Generative AI has made groundbreaking strides in the past few months, and Generative AI models have risen in general popularity thanks to accessible models like DALLE-2, Imagen, and ChatGPT. One of the most popular applications of this advanced AI technology has been AI art generators.
Riding the waves of this popularity, many third-party companies and even research labs have released these AI art generators where, through simple prompts and filters, users can automatically generate high-quality pieces of artwork.
This article looks first at what AI art generators are before briefly discussing how AI art generators work. Finally, we’ll compare the best free AI art generators for 2023.
What are AI art generators?
Before we define AI art generators, we must first take a step back and define the term “Generative AI.” Generative AI refers to “any Artificial Intelligence model that generates novel data, information, or documents.”
Generative AI can be leveraged to generate different types of data, such as images], and even audio data.
Apart from art generation, which we'll discuss here, other practical applications of Generative AI include automatically generating meeting summaries, generating character art and animation, assisting in writing, and more.
AI art generators apply Generative Image models to generate high-resolution images with specific artistic and stylistic features, which depend on the data used for training the generator itself and the prompts provided.
Since their release, AI art generators have been somewhat controversial. For example, an AI-generated picture
Despite this controversy, AI art generators remain popular for casual and commercial consumption.
How do AI art generators work?
AI art generators are powered by Generative AI image models that generally rely on Diffusion Models.
Diffusion Models are a mathematical framework used to generate data, inspired by physics and thermodynamics.
For the common user, however, AI art generators require little to no understanding of the principles behind the model.
For our purposes, we will be examining these AI generators from the lens of a beginner and assessing:
- How intuitive the generator is to use
- How easy-to-use and clean the generator’s user interface is
- The quality of the art generated
- The number of customization options available to increase the quality of the output.
Now that we have a basic understanding of what AI art generators are and how they work, let’s dive into the best free AI art generators for 2023:
Best free AI art generators for 2023
Editor’s Note: HackerNoon also offers a free AI art generator.
Canva
Popular online image editing platform Canva recently released its free AI Image Generator.
The Canva AI Image Generator is easy to use for users of all levels. Users simply enter a specific text prompt and choose the image style such as concept art, photorealistic, watercolor, filmic, etc. and then generate the image.
After the image is generated, users can then enhance the images by changing the lighting or exposure, layer in effects and filters, or add words and graphics.
Interested users can get started
Fotor
Fotor is another online photo editor similar to Canva. The website recently added a host of AI tools, including a free AI Image Generator.
To use the AI Image Generator, users simply need to enter a text prompt into the appropriate field. Once entered, users can then change the aspect ratio and choose from a style such as concept art, cartoon, oil painting, Japanese anime, and more.
Once saved or downloaded, users can edit the image using the rest of Fotor’s photo editing tools. Users can sign up for a free account
DeepAI
DeepAI offers a suite of AI tools such as an AI Image Generator, AI Search, and AI Image Editor.
The interface of its AI Image Generator is a bit more basic than some of the others on this list but users still have the ability to enter a specific prompt, choose a style, and select an image shape. Note that some image styles are locked for the free version. The website also has a database of other user-generated images to browse for inspiration and a quick start guide for making API requests.
Users can sign up for an account
Microsoft Image Creator
Microsoft’s Bing search engine recently added an Image Creator that is powered by DALLE-2. Note that you must have a free Microsoft account in order to use the Image Creator tool.
Once the prompt is entered, users simply click “create” and a series of four images are generated. While the user interface is clean and user-friendly, there are fewer customization options available in the Image Creator itself. Users looking to modify the images further will need to use a different AI art generator or tweak the image themselves.
NightCafe AI
NightCafe’s AI Art Generator lets users either input a description of the image they want to generate or choose a description at random. Then, users can choose from three distinct styles: striking, anime v2, and vibrant.
In order to see the image generated, users will need to create a free account with NightCafe. Once the image is generated, users are given additional image style options and can alter the number of images generated.
The NightCafe interface is a little cluttered with advertisements and other distracting features. Users also only receive a limited number of free credits before having to purchase additional credits to generate images.
Interested users can sign-up for an account
StarryAI
StarryAI is another free AI image generator. Once an account is created, users can generate up to five images per day, as well as customize the type of AI model applied to the prompt, alter the style, aspect ratio, and other customizations.
StarryAI’s user interface is very clean and easy to use, though image processing time does take longer than other models listed here. Users can also browse through a large database of user-generated images to get inspiration.
Interested users can sign-up for a free account
Craiyon
Caiyon is another basic free AI image generator. Users can enter a prompt and choose from three main styles, or choose no style. Users can also enter any negative words, or a description of something they do not wish to appear in the photo.
Results take one to two minutes to generate on the free tier, though users can upgrade to a paid account for faster results and more customization options.
The free generator is a bit cluttered, with numerous ads competing for screen space. However, nine images were generated from one prompt, more than most of the other generators by default. Once generated, users also unlock access to basic editing features.
Users can sign-up for a free account
DreamStudio
Finally, DreamStudio is an elaborate AI art generator offered by Stability.AI. The generator lets users enter a detailed prompt, detailed negative prompt, or upload an image to work from.
Users can also alter the aspect ratio, image count, and more advanced features such as prompt strength and generation steps.
Once generated, users can also use the edit feature to perform basic image editing features. While still in beta, DreamStudio is a great, intuitive option for beginner to moderately advanced users.
No account is required to use DreamStudio.