Of the 4 AI image generators we rank, Midjourney is our top pick at 8.7 out of 10. If you are new to this, start with Adobe Firefly. If you are experienced, try Stable Diffusion. Midjourney: No free plan is listed.
From quick social graphics to detailed concept art. We rank them on image quality, how well they follow your prompt and how easy they are to start with.
Last checked : free plans and prices on each maker's own pricing page.
Every tool at a glance. Select a name to jump to our full review.
| Rank | Tool | Score | Best for | Learn it free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MidjourneyMidjourney | 8.7 / 10 | Good for everyone | Generative AI for Everyone |
| 2 | Adobe FireflyAdobe | 8.2 / 10 | Best for beginners | Maker's own tutorials |
| 3 | Stable DiffusionStability AI | 8.0 / 10 | Best for experts | Practical Deep Learning for Coders |
| 4 | IdeogramIdeogram | 7.8 / 10 | Best for beginners | Maker's own tutorials |
What each tool is good for, the catch, what it costs and the free course that teaches it.
Midjourney
Still the one to beat for striking, stylish images. If the look matters more than precise control, start here.
Adobe
Friendly to start with and tied into Adobe's apps. A good pick if you want images for work and already use Photoshop or Express.
No free course we'd recommend yet. You'll learn this one fastest by using it, and the maker's own tutorials are the best place to start.
Stability AI
Open image models you can run and customise yourself. It takes more setup, but you get control the hosted tools can't match.
Ideogram
Known for being better than most at putting readable words into images, which makes it handy for posters and social graphics.
No free course we'd recommend yet. You'll learn this one fastest by using it, and the maker's own tutorials are the best place to start.
The reviewed free courses that teach the skills behind these tools.
What large language models can actually do for you and your team, without writing a line of code. Andrew Ng teaches it in 6 hours on Coursera, certificate paid.
Practical Deep Learning for Coders has 9 lessons of about 90 minutes, costs nothing and has no certificate. You deploy your own model by the end of lesson 2.
Hugging Face LLM Course has 12 chapters of 6 to 8 hours each, costs nothing and has no certificate. You learn LLMs with the Transformers library.
Our top pick is Midjourney (8.7/10), followed by Adobe Firefly and Stable Diffusion. Still the one to beat for striking, stylish images. If the look matters more than precise control, start here.
Start with Adobe Firefly, then try Ideogram. Friendly to start with and tied into Adobe's apps. A good pick if you want images for work and already use Photoshop or Express.
Stable Diffusion is our pick for experienced users, with Midjourney close behind. Open image models you can run and customise yourself. It takes more setup, but you get control the hosted tools can't match.
Getting exactly what you pictured takes practice, and you'll learn a lot of prompt vocabulary.
Yes. We recommend Generative AI for Everyone (DeepLearning.AI), Practical Deep Learning for Coders (fast.ai) and Hugging Face LLM Course (Hugging Face). Each one is free and reviewed on FreeAICourses.com.
Adobe Firefly, Stable Diffusion and Ideogram have a free plan or free version. Midjourney has no free plan.
Every course we link is free and reviewed. Browse the full catalogue to find one at your level.
