Image AI — Updated April 2026

AI Image Generation Models 2026 — Pricing & Comparison

Compare the best AI image and video generation models available in 2026. Find the right tool for photorealistic photos, artistic illustrations, text-in-image, or video generation — with full pricing breakdowns and honest pros & cons.

14 Models 10 Providers Updated April 2026
Showing 14 models
OpenAI API Image

ChatGPT Image Creation 2 (GPT Image 2)

Newest
Best-in-class
4.9
Pricing
Standard 1024×1024 $0.020
HD 1024×1024 $0.040
HD 1536×1024 $0.070
HD 1024×1536 $0.070
Native in-image text Conversational editing Inpainting & outpainting +2 more
Pros
  • Best photorealism and text rendering
  • Edit images by chatting
  • Built into ChatGPT and the API
Cons
  • Higher cost than older models
  • Strict content filters
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OpenAI API Image

DALL-E 3

Most Accurate
Excellent
4.5
Pricing
HD 1024×1024 $0.040
Standard 1024×1024 $0.020
HD 1792×1024 $0.080
HD 1024×1792 $0.080
Prompt adherence Safety filters Multiple sizes +1 more
Pros
  • Best prompt following
  • Available via API
  • Wide resolution support
Cons
  • Higher cost
  • No editing
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OpenAI API Image

DALL-E 2

Good
3.8
Pricing
256×256 $0.016
512×512 $0.018
1024×1024 $0.020
Image editing (inpainting) Variations Outpainting
Pros
  • Cheaper than DALL-E 3
  • Image editing support
  • Variations feature
Cons
  • Lower quality
  • Less creative
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Midjourney Subscription Image

Midjourney v7

Best Art Quality
Excellent
4.8
Pricing
Basic $10/mo
Standard $30/mo
Pro $60/mo
Mega $120/mo
Up to 2K resolution Artistic styles Discord bot +2 more
Pros
  • Best artistic quality
  • Style control
  • Active community
Cons
  • Discord only
  • No API
  • Subscription required
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Stability AI API Image

Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large

Very Good
4.3
Pricing
SD3.5 Large $0.065/image
SD3.5 Large Turbo $0.040/image
SD3.5 Medium $0.035/image
Open weights ControlNet compatible LoRA fine-tuning +1 more
Pros
  • Open source
  • Fine-tunable
  • Community ecosystem
Cons
  • Requires setup for self-host
  • API can be pricey
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Stability AI Open Source Image

Stable Diffusion XL

Best Free
Good
4.1
Pricing
Self-hosted Free
API (Stability) $0.020/image
1024×1024 native ControlNet LoRA +2 more
Pros
  • Completely free self-hosted
  • Highly customizable
  • Huge model ecosystem
Cons
  • Needs GPU to run locally
  • Setup required
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Adobe Subscription Image

Adobe Firefly 3

Very Good
4.2
Pricing
Adobe CC (included) $54.99/mo
Firefly Standalone $4.99/mo for 25 credits
Additional credits $14.99 per 100
Commercially safe training data Stock photo integration Generative fill +2 more
Pros
  • Copyright-safe
  • Photoshop integration
  • Commercial use licensed
Cons
  • Limited without subscription
  • Credit-based system
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Black Forest Labs API Image

Flux 1.1 Pro

Best Photorealism
Excellent
4.6
Pricing
FLUX1.1 Pro $0.040/image
FLUX1.1 Pro Ultra $0.060/image
FLUX.1 Dev Free (self-host)
FLUX.1 Schnell Free (Apache 2.0)
Up to 4MP output Photorealistic Text rendering +1 more
Pros
  • Excellent photorealism
  • Open weights available
  • Good text in image
Cons
  • Newer ecosystem
  • Less community content
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Google API Image

Imagen 3

Very Good
4.2
Pricing
Standard $0.040/image
Fast $0.020/image
Long text prompts Photorealism Watermarking (SynthID) +1 more
Pros
  • Strong photorealism
  • Good prompt understanding
  • Safety focused
Cons
  • Google Cloud account required
  • Limited availability
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Ideogram Subscription Image

Ideogram 3.0

Best Text Rendering
Very Good
4.4
Pricing
Free 10 images/day
Basic $8/mo
Plus $20/mo
Pro $48/mo
Best text rendering Typography Style presets +2 more
Pros
  • Best for text in images
  • Affordable
  • Great typography
Cons
  • Less photorealistic
  • Limited editing
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Leonardo.AI Subscription Image

Leonardo AI

Good
4.0
Pricing
Free 150 tokens/day
Apprentice $12/mo
Artisan $30/mo
Maestro $60/mo
Game assets Character consistency Real-time generation +2 more
Pros
  • Great for game dev
  • Character consistency
  • Lots of fine-tuned models
Cons
  • Credit system confusing
  • Quality varies by model
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Playground AI Subscription Image

Playground v3

Good
3.9
Pricing
Free 100 images/day
Pro $15/mo
Real-time canvas Inpainting Style mixing +1 more
Pros
  • Generous free tier
  • Real-time editing
  • Good for beginners
Cons
  • Less control than others
  • Watermarks on free
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OpenAI Subscription Video

Sora

Best Video
Excellent
4.7
Pricing
Plus $20/mo, 50 videos
Pro $200/mo, 500 videos
Up to 1080p 20 second clips Storyboard mode +2 more
Pros
  • Highest quality video
  • OpenAI ecosystem
  • Creative control
Cons
  • Subscription only
  • Limited duration
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Runway Subscription Video

Runway Gen-3 Alpha

Very Good
4.4
Pricing
Standard $12/mo
Pro $28/mo
Unlimited $76/mo
Text-to-video Image-to-video Motion brush +2 more
Pros
  • Professional features
  • Image-to-video
  • Good motion control
Cons
  • Can be pricey for heavy use
  • 10-second limit
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Full Model Comparison

Model Provider Type Starting Price Best For Resolution Rating Try
ChatGPT Image Creation 2 (GPT Image 2)
Newest 		OpenAI API $0.020/image Photorealism & accurate in-image text Up to 1536×1024
4.9
Try
DALL-E 3
Most Accurate 		OpenAI API $0.020/image Prompt accuracy Up to 1792×1024
4.5
Try
DALL-E 2
 OpenAI API $0.016/image Image editing Up to 1024×1024
3.8
Try
Midjourney v7
Best Art Quality 		Midjourney Subscription $10/mo Artistic images Up to 2K
4.8
Try
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large
 Stability AI API $0.035/image Customization Up to 1024×1024
4.3
Try
Stable Diffusion XL
Best Free 		Stability AI Open Source Free Self-hosting Up to 1024×1024
4.1
Try
Adobe Firefly 3
 Adobe Subscription $4.99/mo Commercial use Up to 2K
4.2
Try
Flux 1.1 Pro
Best Photorealism 		Black Forest Labs API $0.040/image Photorealism Up to 4MP
4.6
Try
Imagen 3
 Google API $0.020/image Enterprise use Up to 1024×1024
4.2
Try
Ideogram 3.0
Best Text Rendering 		Ideogram Subscription Free / $8/mo Text in images Up to 2K
4.4
Try
Leonardo AI
 Leonardo.AI Subscription Free / $12/mo Game assets Up to 1536×1536
4.0
Try
Playground v3
 Playground AI Subscription Free / $15/mo Beginners Up to 1024×1024
3.9
Try
Sora
Best Video 		OpenAI Subscription $20/mo AI video generation Up to 1080p
4.7
Try
Runway Gen-3 Alpha
 Runway Subscription $12/mo Video editing Up to 1080p
4.4
Try

Image Cost Calculator

How much will 100 images cost?

Estimated Cost
$4.00
for 100 images

Provider Overview

OpenAI 4 models
Midjourney 1 model
Stability AI 2 models
Adobe 1 model
Black Forest Labs 1 model
Google 1 model
Ideogram 1 model
Leonardo.AI 1 model
Playground AI 1 model
Runway 1 model

Image vs Video AI

Image Generation

Instant results, API-friendly, and affordable at scale. Best for product visuals, marketing, and creative work.

Video Generation

Higher cost and longer generation times, but increasingly capable. Best for ads, social content, and storytelling.

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