AI image generators
AI image generators in 2026: prices, free tiers and usage rights.
Midjourney, DALL-E, Ideogram, Firefly, Canva AI and Recraft for images, visuals and brand materials.
AI tool finder
AI image generators
How to choose the right AI image generator.
Image generators differ in three ways: whether a free tier exists (Midjourney has none), text rendering inside images (Ideogram and GPT Image document this as a strength) and training-data licensing (Adobe Firefly is trained on licensed material). Under Finnish law a purely AI-generated image does not receive copyright protection.
Prices were checked on the official pricing pages on 29 August 2026 (USD/month).
Updated 29 August 2026 · prices checked on official pages
Tools and prices · checked 29 August 2026
Comparison table.
USD, monthly billing, before tax; "approx." marks regional, credit-based or frequently changing prices. Notes are taken from the providers' documentation.
| Tool | Price | Free tier | Notes | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midjourney | Basic $10 · Standard $30 · Pro $60 · Mega $120 | No | No free tier since 2023; limited text rendering in images | Illustration, concept art |
| ChatGPT (GPT Image) | Go $8 · Plus $20 | Yes (daily cap) | Image creation and editing in chat; renders text in images | Quick, instruction-following images |
| Google Gemini (Imagen) | AI Plus $7.99 · AI Pro $19.99 | Yes (limited) | Image creation and editing; cheapest paid tier among the majors | Product-image variations |
| Adobe Firefly | Standard approx. $10 | Yes (monthly credits) | Trained on licensed material; Photoshop integration | Commercial use, licensing clarity |
| Ideogram | Basic approx. $8 | Yes (daily cap) | Text rendering in images, including ä/ö | Posters, logos |
| Canva | Pro approx. $15 | Yes (limited AI credits) | Finnish UI; templates, brand kit, Magic Design and Magic Media | Marketing and social assets |
| Stable Diffusion / Flux (local) | Free (open model) | Yes | Runs on your own machine; no data leaves it; needs a capable GPU | Developers, data privacy |
| MultipleChat | Pro from $20 | Yes (limited) | 8 image models in one interface; the same prompt across several generators side by side | Comparing generators |
Summary: An image generator is often already included in an existing subscription (ChatGPT Plus, Google AI Pro, Canva Pro). Standalone services cost $8–30 a month; Midjourney is the only one without a free tier. Locally run Stable Diffusion is free but needs hardware.
Multi-model
MultipleChat: when one AI tool is not enough.
Many users compare ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity manually across several tabs. MultipleChat brings this way of working into a single interface: projects, context, model comparison and repeatable workflows.
Why does this make sense?
One model is rarely best at everything. Claude can be strong for text, Perplexity for sources, Gemini for Google workflows and ChatGPT for general tasks. Comparing saves time and reduces blind dependence on a single model.
Risks
Data privacy, hallucinations and copyright belong front and center.
Professional users need to view AI tools with a critical eye. A model can sound convincing and still be wrong. It can invent sources, repeat outdated information or send confidential data to a service whose rules do not suit your company.
For sensitive data the rule is: do not copy customer records, passwords, contract contents, health information or internal strategy papers into a tool before data privacy, the provider's terms and the team's rules have been clarified. For published content the rule is: check the facts, check the sources and do not use others' work without attribution.
A check question
Would I send this same text, this same data or this same file to an external contractor? If not, it probably does not belong in an AI tool without oversight.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Can AI images be used commercially?
Paid-tier terms allow commercial use on Midjourney, ChatGPT, Gemini, Firefly and Ideogram; some free tiers do not. Under Finnish copyright law a purely AI-generated image is not protected, so no exclusive right arises.
Which generator renders text in images?
Ideogram and ChatGPT's GPT Image document text rendering as a feature, including ä and ö. Midjourney's documentation does not promise reliable text.
Is there a free image generator?
ChatGPT Free, Gemini Free, Ideogram, Firefly and Canva give daily or monthly credits. Midjourney has no free tier. Stable Diffusion and Flux are free when run locally.
What does Midjourney cost?
Basic $10, Standard $30, Pro $60, Mega $120 per month; annual billing is cheaper.