Craiyon AI Review 2024: The Best Free AI Image Generator?
If you are looking for an AI image generator to add images to your content or use them in projects, Craiyon AI is a fantastic option. Why, you may ask?
Craiyon AI is an online art and image generator that allows you to generate unlimited images for free online using AI. It’s owned and operated by OpenAI, one of the most powerful and popular AI research labs.
You may know Craiyon as the silly image generator with funky results, but that’s no longer true. Craiyon creates impressive art, drawings, and photos to use in whatever content or projects you work on!
In this complete Craiyon AI review, we will cover what Craiyon AI is, its main features, pros and cons, how you can use it, my experience, pricing, and some popular alternatives.
Let’s take a look!
What is Craiyon AI?
Craiyon, one of the first generative AI models, creates AI-generated art free from any text prompt! Describe what you want to generate, select a style, and watch nine images come to life in about one minute.
Craiyon initially gained popularity in 2022 for producing humorous imagery. It was formerly called DALL-E Mini until OpenAI requested a name change in June 2022.
It works using artificial intelligence (AI). Using neural networks (a type of machine learning algorithm), Craiyon has been trained in different styles of work and uses those as references to create original art based on the description you give it.
Craiyon Key Features
Here are the key features that come with Craiyon!
- Upscale
- T-Shirt Prints
- Discord Community
- Suggested Text Prompts
- Craiyon Android App
Upscale
One of Craiyon’s best features is “Upscale.” After generating your images, select one of them to improve the quality instantly.
T-Shirt Prints
Get the artwork you generate printed on a T-Shirt to support Craiyon for $26/shirt!
Discord Community
Join the free Craiyon Discord community with thousands of active members to connect, share, and bond over AI art.
Suggested Text Prompts
Once your images have been generated, Craiyon will automatically suggest the “Next prompt” for improved and more interesting results.
Craiyon Android App
Craiyon is available for Android devices through the Google Play store. You can generate unlimited AI images for free using your mobile device!
Craiyon Pros
- Generate unlimited images for free
- No sign-up is required!
- Creates nine images per text prompt
- Very easy to use
- High-quality results
Craiyon Cons
- No text prompt suggestions when you start
- Not many styles to choose from
- Generation time is slower than other art generators and takes approximately one minute
- Ad-supported on the free version
- No image-to-image generation
- Fixed 1:1 aspect ratio
- Watermarks
How to Use Craiyon AI
Here is how to use Craiyon AI:
- Go to Craiyon AI
- Write a text prompt
- Select a style
- Create images
- Upscale
Step 1: Go to Craiyon AI
Go to https://www.craiyon.com/ to access the Craiyon image generator.
Step 2: Write a text prompt
Describe what you want Craiyon to generate by writing it in the text field.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to create, so it would have been nice if Craiyon had generated some suggestions for me, but here is what I came up with:
A golden retriever running through a field of grass on a sunny day, photorealistic, 4K
Note: If there are any elements you want to exclude, write this down under “Negative words.”
Step 3: Select a Style
Under the text prompt, you will see four styles to choose from.
I want to see how realistic Craiyon’s image generation can be, so I chose “Photo” as my style. If you are unsure, feel free to choose “None.”
Step 4: Create Images
Select the orange “Draw” button and watch your images come to life!
After one minute, here are my results:
I’m satisfied with the results (this is what I envisioned), and they look very realistic, which I was going for!
One of the best parts about Craiyon is that it generates nine images per text prompt, much more than other art generators that usually generate four images.
Step 5: Upscale
Out of the nine images generated, select the one you like most.
The quality is not too excellent, but that’s an easy fix!
Select “Upscale” in the top right corner and watch how the quality improves significantly after one minute.
Everything in the photo is much more detailed, especially the dog’s hair and the grass.
You will also have a few choices, which you will see under the images you just generated.
- Get faster results: Choose one of the Craiyon subscription plans for more immediate image generations, no watermarks, and other features
- Download: Select an image and download it
- Screenshot: Take a screenshot of all nine images with the text prompt to save for yourself or share with others
Craiyon will also suggest a similar prompt for potentially better results and similar images for more variety.
Craiyon even allows you to “get that swag” and wear your creations on a T-Shirt!
My Experience with Craiyon AI
I’m a big fan of Craiyon and consider it one of the best art generators. It’s fun, easy to use, generates a lot of images with each prompt, and has an excellent upscale feature.
However, Craiyon has some flaws. Images have a watermark (unless you pay for a subscription), there aren’t many styles to choose from, generations take about one minute to process, and the 1:1 aspect ratio is fixed.
Craiyon Pricing
With Craiyon, you can generate unlimited images for free. However, they will take the longest to develop (about one minute), they will all have watermarks, and ads will be displayed on the site.
The following subscriptions give you an ad-free experience, faster image generation, no watermark, and more!
Monthly Subscriptions
- Supporter: $6/month
- Professional: $24/month
- Enterprise: Custom
Annual Subscriptions
- Supporter: $5/month (billed yearly)
- Professional: $20/month (billed yearly)
- Enterprise: Custom
Craiyon Alternatives
Here are the best Craiyon alternatives you can try for free today.
1. Canva
Canva is the best AI art generator that I have come across. You get free, unlimited AI image generations with no watermarks, and you can edit them directly in Canva.
The only downfall is that you can’t upscale or enhance the images if the quality is not to your liking.
2. DreamStudio
DreamStudio by Stability AI is another great Craiyon alternative. It’s easy to use, there is no watermark, and you’re not locked into a subscription (instead, you buy credits as you go!)
You are given ~100 image generations for free by creating an account. That’s a lot to work with!
3. NightCafe
NightCafe is another popular AI image generator. It produces excellent results and has an active community with daily challenges, making this a fantastic option for beginners!
You will only get a few image generations for free, but you’ll have the chance to win up to 250 credits by participating in the daily challenge.
Read my full NightCafe review here!
4. Midjourney
If you haven’t heard of Midjourney, you’ve been living under a rock!
Midjourney is a text-to-image AI generator running on Discord. It has an incredibly active community (users are constantly generating images), and it creates the most photo-realistic results out of all AI image generators.
Unfortunately, you must pay a minimum of $10 on their basic plan to generate images using Midjourney.
5. Jasper
Jasper started as an AI writing tool but has added a new feature for AI image generation! It has many customization options to get the desired results and generates four images simultaneously.
You can get started with Jasper Art with their free 7-day trial and try it.
Read my full Jasper Art review here!
Craiyon Final Verdict
Craiyon AI has captured the attention of artists and creators alike. With the ability to generate unlimited images without any sign-up, it offers a hassle-free experience.
Its simplicity and user-friendliness make it accessible even to those without technical expertise. Craiyon AI’s high-quality results are impressive for whatever you use the images for.
However, it’s worth noting that Craiyon AI does have a few limitations. While it generates nine images per text prompt, the initial lack of text prompt suggestions might require some brainstorming. In addition, the styles to choose from are limited compared to other art generators.
Furthermore, the generation time is slower, taking approximately one minute, which may not be ideal for those looking for quick results. It’s also important to remember that Craiyon AI doesn’t support image-to-image generation and sticks to a fixed 1:1 aspect ratio.
Despite these drawbacks, Craiyon remains a powerful tool for those seeking high-quality AI image generation without breaking the bank. Just bear in mind that watermarks will appear on the generated images.
FAQ
Which is the best AI image generator?
That depends on what you consider “best” to be, but the best free AI image generator I have come across is Canva. Midjourney is another excellent option with an active community and the best results.
Is Craiyon free to use?
Yes, Craiyon is free to use. You can generate images for free using Craiyon without creating an account! However, all photos will have a watermark with slower generation times (around one minute).
What is the best free AI art generator?
The best free AI art generator overall is Canva. With Canva, you get unlimited image generations, excellent results, and make edits directly within Canva.
Which AI draws pictures?
With Craiyon, you can use AI to draw pictures from text. Simply insert your text prompt, select “Drawing” as your style, and watch nine original drawings come to life in about one minute!
Other platforms like Jasper Art also allow you to draw using text prompts. Jasper has templates like “ink art” and “storybook illustration” that allow you to turn your words into drawings in seconds. Feel free to read my Jasper Art review!
