The best Gen-AI software and how they compare

11 Apr

2024

Written by

Marvellous Aham-adi

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The best Gen-AI software and how they compare
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Generative AI is an exciting field within Artificial Intelligence (AI) that focuses on creating new and original content, such as images, videos, and even text. Unlike traditional AI models that are trained to recognize patterns or make predictions based on existing data, generative AI models learn to generate new content by examining vast amounts of training data and then producing original output. 

In the past 4 years, the generative AI market has grown in bounds. According to reports from Statista, the generative AI market is projected to reach US$66.62bn in 2024. This number was US$5.67bn in 2020. 

This technology's growing significance lies in its ability to fuel creativity, automate content creation, and offer limitless possibilities in various industries, including art, entertainment, marketing, and more. 

Gen-AI's versatility also extends beyond its standalone capabilities, as it can be seamlessly integrated with other software systems to enhance various workflows. One powerful integration is with Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems. By fusing the power of Gen-AI with software like DAM, businesses can unlock a plethora of benefits 

One major benefit is the accelerated time to market. With Gen-AI's capabilities, companies can generate high-quality visuals quickly, bypassing the need for time-consuming manual creation or expensive photoshoots. This expedites product launches and enables businesses to respond swiftly to market demands. Additionally, integrating Gen-AI reduces reliance on external agencies, leading to cost savings. The integration of Gen-AI into software not only speeds up workflow processes but also opens up new creative possibilities while cutting costs, making it a valuable asset for businesses across various industries.

But just like every growing industry, there is a significant number of generative AI startups popping up every day. So in this article, we will explore the best Gen-AI software available in the market today and how they compare. 

Whether you are a professional who wants to take advantage of the advanced capabilities of this technology or just want to have fun testing it out, this article will let you know where to get started. 

Exploring the Best Gen-AI Software

Best Gen-AI image generator

1. DALL.E 3 

(Best for its ease of use)

DALL·E 3 is an advanced text-to-image AI model developed by OpenAI, which builds upon its predecessors, DALL·E 1 and DALL·E 2, as well as integrating capabilities from ChatGPT. It is designed to convert text descriptions into highly detailed and accurate visual representations.

Features and Capabilities

- Detail Rendering: DALL·E 3 can render intricate details in images, including text, hands, and faces. It also responds well to extensive, detailed prompts.

- Aspect Ratios: It supports both landscape and portrait aspect ratios, enhancing its versatility for different types of image generation.

- Prompt Handling: Integrating DALL·E 3 with ChatGPT enhances the model's ability to understand and engage with visual prompts. This integration enables users to create highly detailed and customized AI images by providing a detailed text description of the image they want DALL·E 3 to generate. After the image is generated, you can still ask for revisions right in the chat.

- Complex Compositions: The model has an improved understanding of complex instructions. This enables it to create complex compositions and adjust design elements like spatial relationships.

Accessibility

Initially, DALL·E 3 was made available to ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise users, with plans to extend access via API and in Labs. Now, a free public version of DALL·E 3 is available through Bing Chat or Bing Image Creator. This allows for a broad range of users to explore its capabilities without financial constraints.

Safety and Ethical Considerations

- Content Restrictions: DALL·E 3 is designed to decline requests that ask for an image in the style of a living artist and allows creators to opt their images out from training future image generation models.

- Demographic Representation: Efforts have been made to improve demographic representation across generated images and to limit the likelihood of generating content that could be misleading or inappropriate.

Pros and Cons

PROS

Enhanced context understanding
Integrates with Chat GPT
Fast image generation speed
Scalable using APIs

CONS

Limited customization features

Inconsistent performance when using APIs instead of the ChatGPT interface

Pricing

DALL·E 3's pricing is structured based on the resolution and quality of the images generated. Here are the details:

- Standard Quality (1024×1024 resolution) $0.040 per image.

- Standard Quality (1024×1792 or 1792×1024 resolution): $0.080 per image.

- HD Quality (1024×1024 resolution): $0.080 per image.

- HD Quality (1024×1792 or 1792×1024 resolution): $0.120 per image.

Additionally, DALL·E 3 is available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers, which costs $20 per month. This subscription also provides access to other enhanced features and capabilities within the ChatGPT framework.

DALL·E 3 represents a significant advancement in AI-driven image generation, offering detailed and customizable visual content creation. Its integration with ChatGPT and focus on safety and ethical considerations make it a powerful tool for a wide range of applications.

2. DreamStudio by Stability AI

(Best for its customization and control)

DreamStudio by Stability AI is a generative AI text-to-image web application that enables users to create images from textual descriptions. 

It is powered by Stable Diffusion, a model known for its efficiency in understanding the relationships between words and images to generate high-quality visuals. DreamStudio was released in August 2022 and is designed to cater to a wide range of users, including art teachers, marketers, graphic designers, and individuals interested in exploring the capabilities of generative AI for various creative and professional purposes.

Key Features and Capabilities

- Generative AI Technology: Utilizes natural language processing to generate images from text prompts, allowing for a high degree of creativity and customization in the generated images.

- Open Source: Stability AI has released an open-source version of DreamStudio, named StableStudio, to encourage community development and improvement of the platform.

- Versatile Applications: DreamStudio is used for a variety of purposes, including educational tools for art teachers, marketing campaign visuals, professional branding, and the creation of avatars and artistic headshots.

Pros and Cons

PROS

Budget-friendly

API Access for Developers

User controls for fine-tuning resulting images according to preference

CONS

Limited flexibility in highly dynamic environments

Pricing

DreamStudio by Stability AI operates on a pay-per-use model where users purchase credits to generate images. After the initial 25 free credits given upon account creation, additional credits can be bought at $10 per 1,000 credits. This amount of credits is sufficient for creating approximately 5,000 Stable Diffusion XL 1.0 images. There is no mention of monthly or annual subscription plans; the pricing is strictly based on the credits used for generation.

DreamStudio represents a significant advancement in the field of generative AI. Its open-source evolution, StableStudio, underscores Stability AI's commitment to community-driven development and innovation in AI-powered creative tools. The company has expressed its engagement to creating a multi-modal experience for generative AI, with plans to release a chat interface within the StableStudio project.

3. Midjourney

(Best for high-quality photos)

Midjourney is a generative AI platform that creates unique artwork from text prompts. It is owned by an independent research firm and was founded in San Francisco by David Holz, who also co-founded the hand-tracking company Leap Motion. 

Midjourney operates through the interplay of large language models and diffusion models, allowing users to create high-quality images from simple text-based prompts. 

Features and Capabilities

- Text-to-Image Generation: Midjourney can create images based on textual prompts, allowing users to describe what they want to see, and the AI generates the corresponding image.

- Artistic Style: The platform can produce images in various artistic styles, including realistic, surreal, and abstract, catering to a wide range of creative preferences.

- Creative Control: Users have significant control over the outcome of the generated images, which can be fine-tuned to match their vision.

- 3D Visual Art: It can mock up convincing concept art for 3D artwork, with a focus on creating aesthetically pleasing images by default, featuring complimentary colors, artistic use of light and shadow, sharp details, and satisfying symmetry or perspective.

Accessibility

The platform is accessible via the Discord chat app, with plans to move to its dedicated platform. No specialized hardware or software is required to use Midjourney.

Pros and Cons

PROS

Produces high-quality and realistic images

Users can experiment with various artistic styles

Active community on Discord

Generates images quickly especially in “Fast” and “Turbo” modes

CONS

Inconvenient access. Requires users to navigate a Discord server instead of a dedicated web application

Limited customization options

Pricing

Midjourney offers four monthly subscription plans with varying features and pricing. The plans are as follows:

1. Basic Plan:

   - Monthly Cost: $10

   - Annual Cost: $96 ($8/month)

  

2. Standard Plan:

   - Monthly Cost: $30

   - Annual Cost: $288 ($24/month)

 

3. Pro Plan:

   - Monthly Cost: $60

   - Annual Cost: $576 ($48/month)

  

4. Mega Plan:

   - Monthly Cost: $120

   - Annual Cost: $1152 ($96/month)

   

Additionally, Midjourney offers a free trial that allows users to generate 25 images immediately upon joining Discord. The platform also accommodates the purchase of additional Fast GPU hours if needed, with the purchased hours rolling over at the end of the month to ensure they are not lost when the billing cycle renews.

Midjourney’s capabilities have impressed many users, and it has become one of the biggest names in AI alongside other prominent AI image generators.

4. Generative AI by Getty Images

(Best for businesses to create commercially safe images)

Generative AI by Getty Images is a collaboration between Getty Images and NVIDIA. The collaboration leverages NVIDIA's Picasso model to create a text-to-image platform for generating stock photos. This technology allows users to create custom images or videos in seconds by simply typing in a concept. It is designed to enhance the efficiency of users' workflows and enable the creation of precise photos that may be difficult or impossible to capture with a camera.

Features and Capabilities

- Text-to-Image Generation: Users can create custom images or videos by simply typing in a concept.

- Vast Content Library: The Generative AI by iStock, which is part of this initiative, is targeted at small and medium businesses and is trained exclusively on Getty's creative library and iStock's stock photo library. Note that Getty's editorial image library is excluded to avoid generating images with trademarks.

- Copyright Indemnification: The tool is trained exclusively on Getty's licensed images, providing users with full copyright indemnification for the images created.

Full copyright indemnification, also known as copyright infringement insurance, is a form of protection that shields individuals or entities from legal action that arises from potential claims of copyright infringement.

💡Generative AI by Getty Images offers full copyright indemnification, unlike other generative AI tools such as DALL·E 3, Dream Studio, and Midjourney. The terms of service for these tools indicate that users are responsible for ensuring that their usage complies with applicable copyright laws and regulations.  Getty Images on the other hand trains its AI model exclusively on its licensed content, ensuring that the images generated are commercially safe and legally protected. Other companies like Adobe and Microsoft have introduced indemnity policies to mitigate copyright liability. 

Accessibility

The tool is available through the Getty Images website and is priced separately from a standard Getty Images subscription. 

Pros and Cons

PROS

Full copyright indemnification

Excels at recreating stock image-like photos

CONS

Limited in creative output when compared to some other generators

Pricing

- $14.99 for 100 prompts: Each prompt generates four distinct images, offering users 400 images for the price.

This price allows users to create a significant number of custom images for their needs.

Getty Images’ partnership with NVIDIA and the use of the Picasso model aim to provide customers with a greater variety of visuals for storytelling, supported by Getty Images' high-quality imagery, videos, and rich metadata. The generative AI models are intended to be impactful and commercially safe, fitting within a brand's visual strategies.

5. Adobe Firefly

(Best for integrating AI images into real photos)

Adobe Firefly is a suite of generative AI tools developed by Adobe. It allows users to make complex edits and create realistic designs while saving time with generative AI features. 

Features and Capabilities

- Generative AI: Firefly uses generative AI to create high-quality images, text effects, and color palettes from simple text prompts.

- Integration with Adobe Tools: Firefly is integrated into Adobe's suite of creative software, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and Adobe Express, allowing for seamless use within these applications.

- Image Editing: Users can add or remove objects from images, replace backgrounds, and recolor vector artwork using simple text prompts.

- Generative Fill in Photoshop: Adobe has added Firefly-powered Generative Fill in Photoshop. This allows for more advanced editing. Users can make non-destructive edits and refinements to their images with this feature.

- Adobe Firefly Image 2 Model: The latest update of Firefly includes an improved imaging model and has a better knowledge of the world so it generates higher-quality outputs. It is only available in the Firefly web app.

Pros and Cons

PROS

Integration within Adobe Creative Cloud applications

Expansion beyond images to encompass 3D, fonts, and video

Generates multiple design options quickly

CONS

Difficulty in maintaining a scene or character across multiple renderings

Pricing and Accessibility

- Creative Cloud Subscription: Access to Firefly is included in Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions. 

- Credit Plan: Users on a Creative Cloud plan for the entire suite will be granted 1,000 credits per month. Subscribers to a single visual app like Photoshop will receive 500 credits, and Lightroom users will receive 100 credits. Adobe also charges users $4.99 monthly for an additional 100 credits when they run out before the month's end.

There is also a free plan available.

Adobe Firefly is positioned as a mainstream AI image generation tool with a focus on ethical use and integration with Adobe's existing ecosystem of creative software.

Best Gen-AI video generator

1. Synthesia

(Best for creating digital avatars)

Synthesia is an AI-driven platform that transforms text into video content. It uses AI to create lifelike avatars that can read scripts with human-like expressions. This eliminates the need for professional actors, studios, or prior video experience. 

Features and Capabilities

- AI-Powered Video Generation: It leverages AI to produce customizable videos. It uses a virtual presenter so there is no need for cameras, actors, or studios.

- Multilingual Video Creation: The platform supports over 120 languages, allowing users to create videos without the need for a live actor or actress who speaks the language.

- Video Customization Options: Synthesia offers a range of customizable video options that give users greater control over the final output. Users can customize backgrounds, animations, and even voice types.

- Text-to-Speech Functionality: Users can input their own text into the platform, and the AI will generate a lifelike voiceover in their chosen language.

- Real-Time Preview: The platform allows users to preview their videos in real-time so they can make adjustments and modifications as needed.

- Voice Cloning: It replicates users' voices and pairs them with an avatar, allowing for a more personalized touch.

- AI Script Assistant: The platform helps in generating scripts for videos, making the content creation process more efficient.

- Multimedia Libraries: Synthesia houses video templates, images, icons, and soundtracks, providing users with a wide range of resources for video creation.

- Custom Avatars: Users can create their own AI avatars or company spokespersons.

Pros and Cons

PROS

Best quality of AI avatars

Versatile templates

Large community presence on Facebook

Robust integration capabilities

CONS

Can be expensive. The personal plan offers only 120 minutes of videos per year

Pricing

- Starter Plan that features 1 editor, 3 guest commenters, 10 minutes of video per month, 50 scenes, 70+ AI avatars, and standard voices. Cost $29 per month

- Creator Plan that features 1 editor, 5 guest commenters, 30 minutes of video per month, 50 scenes, 90+ AI avatars including industry avatars, premium voices, and other advanced features. Cost $89 per month.

- Enterprise Plan that features for larger companies with custom requirements. Pricing is custom.

2. Wondershare Filmora

(Best Gen-AI video editor)

Wondershare Filmora is one of the oldest video editing tools available. It provides a wide range of features for both beginners and experienced video editors including generative AI. The software has received positive reviews for its user-friendly interface, creative tools, and support resources. 

Features and Capabilities

Wondershare Filmora is a feature-rich video editing software with a wide array of capabilities like motion tracking, audio denoise, video effects, and plug-in support for creating animated titles and motion graphics. 

Here are the AI features that Filmora also offers users:

- AI Copilot Editing: Personal AI assistant for video editing help.

- AI Text-Based Editing: Convert audio into editable text.

- AI Music Generator: Generate complete music tracks in seconds.

- AI Thumbnail Creator: Generate template-driven video thumbnails with AI.

- AI Portrait: Remove video backgrounds without a green screen, add borders, glitch effects, and more

- AI Smart Masking: Achieve smooth cuts between scenes through seamless object masking.

- AI Text-to-Video: Users can write a text prompt, and the AI will generate the video using stock assets and editing tools

These features make Filmora suitable for various purposes, such as creating educational videos, video marketing, and editing gaming content. The software is available in different versions, including Filmora 9, Filmora Pro, and FilmoraGo for mobile devices.

Pros and Cons

PROS

Abundance of effects and presets

Versatile AI tools that enhance editing capabilities

Affordable pricing options

CONS

Filmora may run slow on low-end computers

Pricing

- Free plan available with video watermark. 

- The annual plan goes for $49.99/year

- Or you can choose to purchase Filmora X in a one-time payment of $109.99

3. Visla

(Best AI generator for turning scripts into videos)

Visla is an all-in-one video storytelling platform that offers a variety of AI-powered tools for video creation, editing, and recording. It enables teams and individuals to record, edit, and share high-quality videos with ease. 

Features and Capabilities

- Video Creation: Visla provides AI video editing and generation tools, allowing users to transform text, blogs, and audio into videos. It also offers a video montage maker and narrated visual storytelling.

- Editing Tools: Users can remove filler words and pauses, extract clips, merge clips, cut clips, and add voice-overs. The platform also features an AutoCut tool and text-based video editing.

- Recording: Visla supports step recording, video recording, meeting recording, multi-camera recording, and using your phone as a webcam. It also includes a teleprompter to help you stick with your scripts

- Collaboration: Users can share content, add comments, add calls to action, auto-transcribe, and embed videos.

- Footage Recommendations: Visla's AI analyzes your footage library to recommend the optimal scenes for your narrative.

Visla is designed to be used by various enterprise teams. Its AI-powered features significantly reduce the time and effort needed to produce content.

Pros and Cons

PROS

User-friendly interface that caters to beginners and non-editors

Extensive library of premium and free stock videos

Integrates with Chat GPT

CONS

No built-in AI image generator

Visla may not always produce fully polished, publish-ready videos immediately upon request. Will require further editing

Pricing

Visla provides a Free Basic Plan with limited features and a Premium Plan for $24 per month, which includes unlimited video publish time and higher storage and transcription time.

4. Opus Clip

(Best for repurposing long-form video to multiple short-form videos)

Opus Clip is a generative AI video repurposing tool that transforms long videos into short, viral clips. It uses advanced AI to analyze video content in relation to the latest social and marketing trends from major platforms, generating a comprehensive understanding of the video for data-driven content repurposing decisions.

Features and Capabilities

The AI curation process works similarly to a human editor. 

Opus Clips first understands the context of the entire video, breaks it into chapters, and then selects the most informative or interesting parts to create clips with viral potential. This process has been shown to produce 63% more shareable clips and is 57% less likely to create incoherent content compared to the previous version.

Once the best clips are selected, Opus Clip polishes the short videos with smart touches. This includes adding animated emojis and highlighted keywords to captions, ensuring the speaker is always centered in focus, and combining different parts of the video into a coherent short video. The tool also smooths transitions and buffs out imperfections to ensure the video looks smooth.

Opus Clip supports various video formats, including MP4, MOV, and WMV. It offers a variety of templates for different types of videos, such as social media posts, product demos, and explainer videos. Users can also add text overlays, captions, and music to customize the generated clips further.

The final clips can be shared on various platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and more.

Pros and Cons

PROS

Easy-to-use interface

Accurate in identifying important segments within videos

Free forever plan with 60 minutes of video processing time refreshed monthly

CONS

May struggle with certain types of content, such as music videos, complex narratives, etc

Pricing

Opus Clip operates on a freemium pricing model, allowing users to generate a limited number of clips for free. 

There are also paid plans if you want to generate unlimited clips and get additional features.

- $9/mo for Starter Plan for individual creators

- $29/mo for Pro Plan for professional creators, marketers, and teams

Integrating Gen-AI software with DAM

The integration of generative AI with DAM (Digital Asset Management) systems presents exciting opportunities and numerous advantages. It revolutionizes the way assets are created, personalized, recommended, organized, and explored. 

Let’s take a look at some of these advantages:

1. Content Creation:

Generative AI empowers DAM systems by assisting in the creation of new and unique content. 

For example, Wedia DAM also offers a generative AI tool called Wedia AI. Users can generate images by entering a text prompt, which the AI uses to create visuals that match the brand's style and marketing needs. So if you can’t find an image that works for a project, you can easily generate one with Wedia AI.

2. Recommendation Engines:

You can also train Wedia AI to understand your brand.

By analyzing the content and metadata of assets, generative AI enhances the recommendation capabilities of DAM systems. This improves content accessibility and helps users find the assets they need more efficiently.

3. Intelligent Tagging:

Generative AI assists in automating the process of enriching assets with intelligent tags or metadata. By analyzing asset content, the AI can generate descriptive tags, keywords, or sentiment analysis. This facilitates effective asset organization and efficient search within the DAM system. This saves time and enhances asset discoverability.

Integrating generative AI with DAM systems positively transforms how assets are created and organized. Want to try it yourself? Take a look at Wedia.ai.

What’s the best Gen-AI software?

There you go - our list of the best generative AI software and how they compare with each other. This article will save you time researching. Most of the tools in this list offer a free trial so you can run tests to make sure it fits your team’s needs and preferences before making a choice. 

Start creating and having fun now!

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