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Welcome back to our AI article series!
After looking at text-generating AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude and Neuroflash, we will now take a look at applications that generate images instead of words. Previously, we also looked at AI basics and AIs for research and web searches.
Image-generating tools have made enormous progress in recent years and now make it possible to create highly complex visual content from simple text input – from illustrations and product images to logo ideas or surreal art.
Here, too, not every tool is equally suitable for every task. Some platforms focus on ease of use and everyday applications, while others offer more in-depth control over style, image composition or licenses – and therefore appeal to professionals, agencies, or developers.
What is particularly exciting is that many of the image-generating tools differ greatly in terms of functionality, access concept or license model. For example, DALL·E is already directly integrated into ChatGPT, while Midjourney is controlled entirely via Discord. Stable Diffusion, on the other hand, is aimed at tech-savvy users and open source fans, while Adobe Firefly, with its close connection to Photoshop & Co, is primarily aimed at professional creatives.
The following section first provides an overview of the most important tools for AI image creation. This is followed by in-depth individual portraits – with recommendations as to which tool is best suited for whom.
DALL·E 3
For beginners, creative professionals, advertisers, education
- Integrated in ChatGPT, simple voice input, inpainting possible
- Limited style control, low resolution in free mode
Midjourney
For designers, illustrators and artists
- Highly aesthetic, artistic results, strong stylistic diversity
- Use only via Discord, no more free use
Stable Diffusion
For developers, tech-savvy creatives, open source community
- Open source, full control (locally or via web services)
- Technically more sophisticated, standard version offers fewer details
Ideogram
For social media content, branding, typography-oriented projects
- Very good text-in-image display (e.g. logos, lettering)
- At the moment, still experimental, partial style control
Adobe Firefly
For creative professionals, teams with an Adobe subscription, corporate design
- Seamless integration into Adobe tools, commercially safe to use
- Adobe login required, no free mode outside Creative Cloud
Many image-generating AI tools offer practical editing functions in addition to pure image output, which we will also include in this AI tool comparison. We would therefore like to briefly explain all the functions mentioned here.
Image editing functions help to change specific parts of the image, create new variants or adjust the style and perspective retrospectively. Here is an overview of relevant terms.
Inpainting
Inpainting refers to the targeted replacement or addition of a specific area of an image. For example, you select a figure or object, remove it and replace it with something new by entering text. Particularly useful for changing details, correcting errors or creating variations.
Outpainting
Outpainting extends an existing image beyond the edge – i.e., beyond the originally generated format. For example, backgrounds can be enlarged, a scene can be expanded further or an image format can be adjusted (e.g., from square to landscape format).
Variations
Variation functions create several new versions of a generated image based on the same prompt or an already selected image idea. This is helpful to find the best style or composition – without having to start from scratch.
Remix (change in style or structure)
When remixing, an image that has already been created is generated again with a different style or structure – e.g. ‘same scene, but in comic style’. Often only part of the prompt description is replaced, while the basic motif is retained.
Upscaling
Upscaling refers to the upscaling of an image to a higher resolution so that it is sharper and suitable for printing or large-scale display. Depending on the tool, this is done automatically or via selectable quality levels.
Zoom Out / Pan
Zoom out reduces the size of the image so that more context is added around it – for example an environment, room or landscape. Pan allows you to scroll the image to the left, right, up or down to ‘scroll out’ a scene.
ControlNet / picture-to-picture control (advanced)
ControlNet or similar functions can be used to specify the structure, pose or composition of an image, e.g., with a sketch, depth image or outline. This is used in particular with Stable Diffusion to recreate exact scenes.
- Provider (year of release): OpenAI (originally 2021, DALL·E 3 3 since October 2023)
- Free to use: Yes (recently available to all registered users with restrictions), and with Bing Image Creator (with restrictions)
- Account required: Yes (OpenAI account for ChatGPT, Microsoft account for Bing)
- Premium access: Yes, via ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) with GPT-4o and DALL·E 3
- AI models used: DALL-E 3 in combination with GPT-4o for prompt analysis
- Editing functions: Inpainting (replace areas in the image) Image variations and upscaling possible
Who is DALL·E 3 suitable for?
DALL·E 3 is aimed at beginners, creatives, teachers and marketing teams who want to create appealing images quickly and easily – for presentations, social media or idea sketches, for example. Thanks to its integration with ChatGPT, it is particularly easy to access and requires no technical experience or prior knowledge.
Special features for use & prompting
The tool works with natural language and is surprisingly accurate even with vague prompts thanks to the GPT integration. However, more precise results can be achieved by specifying the style, perspective, colors or composition. Text in the image often does not work reliably. The resolution is limited to 1024 × 1024 px, manual size selection is not possible.
Usage license & image quality
All registered ChatGPT users are permitted to use the generated images commercially in accordance with the OpenAI terms of use. The images are well suited for digital use (web, presentation, collection of ideas), but are only partially suitable for high-resolution printing or detail-intensive design tasks.
Advantages and disadvantages of DALL·E 3 summarized
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- Provider (year of release): Midjourney Inc., USA (Beta launch 2022)
- Free to use: No, there is no more free access
- Account required: Yes, Discord account mandatory
- Premium access: Subscription required – from $10/month
- AI models used: Own mid-journey models (currently version 6), continuously further developed (version 7 in July 2025 still in the alpha phase)
- Editing functions: Upscaling, variants, zoom-out, pan, remix function (style changes) directly via Discord buttons
Who is Midjourney suitable for?
Midjourney is aimed at designers, artists, creative agencies and anyone looking for visually stunning and artistic image styles. It is particularly popular for creating atmospheric concept images, fantastic scenes, artwork, character designs or cover graphics. Anyone who likes to experiment with image ideas will find creative freedom here – but will need some training.
Special features for use & prompting
Midjourney is operated exclusively via the Discord messenger. Users enter their prompts in special chat channels and control the generation via buttons. The inputs are often technically structured – specifications regarding style, aspect ratio, light or camera angle significantly improve the results. Getting started is therefore more complex than with DALL-E, but offers considerably more control over aesthetics and image effect.
Usage license & image quality
From the ‘Standard’ tariff (30 $/month), commercial use of the images is permitted. Midjourney generates high-resolution, aesthetically very coherent images with a strong stylistic imprint as standard – particularly suitable for creative, atmospheric scenes. However, texts in the image (e.g. logos or captions) have so far hardly been successful. The generated images may be published and used commercially subject to the terms and conditions.
Advantages and disadvantages of Midjourney summarized
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- Provider (year of release): Stability AI (first published in August 2022)
- Free to use: Yes – via local installation or various web applications such as Stable Diffusion Online, Hugging Face, Clipdrop or DreamStudio (some with credits)
- Account required: No for local use – yes for web services
- Premium access: DreamStudio offers paid use via credit system
- AI models used: Different variants of Stable Diffusion (currently v2.1, SDXL 1.0, SDXL Turbo etc.)
- Editing functions: Depending on the platform – typically inpainting, outpainting, ControlNet, upscaling, style presets
Who is Stable Diffusion suitable for?
Stable Diffusion is aimed at tech-savvy creatives, developers and design enthusiasts who want maximum control over the image creation process. It is particularly suitable for anyone who prefers an individual setup (locally or via APIs), trains their own models or has special style and format requirements – e.g., in gaming, storytelling or product visualization.
Special features for use & prompting
In contrast to tools such as DALL·E or Midjourney, Stable Diffusion is not a single interface, but a model that is integrated into many tools. The results depend heavily on the platform, the selected model and the prompt structure. Advanced users benefit from additional features such as ControlNet, LoRA models or prompt weighting, but need to familiarize themselves more intensively with the technology.
Usage license & image quality
Stable Diffusion is open source – generated images may be used freely, even commercially. The image quality depends on the model and the settings: SDXL 1.0 now delivers very detailed, photorealistic results. A clean prompt construction is crucial. The model is ideal for sophisticated designs, but does not offer support for natural language input like GPT-based tools.
Advantages and disadvantages of stable diffusion summarized
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- Provider (year of release): Ideogram Inc (Canada, founded by former Google Brain developers; launch: August 2023)
- Free to use: Yes – with registration on ideogram.ai
- Account required: Yes (Google login or e-mail required)
- Premium access: Yes – payment plans with higher priority for generation & more privacy (prices can be viewed on website)
- AI models used: Proprietary model, optimized for text integration in images (no publicly accessible API standard)
- Editing functions: Prompt refinement, variations, style presets (e.g., Minimalist, 3D Render, Typography Poster), upscaling
Who is Ideogram suitable for?
Ideogram is particularly aimed at social media managers, marketers, branding professionals and content creators who need visual content with text integration – e.g. posters, logos, quotes or social posts. The tool is also very suitable for conceptual illustrations and simple graphics with captions. It is easy to use, creative and beginner-friendly.
Special features for use & prompting
The special feature of Ideogram is its ability to embed text correctly and aesthetically in images – something that other image AIs have often failed to do so far. Prompts can be written in simple language and the tool automatically interprets stylistic specifications. Particularly helpful is the selection of preset styles that deliver good results without prompting know-how. Finer control (e.g., image format, composition) is currently only possible to a limited extent.
Usage license & image quality
According to the Ideogram Terms, the generated images can be used commercially as long as you are the owner of the account. The quality of the images is stylistically modern, good for web and social media use, but not intended for print or highly realistic scenes. Typography integration is the big strength – both clear lettering and creative font deformations work remarkably well.
Advantages and disadvantages of Ideogram summarized
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- Provider (year of release): Adobe Inc. (beta launch March 2023, officially integrated into Adobe Creative Cloud from September 2023)
- Free to use: Yes (limited; via web version with Adobe account)
- Account required: Yes, free or paid Adobe account required
- Premium access: Yes, via Creative Cloud plans, e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator or Firefly Pro. Credit model depending on subscription (price overview)
- AI models used: Proprietary Firefly models, trained exclusively on license-free Adobe Stock images
- Editing functions: Text-to-image, text effects, generative fill (e.g. in Photoshop), textures, inpainting, vector graphics (beta)
Who is Adobe Firefly suitable for?
Firefly is aimed at designers, creative agencies and companies that work in the Adobe world and want to integrate AI image generation professionally, securely and into workflows. It is particularly suitable for corporate design, print, marketing and digital media – in other words, wherever image quality and legal security are crucial.
Special features for use & prompting
Firefly attaches particular importance to legally compliant content – through training exclusively on Adobe Stock. The prompt language can be in German or English, and the results are generally consistent. The integration into tools such as Photoshop (Generative Fill) or Express is particularly useful – AI-generated content can be edited directly. Style control, aspect ratios and color schemes can be selected via drop-downs – very user-friendly.
License of use & image quality
The images created with Firefly can be used commercially, depending on the subscription. Adobe guarantees that no copyrighted images from the Internet have been used, which provides legal security. The quality is high, especially for product visualizations, mockups and graphic styles. Photorealism is solid, but not (yet) quite at the level of Midjourney or SDXL.
Advantages and disadvantages of Adobe Firefly summarized
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The landscape of AI image generators is now diverse – from highly aesthetic art images to marketing graphics with legal security. Each tool has its own strengths, but is also aimed at different target groups:
- For beginners and quick illustrations, we recommend DALL·E 3 in combination with ChatGPT Plus. The simple operation in natural language is ideal for presentations, social posts or initial ideas – without any technical knowledge.
- Midjourney is still the benchmark for professional creative work with artistic aspirations. The images are visually high-quality, atmospheric and stylistically finely controllable – ideal for storytelling, cover designs or concept art.
- For maximum control, customization and offline use, Stable Diffusion is the best choice. Tech-savvy users, developers and open source fans in particular can train their own models or use specialized styles here.
- Ideogram offers real added value for brand communication, branding and social media with clear typography. The ability to integrate text cleanly into images makes the tool particularly valuable for quotes, posters or logo ideas.
- Adobe Firefly is ideal for companies, agencies and design teams with a focus on legally compliant content. The close integration with Adobe Creative Cloud makes it the ideal choice for marketing material, print products or product visualization.
Recommendation: If you are new to the world of image AIs, start with DALL·E 3 or Ideogram. For professional requirements, it is worth starting with Midjourney or Adobe Firefly. Those who love technology will find their full creative freedom with Stable Diffusion.
In the next part of our series, we take a look at video AIs: Which tools generate realistic clips, what are their strengths and limitations – and for which purposes are they best suited? Look forward to an exciting comparison of the latest video generators!
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