Choosing an image model by the job, not by beauty
As of November 2026; capabilities move quickly, so verify on the official pages.
AI Tools Hub Editorial · published · updated
By job
| Goal | Model | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Text inside the image | Ideogram | Legible text is a design goal |
| Logos and icons as vectors | Recraft | SVG output |
| Explicit commercial terms | Adobe Firefly | States its training data position |
| Atmosphere and styling | Midjourney | Strong aesthetic bias |
| Fine control or self-hosting | FLUX, Stable Diffusion | Open weights |
| Fast iteration | Krea | Near-realtime generation |
Images with text
Most models break typography. For banners and thumbnails where text is the point, either use a model built for it or — more reliably — generate the background and set the type in a design tool, where the font is specified and editable.
When terms matter
For client work and official corporate communication there is a reason to choose a model that documents its training data: not legal guarantee, but the ability to explain. For internal material the priority drops.
Use more than one
Two cheap subscriptions split by job beats forcing one model through work it is bad at.
FAQ
Are any free?
Several have limited free tiers, and some forbid commercial use on them. Check before using output in work.