Bottom line first: there’s no single best tool, only the right fit
People use AI image generation for very different things: avatars, posters, product shots, book covers. Decide what the image is for, then choose the tool — this article translates “what it’s for” into “which one to pick”.
The four mainstream options at a glance
1. ChatGPT (image-2): the easiest all-rounder
- Learning curve: nearly zero. Type in plain English (or Chinese) and go
- Biggest strength: conversational editing — “make the background a night street”, “change her expression to a smile” — you refine it back-and-forth like chatting with an illustrator. Nothing else is this iterative
- Quality: consistent and solid across people, scenes and products; the look skews “clean and dependable” rather than “wow”
- Best for: total beginners, everyday ideas, quick drafts, and heavy-iteration workflows
2. Midjourney: the strongest style, with a steeper on-ramp
- Learning curve: you’ll live in Discord and get used to English prompts; many beginners quit early
- Biggest strength: mood and stylization — output has noticeably more “taste”, and a rich community of parameters to borrow
- Editing: relies on re-rolling and Vary/repaint; iteration costs more than chat-style editing
- Best for: people who care about polish and atmosphere and will invest time in learning commands
3. Stable Diffusion: total control, heaviest setup
- Learning curve: highest — local install, GPU, models and plugins to wrestle with
- Biggest strength: freedom of models (LoRA/checkpoints), fully controllable style, even trainable custom styles
- Best for: power users and fixed-style pipelines (e.g. batch e-commerce images)
4. Chinese tools (Jimeng, Tongyi Wanxiang, etc.): Chinese-friendly and handy
- Learning curve: low, native Chinese, plenty of templates built for domestic platforms (Xiaohongshu / e-commerce)
- Plus: convenient compliance and rich templates
- Weak spot: ecosystem and ceiling generally below the top overseas options
Side-by-side
| Dimension | ChatGPT Image | Midjourney | Stable Diffusion | Chinese tools |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Learning curve | Lowest | Medium | High | Low |
| Chinese-friendly | Very good | Okay | Depends on model | Best |
| Editing & iteration | Conversational, most flexible | Vary / repaint | Highly controllable | Average |
| Style ceiling | Solid, mainstream | Strong | Unlimited (model-dependent) | Medium |
| Cost | Subscription / credits | Subscription | Free (pay electricity) | Generous free quotas |
| Best for | Newcomers, daily use, iterators | Style chasers, advanced | Enthusiasts, pipelines | Domestic-platform creators |
The practical path: copy a prompt and stop agonizing over tools
Every item in the image prompt gallery pairs an English prompt with its real sample image:
- Like what you see → copy the English prompt
- Paste it into the tool you chose (ChatGPT or any prompt-capable image tool) → generate
- Not satisfied → refine conversationally, or swap one or two words and re-roll
Tip: the same prompt renders very differently across tools. Generate one prompt in 2–3 tools side by side and judge with your own eyes — the most honest comparison there is.
Picking by scenario
- Just want decent images without fiddling → start with ChatGPT image gen; almost no learning cost
- Avatars, wallpapers, social content with mood → try Midjourney, or learn the basics from the beginner’s guide first
- Fixed-style product shots / assets → consider Stable Diffusion with models
- Xiaohongshu / e-commerce / domestic-platform content → Chinese tools’ templates fit, or use the e-commerce prompts
FAQ
Can I use ChatGPT-generated images commercially? It depends on the user agreement of the tool you use — check the platform’s terms before commercial use. This is not legal advice.
How different are the outputs for the same prompt? Very. Composition, color and style vary a lot — try a few tools and pick the one that suits you.
Why are the prompts in English? Mainstream image models are trained mostly on English text, so English prompts hit better. You don’t need to understand them — just copy ours.