Best Apps For Stunning AI Art (Midjourney Alternatives)

The AI Advantage
21 May 202311:44

TLDRDiscover the best AI art generators as alternatives to Midjourney, which has removed its free trial. The top choice is Midjourney V5, known for its aesthetic appeal and photorealistic images. In the A tier, explore Dali 2 by OpenAI, NightCafe Art Studio, and leonardo.ai, each offering unique features and quality. Learn about their usability, strengths in generating human characters, and the potential to earn money through platforms like wire stock. Delve into B and C tier options for specific use cases and avoid the lower tiers for their weaknesses.

Takeaways

  • 🎨 **Midjourney V5 and 5.1** are currently the top AI art generators, praised for their aesthetic quality and ability to generate photorealistic images, especially with human features.
  • 💸 **Midjourney's Pricing**: Midjourney no longer offers a free trial and charges for their services, which can be a drawback for users looking for free options.
  • 🌟 **A Tier Alternatives**: Dali 2 by OpenAI, Night Cafe Art Studio, and leonardo.ai are free alternatives that offer high-quality results, though each has its strengths and weaknesses.
  • 🚀 **Dali 2's Uniqueness**: Dali 2 stands out for its custom model, unlike many others that use the open-source stable diffusion model.
  • 🎭 **Human Imagery Challenge**: Dali 2 struggles with generating detailed human characters, which is a common request among AI art users.
  • 🏆 **Night Cafe's Strengths**: Night Cafe is user-friendly, offers daily challenges, and is particularly good at creating high-quality images, although not as adept at human imagery.
  • 🎮 **Leonardo.ai's Versatility**: Marketed as a game asset generator, leonardo.ai provides good results for various use cases and allows users to fine-tune models.
  • 📈 **Wire Stock**: Mentioned as a platform to sell AI-generated art, offering a way for creators to monetize their work through major stock marketplaces.
  • 🔍 **B Tier Options**: Tools like dreamline art and Deep Dream Generator are bookmarked for specific use cases but may not be as versatile or cost-effective as higher-tier options.
  • 🚫 **C Tier and Below**: Some apps are not recommended due to significant weaknesses, though they may have niche uses or potential for future improvement.
  • 🤝 **Community and Contests**: The speaker's Discord server hosts events and contests that offer opportunities for learning and community engagement around AI art.

Q & A

  • What is the main reason behind the popularity of AI Art generators?

    -AI Art generators are popular because they are not only useful but also a lot of fun to use, offering a unique way to create art.

  • Why is Midjourney considered the best AI art generator currently?

    -Midjourney is considered the best due to its aesthetic appeal and its ability to largely fix issues with human hands, teeth, bodies, and faces, making it particularly good at generating photorealistic images.

  • What is the issue with Midjourney's current offering?

    -The issue is that Midjourney now charges for its services and has removed its free trial, which previously allowed users to get 25 free images.

  • What are the three AI art generators mentioned in the A tier category?

    -The three AI art generators in the A tier category are Dali 2 by OpenAI, Night Cafe Art Studio, and leonardo.ai.

  • How is Dali 2 different from other AI art generators?

    -Dali 2 is different because it is based on a custom model created by OpenAI, unlike most other generators that use the open-source stable diffusion model.

  • What is the main limitation of Dali 2 when it comes to generating human characters?

    -Dali 2 does not perform well when generating human characters, especially in terms of detail and photorealism.

  • What are some notable features of Night Cafe Art Studio?

    -Night Cafe Art Studio is user-friendly, offers presets and competitions, and provides quality examples for inspiration. It also has a social feature and excels at generating certain types of images.

  • How does leonardo.ai stand out among the AI art generators?

    -Leonardo.ai stands out because it offers various models to choose from, some of which are good with human images, and it also allows users to fine-tune their own models with their data.

  • What is the main drawback of the AI art generators in the C tier?

    -The main drawback of C tier generators is that they have major weaknesses and usually offer results that are not as good as the free options in the A and B tiers.

  • What advice is given to users who are interested in exploring different AI art generators?

    -Users are advised to explore all the generators, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and choose the one that best fits their needs, with Midjourney being recommended for paid use and Leonardo for free use.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 AI Art Generators Overview and Ranking

The paragraph discusses the popularity and utility of AI art generators, highlighting Midjourney V5 as the current best option due to its aesthetic appeal and ability to generate photorealistic images, especially of human features. However, it also points out the challenge of Midjourney's removal of the free trial, leading to a paid model. The paragraph then introduces other AI art generators such as Dali 2 by OpenAI, NightCafe Art Studio, and leonardo.ai, which are free to use and categorized under the A tier. Each of these generators is briefly described, with Dali 2 noted for its custom model and high-quality cartoonish and abstract images, despite its limitations in generating human characters. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of choosing the right AI art generator based on specific needs and the quality of outputs, especially when it comes to human imagery.

05:03

🖌️ Exploring AI Art Generators: Features and Recommendations

This paragraph delves into the specifics of the AI art generators mentioned earlier, with a focus on their unique features and how they can be utilized. It discusses the process of using Dali 2, including the need for an OpenAI account and the capabilities of the platform, particularly its strength in creating cartoonish and abstract art. The paragraph then contrasts this with NightCafe, which is praised for its user-friendliness, social features, and high-quality image generation, albeit with limitations in rendering human figures. The discussion moves to leonardo.ai, which is highlighted for its free daily credits and variety of models, including some that are effective for human imagery. The paragraph also touches on the potential of making money from AI-generated art through the platform Wire Stock, detailing its features and benefits for artists.

10:04

📌 Tiered Ranking of AI Image Generators and Their Use Cases

The paragraph presents a tiered ranking of various AI image generators, categorizing them based on their utility and performance. It starts with the B tier, which includes apps like dreamline art and Deep Dream Generator, noted for their beginner-friendliness and artistic results, respectively. The paragraph then discusses the C tier, which comprises tools like Canva's image generator and others that have specific use cases but overall show weaknesses, especially in rendering humans. An honorable mention is given to Runway for its text-to-video capabilities, despite its average text-to-image performance. The paragraph concludes by advising users to avoid the lowest tier, which includes apps that are not as useful or effective. It also encourages users to provide feedback for updating the tier list and mentions the Discord events for AI art enthusiasts to participate in.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡AI Art generators

AI Art generators refer to software or platforms that use artificial intelligence to create artwork. They are becoming increasingly popular due to their utility and entertainment value. In the video, the host discusses various AI art generators, comparing their capabilities and usefulness, especially in the context of creating images that are aesthetically pleasing and photorealistic.

💡Midjourney

Midjourney is an AI art generator that is highlighted in the video as the best in its category (referred to as 'S tier'). It is noted for its high-quality output, particularly in generating photorealistic images and fixing common issues with AI-generated human figures. The video mentions that Midjourney has removed its free trial, which is a point of contention for users looking for free alternatives.

💡Dali 2 by OpenAI

Dali 2 by OpenAI is an AI model that is based on a custom design rather than the widely used stable diffusion model. It is praised for its high-quality output, especially for cartoonish or abstract items, but is noted to have limitations when generating human characters. The video contrasts Dali 2's results with those of Midjourney to illustrate these points.

💡Night Cafe Art Studio

Night Cafe Art Studio is an AI art generator that is user-friendly and offers good results, as mentioned in the video. It is appreciated for its presets, competitions, and quality examples that inspire users. The platform is also noted for its social features and the high quality of the images it generates, particularly those that are not human-centric.

💡leonardo.ai

Leonardo.ai is an AI art generator that is currently free to use with a daily credit system. It is marketed towards game asset generation but is versatile for other uses. The video highlights that it provides good results for human images due to the variety of models available within the platform, some of which are adept at generating human figures.

💡Stable Diffusion

Stable Diffusion is an open-source AI image generator model that many platforms use as their base. However, the video points out that by default, it struggles with generating accurate human figures, often producing unrealistic results. This is demonstrated through examples where the AI-generated humans are described as 'monstrosities'.

💡Photorealism

Photorealism in the context of AI art refers to the ability of the generator to produce images that closely resemble real-life photographs. Midjourney is particularly praised for its photorealistic capabilities, which is a significant factor in its ranking as the best AI art generator in the video.

💡Human Figures in AI Art

The generation of human figures is a common challenge in AI art, as it requires accuracy in anatomy, facial features, and posture. The video discusses the limitations of various AI art generators in this area, with some producing more satisfactory results than others. The portrayal of human figures is a key differentiator among the platforms reviewed.

💡Wire Stock

Wire Stock is mentioned in the video as a platform where creators can sell their AI-generated art. It is highlighted for its ease of use, allowing creators to upload and sell their work on multiple stock marketplaces with a single account. The platform is also noted for offering a high revenue share and additional features like individual portfolios and print sales.

💡Discord Server

The video host mentions a Discord server where they run events and contests related to AI art. These events are designed to be fun and engaging for the community, providing an opportunity for participants to showcase their AI art creations. The server is used as a platform to foster a community around AI art generation.

💡AI Art Remix Contest

The AI Art Remix Contest is an event held within the mentioned Discord server where participants are given a prompt and a time limit to create an AI art remix. The video showcases the creativity and diversity of the AI art generated during these contests, indicating the potential for AI art as a form of creative expression.

Highlights

AI Art generators have become increasingly popular and useful, offering a new way to create stunning visuals.

Midjourney V5 is currently the best AI art generator, known for its aesthetic appeal and ability to generate photorealistic images.

Midjourney has removed their free trial, making it a paid service, which can be a barrier for new users.

Dali 2 by OpenAI is a unique model that is not based on the open-source stable diffusion model, offering high-quality, abstract image generation.

Night Cafe Art Studio is user-friendly and offers a social feature for sharing and participating in daily challenges.

Leonardo.ai provides 150 free credits per day and allows users to fine-tune their own models for improved results.

Wire stock is a platform that allows creators to sell their AI-generated art on multiple stock marketplaces with an 85% revenue share.

Dreamline Art is beginner-friendly, making it easy to start with stable diffusion for AI art generation.

Deep Dream Generator offers artsy results but has a subscription starting at $19 per month, which may not be the best value.

Stability AI's Dream Studio allows users to experiment with auto-expanding images and offers a free access point.

The Canva image generator, while not perfect, is convenient for users already working within the Canva platform.

Runway is exploring text-to-video AI but their text-to-image results are average and not recommended for human depictions.

Crayon, based on the Dali Mini model, offers a lightweight alternative for AI art generation with varying results.

There are several AI art generators that are not recommended due to their limitations and lack of utility, such as Text to Pokemon and Jasper image generator.

The video provides a tier list of AI art generators, with Midjourney at the top, followed by free alternatives like Leonardo.ai.

The video encourages viewers to participate in AI art contests and events, fostering a community of AI art enthusiasts.