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Which AI image generator should you pay for?

For mock-ups, social posts and illustration. What each plan gets you, what happens to what you upload, and which one is wrong for which job.

Checked 07 Oct 2026Research-led5 tools

The verdicts

  1. PickAdobe

    Adobe Firefly

    The one for business work: Adobe says it has never trained Firefly on customer content, and it’s priced in pounds including VAT, from £9.98 a month.

    Wrong forAnyone who wants unlimited generations: everything runs on monthly credits, from 2,000 on Standard.

    The catchSome plans are on first-year promotional prices; check what you’ll pay after.

    Your data
    Adobe says it doesn’t train Firefly on user content, and its partner models don’t train on your data.
    On business plans
    Same terms; prompts and outputs can be reviewed for abuse.
    UK / EU data residency
    Not published where we could read it.
  2. PickOpenAI

    ChatGPT image generation

    If you already pay for ChatGPT, image generation is included, so try it before paying for anything else.

    Wrong forAnyone who needs to know their monthly image limit: OpenAI only says limits depend on your plan.

    Your data
    On individual plans your chats train OpenAI’s models by default. Turn off “Improve the model for everyone” in Data Controls.
    On business plans
    Business, Enterprise and Edu content isn’t used for training by default.
    UK / EU data residency
    UK or EEA storage is offered for new Enterprise and Edu workspaces, not Business.
  3. ConsiderGoogle

    Gemini image generation (Nano Banana)

    Included on every Gemini tier, free included, using Nano Banana 2; paid plans can redo an image with Nano Banana Pro.

    Wrong forClient work that can’t carry a watermark: images get a visible one as well as an invisible SynthID.

    Your data
    With “Keep activity” on, your chats help train Google’s models and a sample is read by human reviewers. Turn it off to stop.
    On business plans
    In Google Workspace, customer data isn’t used for training without your permission.
    UK / EU data residency
    Workspace can keep data in Europe (not the UK) from Business Standard up; Google doesn’t say whether that covers Gemini.
  4. ConsiderIdeogram

    Ideogram

    A dedicated image tool with a real free tier (30 credits a week) and private generations from Plus, at $20 a month or $15 billed yearly.

    Wrong forAnyone on the free tier who needs privacy: free generations are public.

    The catchWe couldn’t check its web-app training terms.

    Your data
    Web app: couldn’t check. The API terms say your inputs and outputs aren’t used for training, except flagged content.
    On business plans
    Team plans from $30 a user ($20 billed yearly), minimum two users.
    UK / EU data residency
    None found.
  5. SkipMidjourney, Inc.

    Midjourney

    Its own EU training summary says it trains on what you type, we found no way to opt out, and your images are public unless you pay $60 a month for Stealth mode. Adobe Firefly doesn’t train on customer content and is priced in pounds.

    Wrong forClient work: images are public by default, and companies earning over $1M a year must be on Pro or Mega to own what they make.

    The catchDollars only, with tax added at checkout, and no free trial.

    Your data
    Trains on users’ prompts and inputs; we found no opt-out in its terms, privacy policy or privacy FAQ.
    On business plans
    No business plan: no seat management or single sign-on. Stealth hides images on a “best efforts” basis.
    UK / EU data residency
    Stored on Midjourney’s servers in the US.

What it costs

Plans and prices for each tool
ToolPlanPriceWhat it adds
Adobe FireflyFree£0Daily limits
Standard£9.98 a month2,000 credits
Pro£19.99 a month4,000 credits, Express Premium, Photoshop on web and mobile
Teams Pro£16.66 a licence a month, before VATAnnual plan, billed monthly
ChatGPT image generationWith ChatGPTIncludedEvery plan; limits vary
Gemini image generation (Nano Banana)With GeminiIncludedFree and paid tiers
IdeogramFree$030 credits a week; public
Plus$20 a month, or $15 billed yearly2,400 credits; private
Pro$60 a month, or $42 billed yearly7,500 credits
MidjourneyBasic$10 a month, or $96 a year3.3 hours of fast image time; images public
Standard$30 a month, or $288 a year15 fast hours, unlimited relaxed images
Pro$60 a month, or $576 a year30 fast hours; Stealth keeps work private
Mega$120 a month, or $1,152 a year60 fast hours; Stealth