AI Image Generation
Image generators differ less in raw quality than in how you can use them. Midjourney excels at images as artwork but has no API, so it cannot run inside your product. ChatGPT Images (formerly DALL-E) is chosen for refining images through conversation and for an API that serves the same family of models. Adobe Firefly suits commercial design because its training data is licensed. Stable Diffusion is the only option you can run on your own hardware, and Leonardo.ai and ConoHa AI Canvas are browser-only ways in.
How to choose
- Integration: if generation must run inside your app or a batch job, Midjourney, which has no API, is out.
- Commercial safety: for ads and client work, check first how clearly the training data and terms are stated. Firefly leads with this, though the partner models offered inside the app fall outside that statement.
- Hardware: if you can run your own GPU, Stable Diffusion gives the most control; if not, stick to browser-based services.
