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Feet of Lab Space How we test CNETs expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.Table of Contents Our Picks Best overall AI image generator Dall-E 3 View details See at OpenAI View details Best free AI image generator Leonardo AI View details See at Leonardo AI View details Best AI image generator for professionals Adobe Firefly View details See at Adobe View details Best basic AI image generator for beginners Canva View details See at Canva View details Table of Contents AI art is seemingly everywhere online. These images are made by AI generators, programs that use generative AI to take your simple text description and transform it into a batch of images that bring your artistic vision to life. AI image generators are great for brainstorming ideas, mocking up potential designs and creating personalized AI images. Even if you're not the most artistic, these programs offer a lot of tools and features to help guide you along the creative process. Not all AI image generators are going to be right for you and your project. Picking the right AI service can feel overwhelming because there are a lot of options available. That's why CNET reviewers have spent months reviewing every program on this list, generating hundreds of images and creating everything from cartoon safaris to dramatic sci-fi scenes and photorealistic stock imagery. At some point during our testing, every service on this list spat out a wonky or unusable image -- no AI image generator is perfect. The test of a truly superior AI image generator is how well-equipped it is to handle those quirks and fix flaws. Editing tools and customization options are a big part of that, which is why we test those extensively. Privacy policies, including how generators potentially train on your content, are also important considerations when selecting the best services. Heres what made the cut.Read More: Create Better AI Images With These Expert Prompt Writing TipsWhats the best AI image generator?Dall-E 3 by OpenAI is our best AI image generator pick. It can handle long, complex queries, gives you many editing and customization options and its unique conversational flow makes it easy to bring your artistic visions to life. If you dont want to sign up for the $20 per month ChatGPT Plus subscription, Leonardo AI offers great AI imagery in its free plan. Beginners will find Canvas user-friendly design easy and accessible to use, and professional creatives looking to experiment with AI art ought to try Adobe Firefly and its family of AI tools.Best AI image generator of 2024 Stephen Shankland/CNET Photo Gallery 1/3 Dall-E did the best of text-to-image AI models I tried when it came to creating a caricature of an older man playing pickleball. The image is generally engaging and entertaining and doesn't have major anatomical problems that are common witih AI. Stephen Shankland/CNET See at OpenAI Pros Understands long, complex queries Engaging, dynamic images Conversational style allows for easy modifications Cons Photorealistic images can look fake Slow to generate images Price Requires $20 per month ChatGPT Plus subscription Built-in editing tools? YesPrivacy policy May use your content to improve its modelsFull review Read full review Full Review Read full review Photo Gallery 1/3 Dall-E did the best of text-to-image AI models I tried when it came to creating a caricature of an older man playing pickleball. The image is generally engaging and entertaining and doesn't have major anatomical problems that are common witih AI. Stephen Shankland/CNET 8.0 See at OpenAI Dall-E 3 by OpenAI is CNETs 2024 Editors choice for the best AI image generator. Dall-E 3 is great for amateurs and professionals, with many editing tools like different styles and customizations to take advantage of. Dall-E is unique among its competitors for its conversational flow, making it easy to send follow-up requests, and its ability to handle complex queries. OpenAI may use your content to improve its models, but the company says it wont share your data with advertisers and offers a way to request to opt out of model training. With the $20 per month ChatGPT Plus subscription, Dall-E 3 creates vivid, engaging images with limited AI quirks. CNET Score Breakdown 8.0 /10 SCORE Score 8 7.0 See at Leonardo AI Leonardo is great for AI creatives on a budget. It has a comprehensive free plan that gives you ample generation credits at a fast speed. It doesnt have any free post-generation editing tools (theyre paywalled), but it does have a prompt improvement tool and other customization elements that can guide you toward building the best prompts. Leonardo makes it easy to explore whats possible with AI and create vivid, detailed AI images. Its free plan easily knocks its competitors out of the water, even the user-friendly Canva. CNET Score Breakdown 7.0 /10 SCORE Score 7