5 AI Image Generators You Can Use Now

2024 was a relatively subdued year for AI image generation, at least when compared to the attention they gained in 2022 and 2023. Video generation, buoyed by high-profile releases like OpenAI’s Sora, became the hot topic.

“I think a lot of tools are seeing the direction AI content creation is going, and just trying to stay up to date, trying to diversify [into video],” says Ross Symons, co-founder of creative AI company ZenRobot. “But I find the tools that are sticking to what they’re good at, like Midjourney, are dominating.”

Most modern AI image generators continue to use a diffusion model. This type of AI model is trained by teaching a neural network to predict random noise as its gradually added to images. Once training is complete, the process can be reversed to create unique images from random noise. The diffusion model is then paired with a text model, which converts the user’s text prompt into tokens that guide the diffusion model’s results.

Diffusion models have improved since 2022 but haven’t fundamentally changed and, in the past year, the spotlight shifted from the models themselves to the software tools they power. The best AI image generators currently are quick, easy to use, and offer ways to more finely control image generation.

Midjourney is a clear favorite for professional image generation.Midjourney

While there’s literally dozens of image generators available, Midjourney is the clear frontrunner.

“Midjourney is a very important tool to us,” says Chrissie Cremers, co-founder of Aigency Amsterdam. “It still excels in art direction.” Symons agrees, saying he “predominately” uses Midjourney.

Released in 2022, Midjourney quickly gained a reputation for detailed, appealing images with a strong artist style. It tends to generate images with vivid, bold colors and a dramatic look that grabs a viewer’s attention. Midjourney’s diffusion model is proprietary and only available with a subscription to its titular online service.

Creative professionals like Midjourney’s user interface which, given the tool’s origins, is a bit ironic. The model was initially available only through a Discord chatbot connected to a slapped-together user authentication system. That rapidly changed, however, and Midjourney now offers a beautiful web interface that stands apart from its peers.

Flux, the most significant new model released in 2024, can support image editing tools.Flux

While Midjourney is still in favor among AI-powered creatives, 2024 saw the release of one major diffusion model that fills a different role: Flux. The model was created by Black Forest Labs, a company founded by three former employees of Stability AI (the company behind Stable Diffusion).

Symons cited Flux as the most notable new image generation model in 2024. “In terms of realism, it’s amazing,” he said. Cremers agreed, saying “It’s very well suited for photorealism, much more so than Midjourney.” Flux also offers strong tools for