AI Image Generators That Are Free (or Cheap) With No Watermark

You made something cool with an AI image generator. You go to download it and — there it is. A fat watermark across the bottom. Or worse, a tiny one in the corner that you don't notice until you've already posted it.

Watermarks on AI-generated images are annoying, and they're everywhere. Most "free" tools use them to push you toward a paid plan. Fair enough — servers cost money — but it's frustrating when you just need a clean image.

Let's sort out which tools actually give you watermark-free output, what the real costs are, and where the gotchas hide.

Truly Free, No Watermark

Stable Diffusion (Local)

If you run Stable Diffusion on your own hardware, there's no watermark, no usage limits, no terms of service surprises. It's open-source software generating images on your GPU.

The reality check: "Free" means you need a decent graphics card (8GB+ VRAM), technical knowledge to set it up, and patience for the learning curve. The software is free. The hardware and time investment is not. If you already have the setup, great. If not, this is the most expensive "free" option.

Craiyon (formerly DALL-E Mini)

Craiyon offers free generation with no watermark on the images themselves. Quality is noticeably lower than paid tools — you'll get something recognizable but rarely polished. Good for memes and rough concepts, less good for anything you'd put in a portfolio.

Limits: Slow generation times on the free tier. Ads everywhere. Quality ceiling is real.

Bing Image Creator

Microsoft's tool uses DALL-E 3 under the hood and produces solid results. No watermark. Free with a Microsoft account. You get "boosts" for faster generation, and it slows down once those run out.

The catch: Limited daily generations. The content filter is aggressive — lots of legitimate prompts get rejected. And you can't use the images commercially without checking Microsoft's terms carefully.

Almost Free, No Watermark

This is where the interesting options live. Not technically free, but cheap enough that the distinction barely matters.

Myjourney

Full disclosure: this is our product. Myjourney charges $0.03 per image. No watermark, ever. Not on free trials, not on cheap tiers, not anywhere. We think watermarks are a bad user experience and we'd rather just charge a fair price.

Three cents means you can generate 100 images for $3. That's less than a coffee. No subscription means you're not paying $10/month during the weeks you don't use it.

The honest limitations: We don't have a free tier. You need to add credits before generating. If you literally need $0.00 spent, we're not your tool. But if "basically free" works, $0.03/image is hard to complain about. You can also generate video for about $0.50 per clip, also watermark-free.

Check the pricing page for current rates — they occasionally shift as model costs change.

Leonardo AI (Free Tier)

Leonardo gives you a daily credit allowance on their free plan. Images generated with those credits come without watermarks. The quality is solid, especially with their newer models.

The catch: Credits run out fast if you're using the better models. Once they're gone, you wait until tomorrow or upgrade. The free tier also limits resolution and some features.

Playground AI

Generous free tier — something like 500 images per day last time we checked. No watermarks. Quality is decent, though the UI can feel cluttered with options.

The catch: Commercial use rights on the free tier are murky. Read their terms if you're making anything for business.

"Free" Tools That Watermark (Unless You Pay)

Worth knowing what to avoid if clean output is your priority:

• Canva AI — Watermarks on free tier AI images. Need Canva Pro ($13/mo) for clean downloads.
• Fotor AI — Watermark on free generations. Paid plans start around $8/mo.
• NightCafe — Credit-based. Free credits exist, but some output modes add watermarks unless you're on a paid plan.
• Picsart AI — Heavy watermarking on the free tier. Subscription required for clean output.

These aren't bad tools. They're just not what you want if "free and no watermark" is the requirement.

What About Commercial Use?

No watermark and free to use aren't the same as free to use commercially. Quick breakdown:

• Stable Diffusion (local): Generally fine for commercial use, depending on the specific model's license. Most are permissive.
• Bing/DALL-E 3: Check Microsoft's current terms. They've changed multiple times.
• Myjourney: You own what you make. Commercial use included at every tier. We're clear about this because we know it matters.
• Leonardo free tier: Commercial rights are limited. You need a paid plan for full commercial use.

If you're making images for a business, a client, or anything you'll sell — read the terms of whatever tool you pick. "No watermark" doesn't automatically mean "no restrictions."

Our Recommendation

If you need zero cost and don't mind some roughness: Bing Image Creator for quality, Craiyon for zero friction.

If you need consistent quality without watermarks and you're okay spending pocket change: Myjourney at $0.03/image is built for exactly this. No subscription pressure, no credit expiry, no watermark games.

If you need volume on a free tier: Leonardo AI or Playground AI, but watch the daily limits.

The AI image generation space is competitive enough now that no one should be stuck with watermarked output. Either go truly free with some tradeoffs, or spend a few cents for clean, high-quality results.

Browse our community gallery to see what watermark-free output from Myjourney actually looks like — all made by regular users, not handpicked demos.