AI art has gone mainstream. While Midjourney v7 is king, it’s also expensive ($30/mo+). Here is how to generate art for free.
1. Microsoft Designer (DALL-E 3)
Microsoft integrated OpenAI’s DALL-E 3 directly into its Designer app (and Copilot).
- Cost: Free (with daily boosts).
- Pros: Incredible prompt adherence. It puts text in images perfectly.
2. Stable Diffusion 3 (via Clipdrop/HuggingFace)
The open-source hero.
- Cost: Free demos available.
- Pros: Uncensored, customizable, and runs locally if you have a GPU.
3. Adobe Firefly (Web Version)
- Cost: Free credits monthly.
- Pros: “Safe for work” and ethical (trained on Adobe Stock). Best for photorealistic assets.
4. Leonardo.ai
The closest thing to Midjourney’s aesthetic.
- Cost: Generous daily free tokens (150 images/day).
- Pros: Stunning, artistic styles. Great UI.
5. Ideogram
Best For: Typography and T-shirt designs. Ideogram is arguably better than DALL-E 3 at rendering complex text.
Conclusion
For most users, Microsoft Designer is enough. For power users, Leonardo.ai is the playground of choice.
#image-generation#free-tools#art
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