- Best for
- Anyone who wants the best all-round results just by describing what they want
- Price
- Freemium · from $8/month
Free: Image generation and editing on the standard model, with lower limits and no Thinking mode - Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android, API
- Made by
- OpenAI, San Francisco, USA · since 2015
- App store ratings
- iOS 4.8★ (11M) · Android 4.8★ (63.6M)
What it is
ChatGPT creates and edits images from a chat prompt or an uploaded photo, using OpenAI's GPT Image models. Images 2.0 (April 2026) added a Thinking mode that plans the layout before drawing, 2K output and accurate multilingual text, and Images 2.5 (September 2026) made generation faster and edits more precise.
Latest: OpenAI launched ChatGPT Images 2.5 in September 2026, with faster generation and more precise editing.
What the AI does
- Text-to-image and conversational editing
- Thinking mode that plans composition and checks the prompt
- Accurate text in many languages and scripts
- Sketch, templates and on-image comments for edits
- Up to 2K resolution
Pros and cons
- Tops the Arena text-to-image leaderboard
- Best-in-class prompt following and in-image text
- Edit by chatting, with no settings to learn
- Available free in the hugely popular ChatGPT apps
- Best quality (Thinking mode) needs a paid plan
- Free-tier image limits are tight
- Less control over style than Midjourney or Krea
How it scores
Image quality9.5
Ease of use9.5
Features9
Value for money8.5
Platforms9.5
OpenAI's GPT Image models hold the top three spots on the Arena text-to-image leaderboard; value held back by free-tier limits.
Feature checklist · 8 of 9
- ✓Edit an uploaded image with text instructions (yes)
- ✓Reliable text rendering inside images (yes)
- ✓Style or character references, or custom style training (yes)
- ✓Edit selected regions (inpaint, outpaint or expand) (yes)
- ✓Upscaling or 2K+ output (yes)
- ✓Free plan for generating images (yes)
- –Commercial use allowed on a paid plan (no)
- ✓iOS and Android apps (yes)
- ✓Developer API (yes)
How we score apps →
Alternatives
See all ChatGPT Images alternatives, ranked →
- Gemini (Nano Banana) 8.9/10Editing your own photos and anyone already using Google's apps
- Grok Imagine 8.2/10Grok and X users who want strong photorealism and editing
- Adobe Firefly 8.0/10Designers working in Photoshop and businesses that need commercially safe images
- Bing Image Creator 7.9/10Anyone who wants good AI images completely free
ChatGPT Images vs Gemini (Nano Banana)ChatGPT Images vs Grok ImagineChatGPT Images vs Adobe FireflyChatGPT Images vs Bing Image CreatorChatGPT Images vs Leonardo.AiChatGPT Images vs RecraftChatGPT Images vs IdeogramChatGPT Images vs Canva Dream LabChatGPT Images vs KreaChatGPT Images vs Midjourney
Sources