Best Text to Image Tools – Top AI Image Generators Compared

We used to say, “There’s an app for that.” Well, now – there’s an AI tool for that! Recent advancements in AI have paved the way for countless new tools, ranging from creative generative AI platforms to business and workflow automation tools. As a result, businesses across virtually all industries are finding new ways to integrate AI into their workflows, with every department from finance to digital marketing jumping onto the AI bandwagon.

Whilst there is a wide breadth of AI tools to pick from when mapping out an AI transformation strategy tailored to your enterprise, AI text-to-image generators are still amongst the most popularly utilised – and for a few key reasons. With AI image generators, graphic design has become even more accessible for SMEs and independent creators, empowering smaller players to stay active online, whether across social media channels or by keeping their web content up-to-date more sustainably.

But with the great variety of AI image generation tools available on the market today, one question remains: what’s the right tool to add to your workflow?

Let’s help you make that decision. Here is a brief, comparative list of the best text-to-image AI tools on the market today.

Top AI Image Generators Compared

Text-to-image tools turn simple prompts into visual assets, making graphic design tasks faster and more accessible. Here are some of the best AI image generator tools available for users online.

Adobe Firefly

Adobe Firefly is Adobe’s independently owned generative AI platform. Seamlessly integrated with Adobe’s wider Creative Cloud suite, Firefly can be used directly via the web or PC/mobile app-based platform, or even via other Adobe tools like Photoshop, Express, and Illustrator.

Firefly’s text-to-image generator is distinct in that it’s trained on Adobe Stock (Adobe’s internally managed stock photo and video library), as well as public domain data. This means that unlike other generative AI tools, Firefly isn’t reliant on publicly available datasets or data from the open web for training its LLMs.

The advantage with Adobe’s closed training datasets is that Firefly’s outputs are guaranteed to be ‘commercially safe’, meaning all assets generated using Firefly have no risk of copyright infringements and can thus, be safely used for branding, advertising, and other commercial purposes. Adobe’s Content Credentials metadata also ensures assets generated using Firefly are 100% owned by the user or enterprise that prepared the prompt and initiated the generation task. For enterprises looking to develop copyright safe asset libraries, generating with Adobe Firefly is simply a no-brainer.

Best use cases: Team environments and seasoned professionals.

Adobe Firefly Summary

• Strengths: Produce professional results with full integration with creative tools.
• Weaknesses: Can struggle with text rendering compared to other tools – this can be fixed by refining prompts and/or overlaying text.

Midjourney

Midjourney is one of the most widely recognised AI image-generation tools, known for producing highly stylised, artistic, and visually striking outputs.

Midjourney is especially adept at interpreting abstract prompts, and is particularly known for delivering cinematic or surreal results. This makes it a favourite among interior and set designers, architects looking to mock up visuals, concept artists working on film/TV and videogame projects, and all other creatives looking to quickly generate mood-driven visuals, inspiration pieces, or concept art.

Managed by an agile team of developers with community Discord channels for facilitating generate tasks, Midjourney is a great alternative to ChatGPT, offering opportunities to collaborate in prompting AI models and for compiling multiple composites and visuals based on iterative briefs.

Best use cases: Illustrators and creatives focused on concepts and experimentation.

Midjourney Summary

• Strengths: Generate highly stylised and abstract visuals.
• Weaknesses: Limited direct control and integration with other AI and design platforms.

DALL-E

DALL-E is a text-to-image generator developed by OpenAI. Being the text-to-image model powering ChatGPT, DALL-E has naturally become a growing resource for both independent creators and digital professionals.

OpenAI has expressed that the DALL-E neural network is specifically programmed to follow prompts accurately while still allowing some creative flex to support design iterating. As a result, DALL-E tends to prioritise clarity, coherence, and prompt fidelity, making it especially useful for commercial concepts and product mockups, alongside generating fit-for-purpose graphic assets like web icons and emojis.

Best use cases: Marketers, content creators, and professionals who need fast, accurate visualisations and concept development.

DALL-E Summary

• Strengths: Strong prompt adherence and easy iteration through conversational models.
• Weaknesses: Can be less stylised compared to more design-focused tools.

Canva Magic Media

Branded under Magic Studio, Canva’s free AI image and video generation tools (also referred to as ‘Magic Media’) are built for versatility and accessibility of use. The tools allow Canva users to generate image assets from text prompts and immediately drop these generated assets into existing Canva templates.

Simply put, once you’re happy with a generated asset in Magic Studio, moving it across to a Canva social post, presentation, ad, or other templates is incredibly easy. This seamlessness makes Canva Magic Media particularly useful for small businesses, marketers, and content creators who need ready-to-use assets that are easy to share.

Best use cases: Making quick marketing visuals, social media content, and everyday design needs.

Canva Summary

• Strengths: Beginner-friendly, templated, and fully integrated design platform.
• Weaknesses: Less advanced or highly detailed results from prompts; corporate look.

Our AI Image Generator FAQs

What is the best AI image generator to use?

This depends on your needs, however Adobe Firefly or Midjourney are most trusted by creative professionals for high-quality results, and DALL-E or Canva for facilitating quick and easy design workflows.

Are AI-generated images free to use?

Some tools are appropriate for commercial use, such as Adobe Firefly and Canva, but always check the respective licensing terms and conditions whenever using AI-generated content to keep your work protected.

Do I need design skills to use text-to-image tools?

No, you don’t need to be a professional graphic designer to use any of these AI tools. The generative text-to-image tools we’ve outlined above are all beginner-friendly and require only basic prompts to get started.

Can businesses rely on AI for visual content?

AI image generators are useful tools that can help maximise productivity and explore creative ideas, but as a rule, AI should not be used to completely replace the skill and finesse of human photographers and artists.

To get the most bang for your buck, businesses can use AI tools for visual content while leveraging human oversight to protect brand integrity and ensure quality control.

Choose the Right Text-to-Image Tool for Your Workflow

Finding the right text-to-image tool for your next project will depend on your own anticipated workflow/s and creative goals. Depending on the scope of your project or team, you may also opt for a tool that boasts improved collaboration capabilities.

In most cases, however, designers and digital agencies may lean towards using Adobe Firefly or Midjourney for more high-end creative results, whereas marketers and small businesses may prefer the accessibility of Canva or the flexibility of DALL-E.

Generally, the most effective approach is to trial a handful of tools to determine the right fit for your working style. You might use Midjourney for early creative ideation, refine outputs in DALL·E, and then finalise branded assets in Canva or Adobe. This layered workflow is becoming increasingly common amongst digital creatives looking to harness the advantages of multiple generative AI tools.

Start experimenting with the tools we’ve outlined above to find the right fit for your own AI-ready design workflows.