Image Generation
Models that create or edit images from text.
| Rank | Model | Price | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Free / Gemini Advanced | The Viral King. Google officially adopted the leaked 'Nano Banana' codename for its Gemini 3 Pro Image model. It introduces a 'Thinking' process for pixels—reasoning through composition before rendering—resulting in perfect text, 4K resolution, and complex physics compliance that beats Flux. | |
|
2
|
Open Weights / API | The Open Standard. While Nano Banana has taken the spotlight, Flux remains the favorite for developers due to its open weights. The 'Ultra' variant is the only model that can render legible paragraphs of text with 100% accuracy. | |
|
3
|
Subscription | The Aesthetic Sovereign. Released April 2025, v7 finally adds 'Character Reference' and 'Style Tuner' to the web interface. It remains unbeaten for artistic lighting and 'vibes', even if it lags slightly in prompt adherence. | |
|
4
|
Freemium | The Vector Engine. It doesn't just make pixels; it generates infinitely scalable SVGs. It is the go-to tool for logo designers and iconographers because it adheres strictly to brand color palettes. | |
|
5
|
Subscription | The Commercial Safe Harbor. The only model fully indemnified for enterprise use. Integrated into Photoshop, it excels at 'Generative Expand' and blends perfectly with existing stock photography. | |
|
6
|
Freemium | The Typography Specialist. Before Nano Banana, this was the king of text. It is still preferred for t-shirt design and poster layout due to its 'Magic Fill' text replacement feature. | |
|
7
|
Subscription | The DALL-E Successor. Accessible via ChatGPT, it focuses on 'Character Consistency'. You can assign a 'Seed ID' to a generated character and reuse them across a comic strip or storyboard. | |
|
8
|
Freemium | The Control Freak. It rejects the 'slot machine' style of prompting. v3 uses an LLM to interpret your intent, giving you granular control over composition (e.g., 'place the cat exactly 30% from the left edge'). | |
|
9
|
$0.02/image | The Speed Demon. Generates high-fidelity images in under 2 seconds. While slightly less detailed than Flux, its 'Photon Flash' mode is the fastest way to storyboard video concepts in real-time. | |
|
10
|
Subscription (X Premium) | The Wildcard. Integrated into Grok, it is famous for having the fewest 'Safety Refusals' of any major model. It is the preferred choice for political satire and memes that other models block. |
Just the Highlights
Nano Banana Pro (Google)
The Viral King. Google officially adopted the leaked 'Nano Banana' codename for its Gemini 3 Pro Image model. It introduces a 'Thinking' process for pixels—reasoning through composition before rendering—resulting in perfect text, 4K resolution, and complex physics compliance that beats Flux.
Flux 1.1 Pro Ultra
The Open Standard. While Nano Banana has taken the spotlight, Flux remains the favorite for developers due to its open weights. The 'Ultra' variant is the only model that can render legible paragraphs of text with 100% accuracy.
Midjourney v7
The Aesthetic Sovereign. Released April 2025, v7 finally adds 'Character Reference' and 'Style Tuner' to the web interface. It remains unbeaten for artistic lighting and 'vibes', even if it lags slightly in prompt adherence.
Recraft V3
The Vector Engine. It doesn't just make pixels; it generates infinitely scalable SVGs. It is the go-to tool for logo designers and iconographers because it adheres strictly to brand color palettes.
Adobe Firefly Image 4 Ultra
The Commercial Safe Harbor. The only model fully indemnified for enterprise use. Integrated into Photoshop, it excels at 'Generative Expand' and blends perfectly with existing stock photography.
Ideogram 2.0
The Typography Specialist. Before Nano Banana, this was the king of text. It is still preferred for t-shirt design and poster layout due to its 'Magic Fill' text replacement feature.
GPT-Image-1 (OpenAI)
The DALL-E Successor. Accessible via ChatGPT, it focuses on 'Character Consistency'. You can assign a 'Seed ID' to a generated character and reuse them across a comic strip or storyboard.
Playground v3
The Control Freak. It rejects the 'slot machine' style of prompting. v3 uses an LLM to interpret your intent, giving you granular control over composition (e.g., 'place the cat exactly 30% from the left edge').
Luma Photon
The Speed Demon. Generates high-fidelity images in under 2 seconds. While slightly less detailed than Flux, its 'Photon Flash' mode is the fastest way to storyboard video concepts in real-time.
Aurora (xAI)
The Wildcard. Integrated into Grok, it is famous for having the fewest 'Safety Refusals' of any major model. It is the preferred choice for political satire and memes that other models block.