

The output images, while decent, are not really up to par with what I experienced in the original Stable Diffusion. While the AI is based on that model, it tends to break when you enter long text prompts. I guess this is also the reason the random prompt generator gives you only short suggestions. However, short prompts do tend to produce a good enough output.

There are no image upscaling or customization options here, and you need the Pro Tier to unlock more art styles. Play around with Picasso for your casual needs but don’t expect too much.

PROS CONS
Unlimited artwork generationAds before every image output
Quick creation time Created artwork is average
AI cannot handle complicated texts

Cost: Free; Premium tier starts at $3.99
Try AI Picasso (Android and iOS, Website)

Bonus: Use AI to Convert Text to Video Instead!

1. Meta AI Text to Video Generator

While all the above AI art generators focus on generating images from text prompts, Meta’s new AI system goes a step further. The newly announced system called Make-A-Video (visit) lets users turn text into high-quality video clips. Make-A-Video works on Generative AI and skillfully creates short yet colorful videos from text prompts. It does that using existing diffusion techniques that basically denoise an image, or in this case, make it into a video until it’s clear enough.

Courtesy: Meta

Make-A-Video uses publicly available datasets, so anyone can see where the research is coming from. As you can see, the short videos from prompts look pretty cool and spell good stuff about the future of AI videos in art. While you cannot try out this innovative AI art generator for yourself yet, Meta has opened sign-ups for the same. Head over to the link above to see if you can get a spot.

2. Google Imagen Text to Video Generator

If you remember Google Imagen, the text-to-image generator by the company, then you will also remember the competition it poses to the likes of DALL-E 2 and Stable Diffusion. While Meta announced its Make-A-Video, Google is not far behind. Google’s Imagen Video is a new AI generator that takes text prompts and transforms them into HD videos. While currently in the research phase, Google Imagen video has a showcase website with some samples, and safe to say, they look amazing.

Courtesy: Google

On its Imagen website, the company Imagen displays its video capabilities and how it can produce videos up to 1280 × 768p videos at 24 frames per second by the given text prompts. It achieves that turns the text prompt into an initial low-resolution video using a cascaded diffusion model and keeps upscaling it until the above-mentioned resolution.

Courtesy: Google

As you can see here, there is some noticeable blur in the videos. Nonetheless, with due time and refinement, this signals the next leap in AI art generators combined with Meta’s Make-A-Video. Access or registrations for Imagen Video isn’t available just yet. So we will have to wait and see when we can try this generator ourselves.

Use Top AI Text to Image Generators and Let Your Imagination Run Wild

So yeah, we hope you have hours of fun creating gorgeous artwork with these best AI text-to-image generators. One thing is clear, with the fast progression of AI in 2023, the human-machine relationship keeps evolving for better or worse. One has to wonder if this acceleration comes at a cost and if is it safe for humankind’s progress. While you ponder, check out these 22 examples of AI in your life. So what do you think about these AI art generators? Let us know your opinion in the comments below!

Comments 9
  • Hasnain technical says:

    Your blog work is impressive that captivates with its insightful content, eloquent prose, and impeccable research. It effortlessly engages readers, leaving them inspired and craving for more. Also would like to suggest updating the content with other tools like recipe-p and others as well.

  • Rafael says:

    Another app that is absolutely awesome in the paid version is Imagine.

  • Allen says:

    Your blog work is impressive that captivates with its insightful content, eloquent prose, and impeccable research. It effortlessly engages readers, leaving them inspired and craving for more. Also would like to suggest updating the content with other tools like recipe-p and others as well.

  • Keshab says:

    Can you do a review on NOWAI? They have a discord, telegram and webapp you can generate amazing images on for free.

  • Ben says:

    You seem to know way more than I do.

    Do you know of any ai websites/apps that allow me to upload my photo and morph it into another (say of my dog)?

    • Templar says:

      I believe DALL-E does that, as you can upload images to edit them.

  • poprocks says:

    Were you able to try out the monAI app? I’m not sure if it was available at the time this article was written, but I would love to see a more current article like this.

  • joe says:

    Great information. So much to learn.

  • ramesh devasi says:

    try freewayML, it’s free and generates amazing results.

Leave a Reply