Clarification: We are not associated with any of the applications reviewed in this document. We are just interested in the subject.
When evaluating AI image generation tools, discussions often center on realism and control over details. While these aspects are crucial, they may not always align with practical needs depending on the specific use case. In this review, we focus on three key criteria that we believe offer a comprehensive view of these tools from a digital marketer’s perspective:
Functionality – The range of features and their capabilities.
Ease of use – How effortlessly you can generate usable images.
Cost – Examination of both free and paid tiers and what they offer.
We will assess six popular image generation tools that provide a free-tier option, ranking them based on the three criteria. Additionally, we’ll summarize our comparisons to help you select the best tool for your digital marketing projects. In future posts, we plan to deep-dive into some of our top choices, so stay tuned!
The Verdict:
For those short on time, below is our rankings of each tool based on the three criteria we identified. In the rest of this post we will break down exactly how we came to those numbers.
Cost | Functionality | Ease of Use | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|
PIXLR | 4 | 5.5 | 6 | 5.2 |
Ideogram | 8 | 7.5 | 7 | 7.9 |
ChatGPT/Dall-E | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
Magic Studio | 10 | 5.5 | 7 | 7.5 |
Leonardo AI | 8.5 | 8.5 | 9 | 8.7 |
Haiper | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
From our findings, if you’re new to AI generated images and wanted to get a sense of what’s possible without being overwhelmed, we would recommend Magic Studio’s AI Art Generator or Ideogram. Magic Studio is the least complex and completely free, while Ideogram is more feature-rich with a generous amount of daily credits. However, if you’re quite familiar with the process and want to dive into the deep end, there’s no better option than Leonardo AI.
Part of the discussion here has to do with style-selection, and therefore how well the model can pull off a certain style and a variety of styles is an important consideration. We try to demonstrate those nuances further down in the details.
Ultimately, there are a number of short-comings with these tools, and they don’t seem as polished and production ready as many claim them to be. Having said that, we still believe they are very powerful and with a bit of creativity and extra steps, you can still get a lot out of them with minimal time and effort. We will be exploring a few other AI-assisted tools in-depth next time (both for generation and editing), which should paint a better picture of how you could realistically work with these tools for your business.
Realistic vs Illustrated
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
1. PIXLR 2. Ideogram 3. ChatGPT/Dall-E 4. Magic Studio 5. Leonardo Phoenix 6. Haiper
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
1. PIXLR 2. Ideogram 3. ChatGPT/Dall-E 4. Magic Studio 5. Leonardo Phoenix 6. Haiper
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
1. PIXLR 2. Ideogram 3. ChatGPT/Dall-E 4. Magic Studio 5. Leonardo Phoenix 6. Haiper
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
1. PIXLR 2. Ideogram 3. ChatGPT/Dall-E 4. Magic Studio 5. Leonardo Phoenix 6. Haiper
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
1. PIXLR 2. Ideogram 3. ChatGPT/Dall-E 4. Magic Studio 5. Leonardo Phoenix 6. Haiper
In trying to simplify our comparisons, I’ve narrowed the styles down to two categories: Realistic vs Illustrated. I have little to no artistic training, so this is my amateur-ish way of simplifying while providing some level of comparison. With that said, below are my ratings and critiques on each tool.
Realistic | Illustrated | Total | |
---|---|---|---|
PIXLR | 4 | 7 | 5.5 |
Ideogram | 8 | 7 | 7.5 |
ChatGPT/Dall-E | 4 | 8 | 6 |
Magic Studio | 4 | 7 | 5.5 |
Leonardo AI | 7.5 | 9.5 | 8.5 |
Haiper | 7.5 | 8.5 | 7 |
In-Depth Analysis
PIXLR
Pixlr is a reliable option for those looking to explore AI image generation on a budget. Although it delivers decent results, particularly with illustrations and simpler designs, it struggles with producing realistic images, especially when humans are involved (e.g., odd facial features or missing body parts).
- Cost (4/10): Limited free credits (50), allowing only 12 generations before needing to upgrade. Paid plans start at a budget-friendly $2/month.
- Functionality (5.5/10): Offers a variety of customization options, including negative prompts, which are helpful. However, the tool falls short in realism, especially when generating images of people.
- Ease of Use (6/10): While creating usable images is possible, some degree of manual editing is often required, pushing users towards Pixlr’s editor, which feels more like traditional photo editing software.
Overall Score: 5.2/10
Pixlr works well for basic designs, however it’s frequent need for editing and limited quota for free trial pushes down their overall score.
Ideogram
A solid, feature-rich tool that excels at generating images of single subjects. However, it encounters challenges when dealing with multiple subjects in a scene.
- Cost (8/10): The free tier allows daily credits, providing enough flexibility to get a feel for the tool without a financial commitment. Paid tiers start at $8/month, with advanced features at $20/month.
- Functionality (7.5/10): Includes the ability to use negative prompts and upload images as references (paid). The variety of available styles is limited, but generally adequate. Aside from the flaws I pointed out, the images generated are quite high quality.
- Ease of Use (7/10): Intuitive enough for most users, especially at the free tier level. Advanced editing of the generated images might require additional tools, so if you couldn’t get what you wanted right away then more serious Photoshop skills (or AI assisted tools) are required.
Overall Score: 7.9/10
Ideogram is user-friendly and generous with its free tier, making it a great choice for those needing a reliable tool for straightforward image generation.
ChatGPT/Dall-E
ChatGPT’s DALL-E struggles with realism but excels in generating consistent, stylized images.
- Cost (4/10): The free plan is restrictive, allowing just two images per day. Paid plans start at $20/month, which may seem steep compared to alternatives.
- Functionality (6/10): Requires a lot of prompt engineering due to the absence of a guiding UI. Offers a range of GPTs, adding versatility but also inconsistency at times.
- Ease of Use (5/10): Limited by the daily cap and a complex, non-intuitive interface, making it hard to get desired results without multiple attempts.
Overall Score: 5.0/10
This tool is better suited for users who are willing to pay for the premium tier to unlock more functionality and streamline the creative process.
Overall Score (PAID): 8.0/10
I’ve provided a paid-tier assessment of ChatGPT because I currently subscribe to the service, mainly for assistance when learning new things which has proven to be exceptional in this regard. Although I rated the free tier quite low, I believe it’s important to highlight that the paid version offers significantly more value, making the overall experience much better.
One standout feature of the paid tier is the ability to select specific regions within a generated image and provide feedback on how you want those areas to change. This is a rare capability that sets it apart from many other models and services (even when paid).
This feature is particularly valuable because editing generated images can often be challenging. While basic tasks like removing backgrounds or objects are manageable, more complex edits—such as adding new elements or modifying existing ones—can be difficult, especially if you lack design or artistic skills. The inserted objects may not blend seamlessly with the rest of the image, and altering existing features often requires expertise that many users do not have. With the paid version’s selective editing, these adjustments become far easier, enhancing the overall utility of the tool.
Magic Studio – Art Generator
A beginner-friendly tool with no daily or credit limits, making it ideal for experimentation. However, the absence of preset styles and the presence of watermarks can limit its usability for polished marketing campaigns.
- Cost (10/10): Completely free with no limits, allowing users to generate an unlimited number of images.
- Functionality (5.5/10): Lacks versatility, especially with people, but handles other subjects well. The watermark can be a dealbreaker for professional use.
- Ease of Use (7/10): Easy to iterate and refine outputs, thanks to its quick generation speeds and straightforward setup.
Overall Score: 7.5/10
Magic Studio is perfect for beginners exploring the world of AI-generated art but may not satisfy advanced users needing more detailed control.
Leonardo AI
A powerful and versatile tool that offers a range of fine-tuned models, allowing users to create highly specific outputs. The ability to work with preset styles and adjust with negative prompts adds to its flexibility. As with other models, struggles with facial features and body parts.
- Cost (8.5/10): Generous free tier with 150 credits per day, enough to try multiple variations. Paid tiers provide very advanced perks that are beyond typical, such as training your own AI models for more specific needs.
- Functionality (8.5/10): The variety of presets and styles allow for a high degree of customization. Negative prompts and fined-tuned models available at the free-tier are a huge advantage.
- Ease of Use (9/10): Despite an intimidating UI, its features make it easy to refine images quickly, including access to advanced editing tools even at the free-tier.
Overall Score: 8.7/10
Leonardo AI is the go-to for professionals seeking depth, control, and versatility in their image generation workflow.
Haiper
Haiper delivers decent realism but suffers from inconsistent results, making it less reliable for more complex tasks.
- Cost (5/10): The free tier is limited by a cap of five creations per day, despite offering 300 credits in total.
- Functionality (7/10): Features a variety of styles but lacks advanced options like prompt enhancement or editors. Paid tier also allows for training your own models.
- Ease of Use (6/10): Limited UI options and restrictions on daily usage can hinder workflow.
Overall Score: 6.0/10
Haiper’s inconsistent performance makes it less ideal for complex projects, but it still offers value for basic tasks.
Feature List
Free
PIXLR | Ideogram | ChatGPT | Magic Studio | Leonardo AI | Haiper |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
– Aspect – Style – Color – Lighting – Composition – Negative Prompt – 50 total credits (12 generations) | – Magic Prompt – Aspect – Style – Color – Ad/watermark free – 10 credits/day (5 generations) | – Only 2 images per day – Private | – Completely free – No UI for control – Private | – Prompt Enhance – Aspect – Style – Negative Prompt – Tiling – Seed number – Access to differently trained models – Ad/watermark free – 150 credits/day (6 generations) | – Style – Aspect – Size – Seed number – Other free tools (text to video, image to video etc) – Images are ad/watermark free – 300 total credits (150 generations) – 5 generations/day |
Paid
PIXLR | Ideogram | ChatGPT | Magic Studio | Leonardo AI | Haiper |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
– Ad-free/watermark-free – Private mode | – Quality/Speed mode – Private mode – Seed number – Negative prompt – Image upload – Editing | – 50 images per day – Ability to select specific region within a generated image and provide feedback on how you want that area to change | N/A | – Quality/Speed mode – Private mode – PhotoReal mode – Larger size – Train your own AI models | – Private mode – Ad-free/watermark-free for videos |
Prompt Engineering
In this post, we’ve shared only the prompts we used during our testing. However, we plan to publish a more detailed guide on prompt engineering soon, aimed at helping you achieve optimal results. Despite the technical term, “prompt engineering” is actually quite straightforward, and our guide will walk you through the process step by step.
If you aren’t too concerned with fine-tuning every detail, there are various shortcuts you can use to streamline your workflow. For instance, Ideogram’s “Magic Prompt” feature can automatically enhance your initial prompt, adding more detail and creativity to the output. This feature also reveals the adjustments it made, allowing you to reuse or modify them as needed for future projects.
For a more generalized approach, consider experimenting with the AI Prompt Generator, a custom GPT tool from ChatGPT. Both of these tools can be quite helpful if you find yourself struggling with “prompt fatigue” or creative block. We recommend trying them out to see which one works best for your needs.
Conclusion
From our assessments, Leonardo AI stands out as the top choice for those familiar with AI-generated images and seeking to push the creative boundaries. For newcomers, Magic Studio and Ideogram provide excellent entry points with lower barriers to experimentation. In upcoming posts, we’ll dive deeper into these tools and offer insights on how to maximize their capabilities for your digital marketing efforts.