Best Free AI Image Generators in 2026: What the Free Plans Really Give You
Most AI image tools have a free plan, but they differ a lot in how much you get, whether your images are public, and whether you may use them commercially. Here is what each free plan includes, and what the first paid plan costs when you outgrow it.
Today's prices
Checked automatically · 2026-11-10 23:24| Tool | Plan | Paid monthly | Paid yearly | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardo | Essential | $12 | $9.60 | 8,500 tokens |
| Ideogram | Plus | $20 | $15 | 2,400 credits |
| Recraft | Basic | $12 | $10 | 1,000 credits |
| Midjourney | Basic | $10 | $8 | 200 minutes |
| Adobe Firefly | Firefly Standard | $9.99 | – | 2,000 credits |
Cheapest paid plan per tool, in US dollars, read from each tool's official pricing page. Prices in tables below update too; some figures in the running text were written when this article was published. Compare these tools side by side →
Most free images: Leonardo, with 150 tokens every day.
Best free text-in-images: Ideogram, with 30 credits a week.
Best free option for logos and icons: Recraft, but no commercial use.
No free plan: Midjourney.
Last checked: 2026-11-10
Free plans compared
| Tool | What the free plan gives | Images public? | Commercial use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardo | 150 tokens a day | Yes | Limited |
| Ideogram | 30 credits a week (sign in with Google, Apple or Microsoft) | Yes | – |
| Recraft | A few generations a day, up to 2 images each | Yes | No |
| Adobe Firefly | Daily generations that refresh every day | – | – |
| OpenArt | You can start for free | – | – |
| Midjourney | No free plan | – | – |
From each tool's own pricing page, read 2026-11-08 (Leonardo from CostBench). "–" means the page doesn't say. Free plans change often and are rarely announced.
When you outgrow the free plan
| Tool | First paid plan | Paid monthly | Paid yearly | What you gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Firefly | Standard | $9.99/mo | – | 2,000 credits a month |
| Recraft | Basic | $12/mo | $10/mo | Private images, commercial rights |
| Leonardo | Essential | $12/mo | $9.60/mo | Private images, token bank |
| Ideogram | Plus | $20/mo | $15/mo | Private images, unlimited slow queue |
Prices update automatically every morning.
The free plans one by one
Leonardo: the most generous daily allowance
Leonardo gives 150 tokens every day, which is enough to try its models properly. Everything you make on the free plan is public, and Leonardo keeps more rights over free images than over paid ones.
Ideogram: best for text in images
Ideogram's 30 free credits a week only come if you sign in with Google, Apple or Microsoft; accounts made with an email and password get none. Free images are public.
Recraft: try vector art for free
Recraft's free plan lets you try its own models a few times a day per style, but images are public and you may not use them commercially. For a real logo or icon set you need Basic.
Adobe Firefly: a few free images every day
Firefly's free plan gives a small number of generations that refresh daily, which is enough to see if Firefly suits you before paying $9.99 a month.
Chatbots
ChatGPT and Google Gemini can also make images on their free plans, with daily limits that change often. We don't track them because they don't sell image plans of their own.
Watch out
- Free usually means public: anyone can see images from the free plans of Leonardo, Ideogram and Recraft.
- Commercial use: for client work, a logo or anything you sell, use a paid plan.
- Midjourney has no free trial at all.
See every plan on the AI image price list, or read the guide to the cheapest AI image generators.
Sources: the official pricing pages of Ideogram, Recraft, Adobe Firefly, OpenArt and Midjourney, and CostBench for Leonardo, read 2026-11-08. Free plans change often. Always confirm on the official sites.