Top 11 Stable Diffusion Alternatives for Your Next AI Art Creation

Before a decade, artists, designers, and creative professionals were using heavy tools, such as Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, and more for creating images, videos, and similar stuff. These tools were time-consuming. However, now AI image generators have transformed the entire creative journey. It enables users to craft stunning visuals with just simple prompts.

Out of all image generators, stable diffusion has gained unbelievable popularity. The tool uses the GEN-AI model to generate unique images using text-to-image prompts. 

However, many artists, designers, creative professionals, and marketers were facing challenges in using stable diffusion because of its complexity. They also find it difficult to fine-tune settings to produce high-quality images. Hence, they are looking for stable diffusion alternatives.

Surprisingly, many businesses have opted for Generative AI services and created and launched robust AI image generators that work similarly to Stable Diffusion. 

To make the guesswork out of your sight, we have found the best alternatives to stable diffusion that you can consider for your upcoming creative projects.

But before we look at the alternatives, let’s understand what to expect from these alternatives.

So, let’s get started.

What to expect from Stable diffusion alternatives?

Here is the list of factors you should prioritize when choosing any of the best stable diffusion alternatives. 

• Ease of Use: The image generation tool should be simple and intuitive. All the exclusive features and functionalities are worthless if the tool is hard to use.
• Customization Options: An effective tool allows you to make necessary changes to the images without investing a lot of time and effort.
• Robust Community: Stable diffusion has a highly active Reddit and Discord community. Therefore, ensure that the alternatives to stable diffusion also boast a solid online community.
• Reliable AI: It doesn’t matter whether the AI  image creator uses an old or a new AI model; they should be capable of generating stunning visuals as per the given prompt.
• Quick Output: Does the AI image generator understand and deliver the output quickly? Stable diffusion takes a sufficient amount of time to generate output. Any alternative to stable diffusion would be a good choice.

Best Stable diffusion alternatives for stunning visuals 

A vast number of stable diffusion AI algorithms are available in the market. Here, we have shortlisted the most promising stable diffusion AI alternatives that you can consider for your next project.

• MidJourney
• DALL-E3
• Adobe Firefly
• Craiyon
• Rundiffusion
• Synthesia
• ArtSmart AI
• Dream Studio
• Playground AI
• Bing AI Image Creator
• Deep AI

So, let’s kick things off and understand these stable diffusion alternatives in detail.

1. Midjourney 

Midjourney is a pioneer in text-to-image generation and one of the best alternatives to stable diffusion. Users need to enter a prompt in the Midjourney discord chat to generate images or invite the chatbot to their channel to produce images. 

As of August 2024, Midjourney had over 20.77 million registered users. The tool is also regarded as one of the most popular AI art generators because it can generate unique and imaginative visuals.

Pros of Midjourney

• Generates high-quality artistic images that stand out within minutes, thus increasing your productivity 
• Modify the AI-generated output to particular styles or themes by altering various parameters and settings
• Doesn’t require any high-end computer or coding skills
• Have complete power over the size, resolution, and other image elements
• A robust community on Discord for valuable feedback and collaboration
• Favorites gallery lets you save all the generated images.

Cons of Midjourney

• Users need to sign up and create an account on Discord
• Midjourney is quite pricey compared to other stable diffusion alternatives
• Products result more slowly than other tools in the peak hours.

Pricing

• Offers just 15 credits for free.
• Basic: $10 /month
• Standard: $30 /month
• Pro: $60 /month
• Mega: $120 /month

Bonus Read: Stable Diffusion vs Midjourney

2. DALL-E3

DALL E-3, developed by OpenAI, is a robust tool that converts textual description into a powerful visual imagination. It is one of the best stable diffusion alternatives that leverages transformer networks and generative models for text-to-image generation.

As soon as you give a prompt, the tool generates four different images according to the interpretation. 

The image generator has gained immense popularity since its inception, and over 1 million users have started using it within the first few weeks. 

Pros of DALL E – 3

• Image inpainting and outpainting features allow you to modify certain parts of the images and even expand them horizontally and vertically
• AI-generated images are royalty-free
• High-end community support and detailed documentation
• Frequent updates and live diffusion models ensure you get the latest updates for image generation
• A simple yet effective interface.

Cons of DALL E – 3 

• Might take more processing time than stable diffusion, and some of their alternatives
• Confuses and generates unusual outputs for longer prompts
• Offers limited image generation credits.

Pricing

All the ChatGPT Plus (costing $20/month) and Enterprise plan users can utilize DALL-E 3 without paying anything extra, as it is integrated directly within the ChatGPT interface for unlimited image generation.

Apart from this, people signing up for ChatGPT for the first time can generate images using DALL-E3 for free up to a certain limit. Further, the price of DALL-E3 varies based on the image resolution (standard or high definition) and the aspect ratio.

• DALL·E 3 Standard (1024×1024): $0.04 per image
• DALL·E 3 Standard (1024×1792 or 1792×1024): $0.08 per image
• DALL·E 3 HD (1024×1024): $0.08 per image
• DALL·E 3 HD (1024×1792 or 1792×1024): $0.12 per image.

3. Adobe Firefly

Adobe Firefly is a free stable diffusion alternative built inside the Adobe Creative Cloud. The tool lets you generate new ideas, convert them into reality, and simplify your workflow using AI.

The AI image generator tool is packed with excellent features. Photoshop’s generative fill feature lets you control images by leveraging text prompts. Its text-to-image feature provides high-quality images with solid composition, photorealistic details, and enhanced mood and lightning.

The primary thing differentiating Firefly from other AI design tools is that it gets training data from Adobe stock, other public domain materials, and expired copyrights, ensuring creators get the recognition they deserve. In addition, Adobe Firefly evolves by considering user feedback, thus improving accuracy with time.

Pros

• Remove any object from the image and replace it with something you like by using prompts
• Integrates very well with any of the famous Adobe photo-editing tools, thus enabling you to generate and refine AI images with tools you are familiar with 
• Turn any of the classic images into a unique pop art piece using style transfer features
• Try out various color schemes and design themes by inserting different text prompts.

Cons

• Restricted access to non-Adobe users
• Might not offer similar kind of customization options as other AI tools. 

Pricing

• Free
• Premium: $4.99 /month
• Single App: $9.99 /month
• Creative Cloud All Apps: $59.99 /month

4. Craiyon

Craiyon, earlier known as the DALL-E mini, is one of the best stable diffusion alternatives for free. The text-to-image generator tool allows you to choose from options such as auto, photo, drawing, and vector to generate any image. 

The best thing about Craiyon is that it provides several filters before image generation, such as negative prompt, image size, and base image to upload.

As soon as you give a prompt, the tool comes up with nine different visually impressive images. You can utilize any of these as per your need.

Pros of Craiyon

• Instant AI image creation
• Intuitive user interface
• Offers free background remover
• Suggest next prompt based on your query.

Cons of Craiyon

• Showcases a wide range of advertisements
• It doesn’t generate proper images during peak times
• Produces low-quality images
• Low customization options
• Not offers mobile support.

Pricing

• Free
• Supporter: $5/month
• Professional: $20/month
• Enterprise: contact for pricing

5. RunDiffusion

RunDiffusion is a cloud-based AI platform, mainly designed for stable diffusion models. The tool allows you to fully benefit from AI capabilities without investing in expensive hardware. It has built-in 14+ fully managed open-source tools, such as Automatic1111, Fooocus, ComfyUI, and more. 

This stable diffusion alternative is designed considering the needs of hobbyists, developers, and professionals. Its simple yet effective interface allows you to create next-gen images, videos, and other content without much hindrance. It is swift and scalable and supports image generation and video creation tools. 

The best thing is that it provides real-time monitoring of your inputs and outputs, thus allowing you to make necessary adjustments and optimizations on the go.

Pros of RunDiffusion

• Provides Access to 50+ Pre-Loaded Models for Diverse Creative Needs
• Pay-as-go model is cost-effective
• Ensures streamlined workflow due to features like dynamic prompting and real-time monitoring
• Generates high-quality content in just 90 seconds.

Cons of RunDiffusion

• Subscription needed for complete features and extensive usage
• Challenging to understand and get used to advanced tools and features, especially for beginners.

Pricing

• Hobbyist – Free trial and then $0.50 for hourly sever rate
• Two Professional Plans: Creator Club costs $35.99 and Team’s Plan $60 
• Business & Enterprise- Custom Pricing

Bonus Read: What is Generative AI: A Brief Overview

6. Synthesia

Syntehsia is one of the best alternatives to stable diffusion when it comes to video generation. Who would have thought that creating a video could be so simple? Give a text-based prompt, choose the visuals, and get your desired video in just a few minutes. 

The tool offers a highly intuitive interface for generating text-to-video files. It even supports a wide range of avatars and voice-overs in 140+ languages to create studio-quality videos. 

Synthesia is currently trusted by more than 50,000 small to big companies across the globe.

Pros

• Supports a wide range of AI Avatars
• Multilingual support
• Built-in collaboration features
• Create videos on the go with a browser-based app
• Access to AI Avatars based on your plan.

Cons

• AI Voices might not sound as human as required
• Challenging to train AI voices.

Pricing

• Free 
• Starter – $18 per month 
• Creator – $64 per month
• Enterprise – $64 per month

7. ArtSmart AI

ArtSmart AI is the most user-friendly AI-based image generator available in the market. The tool has been trained using the top artists in the world and generates unique images from the prompts. Moreover, it allows you to integrate your own graphics to improve with time. 

The upscale feature lets you modify the upscale ratio to improve resolution, adjust the size, and correct blurriness in the images. It is best suited for bloggers, SEO agencies, small businesses, and anyone who wants to generate high-quality images with just a few clicks.

Lastly, ArtSmart AI is currently used by more than 23K users worldwide.

Pros

• Background removal
• Multiple Artistic styles to generate hyper-realistic images
• AI-first image editing to optimize your artwork
• Organize generated images into collections

Cons

• Sometimes, generated images might look very bad, resulting in a waste of time and credits
• A monthly subscription comes with limited credits, which might be utilized instantly.

Pricing

• Basic: $16/month
• Standard: $24.50/month
• Business: $32.50/month

8. Dream Studio

DreamStudio is an AI image generation tool built by Stability AI, the same company that built Stable Diffusion. In fact, DreamStudio works on the stable diffusion engine along with some of the best AI models.

The AI design tool generates vivid images from a text prompt or an image upload. It is particularly designed for artists and developers who want to create high-quality artwork according to their needs.

Enter the prompt, upload the reference image (optional), select the aspect ratio and total number of samples, and input a negative prompt. DreamStudio produces multiple variations of the futuristic output. 

Besides this, if you want to modify the image, that’s possible with the editor. It is a layered workspace where you can add, remove, or change all the elements in your image. In short, it lets you transform the image by modifying the style, content, and intensity.

Pros of DreamStudio

• Prompt memory lets you check your previous prompts
• Offers numerous styles 
• Refine your images like never before 
• API integration enables you to leverage all the tools & functionalities in your workspace.

Cons of DreamStudio

• The free version doesn’t store history
• Require ample amount of resources to function effectively.

Pricing

• 100 Free Credits on Signup
• 1,000 Credits cost $10

9. Playground AI

Playground AI is another popular free stable diffusion AI alternative suitable for generating images for social media, T-shirts, wallpaper, artwork, posters, and more. The tool is backed up by Stable Diffusion and other AI models, and it is suitable for casual creators and professionals.

Unlike other stable diffusion alternatives, Playground AI is praised by users worldwide for its seamless AI-based editing. It lets you highlight a specific section of the image and edit it by constantly feeding prompts. Hence, it is great for anyone who wants to revamp their existing artwork.

Playground AI allows you to generate 15 images for free every 30 minutes. To generate more images, you need to opt for the pro version.

Pros

• Collaborate with a team member and refine any element from images using the moonboard feature.
• Combine multiple images and refine them with a mixed-image feature
• Exclusion prompts help in removing any element from the image
• Intuitive and user-friendly interface.

Cons

• The free version keeps limitations on image quality and resolution
• Peak-hour waiting issues.

Pricing

• Free Version
• Pro: $12/month

10. Bing AI Image Creator

Bing Image Creator is one of the best stable diffusion alternatives available for free. The image generator tool was released by Microsoft and backed up by DALL E-3. The tool is ideal for casual users, designers, and marketers who want instant images for social media, blogs, personal projects, etc., as it doesn’t require any external GPU support for image production and rendering.

With this tool, you can generate images and text at the same time. You can leverage this tool from Microsoft’s Bing Search and Edge Browser. Give detailed prompts to this AI tool, and it will deliver you a high-quality image without any cost. 

The AI image creator is available in more than 100 languages. Hence, you can give prompts to this tool in your desired language. 

Pros

• Produces images in multiple artistic styles
• Interprets negative prompts
• Customize image quality and aspect ratio

Cons

• Microsoft account needed
• Limited customization options

Pricing

• Free

11. Deep AI

Deep AI is last but not least alternative to stable diffusion. It is a robust text-to-image generator that offers 100+ styles, such as Pop art, Steampunk, Pixel art, and Greek mythology.

The image generator provides you an option to generate images in different qualities, such as standard, HD, and genius. On top of that, the image upscaler enables you to modify the sharpness of the image and have a higher resolution.

It also offers an image editor, which enables you to edit an image using text prompts. 

Ultimately, Deep AI is excellent for anyone who wants to generate creative visuals without any technicalities

Pros of Deep AI

• Provides multiple AI tools, such as an AI chatbot, an AI video generator, and a tech-to-speech generator
• Multiple artistic styles.

Cons of Deep AI

• Less user friendly
• Showcase a lot of ads in the free version
• Doesn’t support negative prompts.

Pricing

• Free
• Pro: $4.99 /month
• Pay As You Go: $5 /starting

The future of creativity: Stable diffusion alternatives

AI Image generation is reaching new heights daily, and with it, more and more stable diffusion alternatives are being released. All of these AI design tools bring unique features and functionalities, perks, and limitations to convert raw ideas into attractive visuals. 

Whether you are a designer, marketer, creative professional, or just curious about AI, all of these alternatives to stable diffusion help you create awe-inspiring images and customize them to get the best possible outcome. So, it’s time to choose the best stable diffusion alternative according to your requirements: speed, customization, user-friendliness, and more. 

If you want a platform that helps you create super realistic visual images and have complete control over them, hire stable diffusion developers from Openxcell. Our team will understand your needs and develop a custom AI solution that helps you get the most out of your creative projects.