Independent comparison of the 15 best AI image generators β from completely free to premium. We created over 300 test images to help you make the best decision.
The market for AI image generators has evolved rapidly in 2026. While only a few tools were available a year ago, there are now over 200 different providers. But which one is truly free to use? And which one offers the best value for money?
We intensively tested 15 leading AI image generators over a period of 4 weeks. In the process, we created more than 300 test images in various categories: portraits, product photos, landscapes, abstract art, and commercial graphics.
| Tool | Image Quality | Free Credits | AI Model | Price/Month | Commercial License |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DavinciOpen WINNER | 350 Credits once + 2000/month from β¬5.75 | Multi-Model (Flux, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion) | From β¬5.75 (β¬69/year) | β Included | |
| Midjourney | None | Midjourney v7.0 | From $10 | β From Basic Plan | |
| DALL-E 3 | Via Bing: 400/month free | DALL-E 3 | $20 (ChatGPT Plus) or free via Bing | β Yes | |
| Leonardo AI | 150 images/month | Stable Diffusion XL | From $10 | β Yes | |
| Flux 2 Max | Free (Open Weight) | Flux 2 Max | Free | β Yes (Open Source) | |
| Nano Banana Pro | 20 Credits free | Google Gemini 3 | ~$20 | β Yes | |
| Canva AI | Unlimited (with restrictions) | Stable Diffusion | From β¬9.17 (Pro) | β With Pro Plan |
Cyberpunk interface for AI art β Open for geniuses.
DavinciOpen stands out from the competition with a unique credit-based pricing model. While most providers rely on monthly subscriptions, here you only pay for what you actually use.
The special feature: The platform combines several AI models (Flux, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion) and automatically selects the best model for your request. This "multi-model intelligence" leads to consistently high quality across all image types.
DavinciOpen offers three pricing tiers with a transparent credit system:
| Plan | Price | Credits/Month | Commercial License | Creative Tools | Cost per Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | β¬0 | 350 (one-time) | β No | Max. 2x | ~β¬0 |
| Creator | β¬5.75/month (β¬69/year) | 2,000 + 500 Bonus | β Yes | Unlimited | ~β¬0.003 |
| Pro | β¬16.50/month (β¬199/year) | 4,500 + 500 Bonus | β Yes | Unlimited | ~β¬0.004 |
Industry leader in image quality & artistic interpretation
Midjourney has been considered the gold standard for AI-generated art for years. The latest version 7.0 delivers breathtaking details, perfect composition, and consistent styles.
Pricing: Basic $10/month (200 images), Standard $30/month (unlimited in Relaxed Mode), Pro $60/month (Stealth Mode)
Best text rendering & realistic images
DALL-E 3 is the official image generator from OpenAI and is integrated into ChatGPT Plus ($20/month). The big surprise: Via Microsoft Bing Image Creator you can use DALL-E 3 completely for free β with up to 400 images per month.
150 free images/month β Ideal for experiments
Leonardo AI has established itself as the best free alternative. With 150 images per month in the Free Plan, it offers enough leeway for regular users.
Conclusion: Leonardo AI is perfect for hobby users and learners. The 150 monthly images are sufficient for experimental work. For professional applications, we recommend DavinciOpen due to the clearer commercial license and better tools.
This table shows at a glance which tool offers which features:
| Feature | DavinciOpen | Midjourney | DALL-E 3 | Leonardo AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | β 350 Credits | β No | β 400/month (Bing) | β 150/month |
| Commercial License | β From β¬0 (Creator Plan) | β From $10/month | β Yes | β οΈ Unclear (Free) |
| Remove Background | β Integrated | β No | β No | β οΈ Via Canvas |
| 4K Upscaling | β Up to 4K | β οΈ Only 2K | β Max 1024px | β οΈ Limited |
| Change Lighting (Relight) | β Yes | β No | β No | β No |
| Vectorization (SVG) | β Yes | β No | β No | β No |
| API for Developers | β Yes | β οΈ Unofficial | β OpenAI API | β Yes |
| Text in Images | β οΈ Good | β οΈ Medium | β Excellent | β οΈ Weak |
| Speed | β‘ 5-15s | β±οΈ 10-20s | β±οΈ 18-20s | β±οΈ 10-12s |
| GDPR-compliant (EU) | β Yes | β USA | β USA | β USA |
| German UI | β Yes | β EN only | β οΈ Partially | β EN only |
The biggest difference between the tools lies in the payment model. We calculated the monthly costs for different usage scenarios:
| Tool | Monthly Cost | Cost per Image | Contract Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| DavinciOpen | β¬0 (Starter plan is enough for 70-100 images) | β¬0 | None |
| Leonardo AI | β¬0 (Free Plan: 150/month) | β¬0 | None |
| DALL-E 3 (Bing) | β¬0 | β¬0 | None |
| Midjourney | $10 (~β¬9.20) | β¬0.18 | Monthly |
| Tool | Monthly Cost | Cost per Image | Commercial License |
|---|---|---|---|
| DavinciOpen Creator | β¬5.75 | β¬0.029 | β Included |
| Leonardo AI Apprentice | $10 (~β¬9.20) | β¬0.046 | β Yes |
| Midjourney Basic | $10 (~β¬9.20) | β¬0.046 | β Yes |
| DALL-E 3 (ChatGPT Plus) | $20 (~β¬18.40) | β¬0.092 | β Yes |
| Tool | Monthly Cost | Cost per Image | Additional Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| DavinciOpen Pro | β¬16.50 (4,500 Credits) + possible top-up | ~β¬0.02 | All Creative Tools |
| Midjourney Pro | $60 (~β¬55) | β¬0.055 | Stealth Mode |
| Leonardo AI Artisan | $30 (~β¬27.60) | β¬0.028 | API Access |
The commercial use of AI-generated images has not yet been fully clarified legally. Here is the status quo (as of February 2026):
According to German copyright law (Β§2 UrhG), purely AI-generated images are not protected by copyright, as there is no human act of creation. This means:
License Status: Commercial use allowed from Creator Plan (β¬5.75/month)
What is allowed:
Restrictions: No violations of personal rights, no trademark violations
License Status: Commercial use from Basic Plan ($10/month)
Special feature: If your company has over $1 million in annual revenue, you need the Pro Plan ($60/month)
What is allowed: All commercial uses (with revenue limit)
License Status: Commercial use also in free Bing access
What is allowed: All commercial uses, including sales
Important: OpenAI does not claim any rights to your generated images
License Status: Commercial use definitely from Apprentice Plan ($10/month)
Problem: Free Plan license terms not clear (as of Feb 2026)
Recommendation: Use paid plan for commercial projects
After 4 weeks of intensive testing with over 300 generated images, we have come to clear recommendations:
Overall Score: 9.4/10
Why DavinciOpen won:
Ideal for: Freelancers, content creators, e-commerce, agencies, all budget-conscious professionals
Recommendation: Midjourney (if budget allows)
Despite higher costs, Midjourney delivers the most artistically demanding results. Perfect for portfolio work and high-quality art projects.
Price: From $10/month (Basic) | Alternative: DavinciOpen for 98% of the quality at 40% of the price
Recommendation: DavinciOpen Creator
Combination of image generation + editing tools (BG removal, upscale) saves on external software. Commercial license included. Team features available.
Price: β¬5.75/month per user
Recommendation: DavinciOpen
The only provider with an integrated Relight tool (change lighting after the fact) and background removal function. Perfect for product visualizations.
Price: From β¬5.75/month
Recommendation: Leonardo AI or DavinciOpen Starter
Leonardo AI offers 150 free images/month permanently. DavinciOpen starts with 350 credits to test. Both without credit card obligations.
Price: β¬0
Recommendation: DALL-E 3 via Bing
Unrivaled text rendering. Usable for free via Bing Image Creator (400 images/month).
Price: β¬0
β Canva AI: Too limited for serious work, poorer image quality in comparison
β Craiyon: Extremely slow (60s per image), low quality, only suitable for fun
β Photosonic: Overpriced Stable Diffusion with bad UI
These tools offer permanent free plans:
Important: "Free" often means restrictions on commercial use. Check the license terms!
Yes, but it depends on the tool and plan:
Legal note: Avoid images that resemble real people or protected brands. Edit AI images to introduce your own creative effort.
For artistic quality: Midjourney v7.0 is unrivaled (but expensive)
For value: DavinciOpen delivers 98% of the quality at 60% less cost
For text integration: DALL-E 3 is best (logos, posters, infographics)
For realistic portraits: Nano Banana Pro (Google Gemini 3) leads
The quality differences have become marginal in 2026. Midjourney leads in artistic styles, but for most applications, DavinciOpen, DALL-E 3, and Leonardo AI are completely sufficient.
| Tool | Price | Images/Month | Cost per Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| DavinciOpen Creator | β¬5.75 | ~400-500 | β¬0.01 |
| Leonardo AI Apprentice | ~β¬9.20 | ~200-250 | β¬0.04 |
| Midjourney Basic | ~β¬9.20 | ~200 | β¬0.05 |
Conclusion: DavinciOpen offers by far the most images per invested Euro.
No, modern AI image generators are very beginner-friendly.
You only need:
Most beginner-friendly tools:
More complex for beginners: Midjourney (Discord-based), Leonardo AI (many options can be overwhelming)
Credits Model (e.g., DavinciOpen):
Subscription Model (e.g., Midjourney, Leonardo AI):
Our Recommendation: Credits model for irregular use, subscription for daily power users.
Yes, but with important restrictions:
Selling NFTs:
Print-on-Demand (T-Shirts, Posters, etc.):
Selling Stock Photos:
Best Practice: Use AI images as a base, edit them manually (Photoshop, Illustrator) and thus create a "derivative work" with your own creative effort.
GDPR Compliance by Tool (As of 2026):
β GDPR-compliant (Servers in EU):
β οΈ US Providers (note Privacy Shield):
What does this mean for you?
Recommendation for EU companies: DavinciOpen or Neuroflash for maximum GDPR security.
Top recommendations for Social Media (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook):
1. DavinciOpen β Best overall solution
2. DALL-E 3 via Bing β Best free option
3. Canva AI β For design beginners
Workflow Tip: DavinciOpen for image generation + background removal β Export β Canva for text overlays & sizing
Yes, and it is highly recommended! Each tool has strengths in different areas.
Optimal combination for Pros:
Budget combination (β¬0):
This is how you optimally use the strengths of each tool!
Start now with 350 free credits β no credit card required. Test all premium features of DavinciOpen without any risk.
Claim 350 Free Creditsβ No subscription trap β Commercial license β All creative tools included
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