The Best AI Image Generators Right Now, and Which One to Use
Midjourney, ChatGPT, Gemini and Adobe Firefly compared for blog images, social posts and product mockups, plus the licensing questions to ask first.
If you want the most artistic, eye-catching images, Midjourney is still the one designers reach for. If you want something easy that understands plain English and can put readable text on an image, use the image tools built into ChatGPT or Gemini, which you might already pay for. If your images are for a business and you're nervous about copyright, Adobe Firefly is built for exactly that worry.
Below is how each one fits, what it costs and a few rules that will save you from an awkward email from a lawyer.
Midjourney: best looking results
Midjourney made its name on gorgeous, painterly, cinematic images, and it's still the tool with the strongest "wow" factor. You describe what you want, it gives you four options, and you refine from there.
There's no free plan. The Basic plan is about $10 a month (a bit less billed yearly), which gets you roughly 200 images' worth of fast generation time. Heavier users move up a tier.
Best for: artwork, moodboards, concept art and striking hero images.
Watch out for: it takes some practice to steer, and your images are public by default on the cheaper plans.
Gemini and ChatGPT: easiest to use
Both big chatbots now make images right inside the chat. Their advantage is conversation: "make the background blue", "now add a coffee cup on the left", "same thing, but square for Instagram". You don't need to learn special prompt tricks.
They're also much better than they used to be at putting readable text inside images, which is handy for simple posters, thumbnails and diagrams.
Cost: limited use on the free plans; more on paid plans like ChatGPT Plus or Google AI Pro. See ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini for those prices.
Best for: quick blog images, social posts and anyone who doesn't want to learn a new tool.
Adobe Firefly: safest for business use
Adobe trained Firefly on content it has the rights to use, such as Adobe Stock, and it markets Firefly as safe for commercial work. It's also built into Photoshop and Adobe Express, which is convenient if you already use them.
Best for: businesses, agencies and anyone who needs to defend where an image came from.
Watch out for: it's a bit more conservative creatively than Midjourney.
Quick comparison
| Image quality | Ease of use | Free option | Best use | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midjourney | Excellent, artistic | Medium | No | Art, hero images |
| ChatGPT | Very good | Very easy | Limited | Quick edits, text in images |
| Gemini | Very good | Very easy | Limited | Google users, quick visuals |
| Adobe Firefly | Very good | Easy | Limited | Commercial and client work |
Rules for using AI images safely
- Don't copy real people or brands. Making images of celebrities, logos or trademarked characters is asking for trouble, and most tools block it anyway.
- Check the tool's terms for commercial use. Paid plans usually allow it, but the details vary.
- Look closely before publishing. Hands, text, reflections and background details still go wrong sometimes. Zoom in.
- Label AI images when it matters. For news, reviews or anything where people might think a photo is real, say it's AI-generated.
- Real photos still win for real things. For your actual products, team or premises, a real photo builds far more trust than a generated one.
Which should you start with?
Try the image tool in the chatbot you already use. It's free or already paid for, and it's good enough for most blog and social images. If you find yourself wanting more style and polish, that's the moment to pay for Midjourney.
