Product Review
The Gist
- Ease of use. AI image generators simplify graphic creation, no advanced skills needed.
- Legal matters. Always check current regulations before using AI-generated images.
- Functionality. AI image generators offer different features; choice depends on needs.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated on September 23, 2024 to include new data and information.
AI image generators have changed the world of visual media.
Now it's possible to create image-rich content in a matter of seconds — a true game-changer for marketing departments across the globe.
Let's dig into what marketers need to know about three of the most popular image generators available, including what they cost, how to legally use the images you generate and how well the platforms work.
Table of Contents
- How Do AI Image Generators Work?
- Key Features of AI Image Generators
- Which AI Image Generator Is Best for Marketers?
- Midjourney: What Marketers Need to Know
- DALL-E: What Marketers Need to Know
- Stable Diffusion: What Marketers Need to Know
- Tips for Generating High-Quality Images
- The Verdict: Which AI Image Generator Is Best for Marketers?
How Do AI Image Generators Work?
AI image generators use generative artificial intelligence, a type of AI capable of generating new content rather than merely analyzing and editing existing content.
If you’ve used ChatGPT, you’ve seen how generative AI works firsthand. Image generators are similar, except they offer up a visual output instead of a text output.
These generators are trained on vast datasets containing billions of images and captions, enabling them to learn the relationship between text and images.
Recent AI image generators employ what are called diffusion models, which add Gaussian noise to training sets to disrupt them, then reverse the process to remove the noise from the image. Diffusion models apply this process to random seeds to generate new and unique combinations of visual elements when given a text prompt, facilitating the process of creating images in various styles and environments.
Key Features of AI Image Generators
AI image generators like Stable Diffusion, DALL-E and Midjourney have revolutionized the way we create visual content. Here are some key features that make them stand out:
- Text-to-Image Generation: These models can generate high-quality images from simple text prompts, allowing users to bring their ideas to life. Whether you need a realistic landscape or a fantastical creature, a well-crafted text prompt can produce stunning results.
- Realistic Images: AI image generators can produce photorealistic images that are often indistinguishable from real photographs. This is particularly useful for marketers looking to create high-quality images that resonate with their audience.
- Customization: Users can fine-tune the generated images to suit their needs, adjusting parameters like resolution, style and composition. This level of control ensures that the final output aligns perfectly with your vision.
- Speed: AI image generators can produce images at incredible speeds, making them ideal for applications where time is of the essence. For instance, Stable Diffusion can generate images in under 10 seconds, allowing for quick iterations and adjustments.
- Accessibility: Many AI image generators offer user-friendly interfaces, making it easy for non-technical users to create high-quality images. Platforms like Midjourney, DALL-E and Stable Diffusion provide intuitive tools that simplify the image generation process.
Related Article: Artificial Inspiration: Shutterstock’s AI Image Platform Takes Flight
Which AI Image Generator Is Best for Marketers?
The use of AI image generators has exploded across industries and sectors. The simplicity and accessibility of the tools allow almost anyone to develop sophisticated graphics, even if they don’t have specific skills or costly software.
Users simply type in a text prompt and generate images. Some tools also offer image-to-image editing, where users can upload an existing image and add a text prompt to generate variations and create AI images efficiently.
Midjourney, DALL-E and Stable Diffusion are three of the most popular AI image generators on the market, and for good reason. But which offers the best value for marketing teams?
A note before we dive in: Laws and regulations surrounding the legality of using AI-generated images are constantly changing. Before using images in your branded content, be sure to check the laws in your specific country and state.
Midjourney: What Marketers Need to Know
A lot of the convincing deepfakes I've seen lately have come out of Midjourney, which is what drew me to the tool. I wanted to see if it was as powerful as it seemed.
Cost
Midjourney's free trial for new users seems to be transient, available some moments and gone the next. If you miss this round (like me), better luck next time.
Fortunately, trying out the tool for a month won't break the bank. Midjourney subscription plans are tiered, starting at $10/month for the basic plan, $30/month for the standard plan and $60/month for the pro plan.
Copyright Info
The images you generate with Midjourney are considered your own assets, and you can use them as you wish. There are a couple of exceptions however.
If you're upscaling images from others, the rights to those images still belong to the original owner.
And, if you’re a company making more than $1 million in gross revenue per year, the platform stipulates you must purchase the Pro or Mega subscription plan to own your assets.
More information on copyright for the images created can be found in the platform’s terms of service.
Performance: Is It Worth It?
Let's start with speed.
Each plan comes with varying levels of fast GPU time. The basic plan gets you 3.3 hours per month, standard offers 15 hours per month and the pro plan comes with 30 hours per month. Users on any plan can purchase extra GPU time at $4 per hour.
I signed up for the basic plan. When I type in a prompt, it takes roughly 50 seconds for it to generate four new images. In this case, I asked for:
An alien planet with two moons in the sky and exotic, brightly colored vegetation.
You can then create variations of these four images, or select one for Midjourney to upscale, which generates a larger version with more detail.
Now let's talk accuracy, which can be a challenge for generative AI.
The first thing that catches my eye is the number of moons in each image. My request asked for two moons in the sky, and only one fits the description (#1 in the top left corner). And while the vegetation is certainly brightly colored, it looks unrealistic in many instances.
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Still, we have one image to work with. So let's ask for some variations of that image, wait another 50 seconds and see what happens.
Midjourney appears to have gone a little moon-crazy, again creating 3/4 images with more than two moons. Still, the image in the number one position is accurate and has softer coloring, making it more realistic.
With one contender left, let's upscale it to get a more detailed version, a process that takes about a second.
And there you have it, a workable graphic.
Now let's cover the last component, scalability. How much workload can this tool handle?
Each plan (except pro and mega) can complete three jobs concurrently and hold up to 10 jobs in the queue. The pro and mega plans, however, can complete 12 concurrent fast jobs and three concurrent relaxed jobs, while also holding up to 10 jobs in the queue.
Related Article: Generative AI Timeline: 9 Decades of Notable Milestones
DALL-E: What Marketers Need to Know
If you're a fan of ChatGPT, you might be inclined to check out its built-in image-generating tool, DALL-E 3.
Cost
DALL-E 3 is available within ChatGPT for Plus, Team and Enterprise users.
The majority of people (like me) will likely use the Plus membership, which costs $20/month. ChatGPT Team is $25 per user per month and ChatGPT Enterprise varies based on the size of the organization and built-in controls needed.
Those who want to try out DALL-E 3 for free can also access it via Microsoft's Bing Chat.
Copyright Info
According to OpenAI, creators of DALL-E 3, you own the images you generate with the tool, and you don't need the company's permission to reprint, sell or merchandise them.
This commercial use policy is subject to OpenAI's content policy — which outlines which types of content users should not attempt to generate.
Performance: Is It Worth It?
When it comes to speed, DALL-E 3 has Midjourney's basic plan beat.
It generated an output for my prompt (the same as above, our alien planet with two moons and exotic, brightly colored vegetation) in just over 15 seconds.
Right away, you can see DALL-E has taken a different approach style-wise, coming up with graphics that look more cartoon-like. (Style guidelines and other details can be added to prompts to avoid or exaggerate this.)
As far as accuracy, I would argue that three out of four images generated have two moons. But we're lacking our brightly colored vegetation.
The second image in line has potential, so let's create variations of it, another 15-second process.
DALL-E's variations seem to have a lot of similarities between them, with slight differences between each photo.
At this point, I don't think we have a workable graphic yet. It might take digging through more variations, changing the wording in the prompt or adding more details to the prompt to get the output you desire.
Let's try again with a slightly more detailed prompt:
A realistic looking image of an alien planet. There are two moons in the sky and the ground is covered in exotic, brightly covered vegetation.
The tweaked prompt yields much better results than the first attempt, though the images still leave a lot to be desired in terms of looking “realistic.”
Last, let's look at scalability.
Those who use DALL-E via ChatGPT Plus can use 40 prompts every three hours. The Teams version of ChatGPT allows for 160 prompts every 3 hours when using GPT-4o.
If you plan to use Microsoft Bing to generate your images, you'll receive 15 "boosts" when you first sign up, which aid in creating images faster. Once you run out of boosts, you can still generate images, but it will take longer. Boosts also replenish within a day.
Stable Diffusion: What Marketers Need to Know
The last tool we need to look at today is another staple in the AI image generator market: Stable Diffusion.
Cost
Stability AI's Stable Diffusion is open source and free to use for individuals. However, it does offer licensing for those who want to use it at the enterprise level and get more from the tool.
Copyright Info
Stable Diffusion claims no rights on generated images and freely gives users the rights to use generated images as they see fit.
However, the company also added that copyright of AI-generated images is complex and varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Performance: Is It Worth It?
For speed, Stable Diffusion clocks in at under 10 seconds.
Previously, when Stable Diffusion was available under a subscription model, it promised an average generation time of two to four seconds, depending on the level of subscription chosen.
Using our same original prompt, we get four images in response.
In terms of accuracy, only one image (number three) qualifies for having followed the “two-moon” mandate. Beyond that, we have a lot of interesting and vibrant color choices that clash at times.
Stable Diffusion does not have quick command buttons after generating images to create new variations. It does have advanced options that users can typically adjust, however, they are currently temporarily unavailable.
In this case, we'll have to adjust our prompt in the hopes of achieving a better output. Let's try the same adjustment we used with DALL-E:
A realistic looking image of an alien planet. There are two moons in the sky and the ground is covered in exotic, brightly covered vegetation.
And the new results look good. In terms of realism, we have more grounded images instead of abstraction. Three out of the four images also now appear to have two moons.
Unfortunately, the buck stops here with Stable Diffusion — no variations or upscaling, at least in this free version. However, the images generated are still workable when it comes to visual content.
Finally, with scalability, Stable Diffusion seems to have been built with developers and enterprises in mind. Licensing is available for those who want more features and greater capacity to generate realistic images.
Related Article: OpenAI Releases ChatGPT-Powered DALL-E 3
Tips for Generating High-Quality Images
To get the most out of AI image generators like Stable Diffusion, DALL-E and Midjourney, follow these tips:
- Use Descriptive Text Prompts: Provide clear and concise text prompts that accurately describe the image you want to generate. The more specific you are, the better the AI can understand and produce the desired output.
- Experiment With Parameters: Adjust parameters like resolution, style and composition to fine-tune the generated image. Don’t be afraid to tweak settings to see how they affect the final result.
- Use High-Quality Training Data: Ensure that the training data used to train the model is high-quality and relevant to the type of images you want to generate. This can significantly impact the realism and accuracy of the generated images.
- Refine Your Prompts: Refine your text prompts based on the generated images, adjusting parameters and wording to achieve the desired result. Iterative refinement can help you get closer to the perfect image.
- Practice Makes Perfect: The more you use AI image generators, the better you’ll become at crafting effective text prompts and fine-tuning the generated images. Practice regularly to develop a keen sense of what works best for your needs.
By leveraging these tips and understanding the key features of AI image generators, marketers can create stunning visuals that enhance their content and captivate their audience.
The Verdict: Which AI Image Generator Is Best for Marketers?
Drumroll, please…
There are many AI image generators out there, but Midjourney, DALL-E and Stable Diffusion remain among the most popular.
No. 1 for Marketers…
Midjourney clocks in as my number one pick for marketers. It offers realistic images that would great for email, web pages, articles, social media content and more. And it's variations feature seems to work better than DALL-E's.
Another standout for Midjourney? It's upscale feature, which adds more detail to one selected image.
No. 1 for Small Businesses…
DALL-E was previously my top pick here, back when it worked on a system of credits rather than a monthly subscription. Now, however, that's out the window, unless you plan to use the tool via Microsoft Bing, which is a viable option.
If you're not interested in using Bing, we're back to Midjourney being the top pick for small businesses, as it offers the lower price point of $10/month compared to DALL-E 3, which comes in at $20/month when used via ChatGPT Plus.
No. 1 for Developers…
Stable Diffusion seems built with developers and enterprises in mind. It boasts the highest speeds, even for free users, and unlimited image generation for companies with a lot on their plates. It also offers up more complex and compelling features for those willing to put in the time to tweak them.
