I Spent $0 vs $500 on AI Images: Results Comparison

Dropped $500 over three months testing paid AI image tools. Same period, used free tools for comparison projects. 1,247 total images generated.

The goal: figure out if paying for AI image generation is actually worth it, or if free tools deliver similar results.

Results surprised me. This isn't a simple "paid is better" or "free is fine" answer.

The Experiment Design#

Ran two parallel workflows from July 1 to September 30, 2025.

For more in-depth information on specific tools tested, see our Gempix2 complete guide and our comparison with Midjourney and DALL-E.

Paid stack ($500 budget):

• Midjourney: $120 (3 months Standard plan)
• Leonardo AI: $90 (3 months Artisan)
• DALL-E 3 via ChatGPT Plus: $60 (3 months)
• Adobe Firefly: $60 (3 months Standard)
• Ideogram Plus: $60 (3 months)
• RunwayML credits: $110 (misc generations)

Total: $500 over 3 months

Free stack ($0 budget):

• Gempix2 (unlimited free)
• Leonardo AI free tier (150 credits/day)
• Ideogram free tier (25/day)
• Bing Image Creator (DALL-E 3, limited)
• Craiyon (unlimited but lower quality)

Same types of projects on both stacks. Freelance client work, social media content, personal exploration.

What I Actually Generated#

Tracked everything in a spreadsheet because I'm that person.

Total images: 1,247

• Paid tools: 672 images
• Free tools: 575 images

Project breakdown:

• Client deliverables: 178 images (mostly paid tools)
• Social media posts: 417 images (mostly free tools)
• Personal projects: 312 images (mixed)
• Tests and experiments: 340 images (mostly free)

I tried to use both stacks fairly, but naturally gravitated toward certain tools for specific work.

Quality Comparison: The Blind Test#

Generated 50 identical prompts on both stacks. Had 6 designer friends blind-rate them (1-10 scale).

Average quality scores:

• Paid tools: 8.1/10
• Free tools: 7.3/10

Paid tools won. But that 0.8-point difference? Smaller than expected.

Breaking Down the Quality Gap#

Where did paid tools actually perform better?

Photorealism (portraits, product shots):

• Paid: 8.6/10 average
• Free: 7.4/10 average

Biggest gap observed. Midjourney and DALL-E 3 rendered skin texture, lighting, and fine details noticeably better.

Artistic/Stylized (illustrations, paintings, abstract):

• Paid: 7.9/10 average
• Free: 7.5/10 average

Much smaller gap. Free tools handled artistic styles almost as well.

Text in Images:

• Paid: 8.0/10 average (Ideogram Plus)
• Free: 7.8/10 average (Ideogram Free)

Tiny difference. Free text rendering caught up to paid during my test period.

Landscapes and Environments:

• Paid: 8.2/10 average
• Free: 7.1/10 average

Noticeable gap. Midjourney crushed landscapes. Free tools produced good results but lacked that extra polish.

Speed and Efficiency#

Timed generation speeds across all tools.

Average generation time per image:

• Midjourney (paid): 42 seconds
• DALL-E 3 (paid): 18 seconds
• Leonardo AI (paid): 7 seconds
• Adobe Firefly (paid): 12 seconds
• Gempix2 (free): 12 seconds
• Leonardo AI (free): 9 seconds
• Ideogram (free): 7 seconds
• Bing Image Creator (free): 23 seconds

Speed difference wasn't significant. Some free tools were actually faster than paid ones.

The real speed factor: iteration limits

Free tools have daily caps. Paid tools are unlimited (within reason).

Days I hit free tier limits: 37 out of 92 days (40% of the time)

When I hit limits, work stopped or shifted to paid tools. That interruption cost time even if individual generation speed was fast.

Feature Comparison Reality Check#

Paid tools advertised tons of features. Did I actually use them?

Midjourney ($120 over 3 months)#

Features I used regularly:

• High-quality generation (every image)
• Style references (maybe 20% of images)
• Remix/variations (30% of work)

Features I rarely used:

• Pan/zoom extensions (tried 8 times total)
• Blending (3 times)
• Describe (analyzing images, maybe 5 times)

Was it worth $40/month? For client work: yes For personal projects: no

The quality bump justified cost when billing clients. For social media and personal use, quality didn't matter enough to justify the expense.

Leonardo AI Artisan ($30/month)#

Features I used regularly:

• Batch generation (saved tons of time)
• Higher resolution (client presentations)
• More daily credits (hit free tier limits fast)

Features I rarely used:

• Custom model training (0 times—too complex)
• Advanced ControlNet (tried twice, gave up)
• API access (0 times)

Was it worth $30/month? Barely. The batch generation was nice. But Leonardo's free tier handled 80% of what I needed.

Month 3, I downgraded to free tier. Didn't miss it.

DALL-E 3 via ChatGPT Plus ($20/month)#

Features I used regularly:

• Natural language prompts (actually useful)
• Editing with conversation (10-15 times/month)
• Quick generations (when already using ChatGPT)

Features I rarely used:

• Multiple variations (free tier gives 4, plenty)

Was it worth $20/month? Maybe, but only because I already subscribed for ChatGPT. Wouldn't pay just for DALL-E 3 image generation.

Bing Image Creator offers DALL-E 3 free (with limits). Quality was identical.

Adobe Firefly ($20/month)#

Features I used regularly:

• Generative fill (legitimately useful)
• Text effects (for logo concepts)

Features I rarely used:

• Standard generation (other tools were better)
• Style presets (limiting, not helpful)

Was it worth $20/month? No. Generative fill was cool but not $20/month cool. Used it maybe 12 times across 3 months.

Canceled after month 2.

Ideogram Plus ($20/month)#

Features I used regularly:

• Unlimited text-heavy generation
• Magic Prompt (50% of the time)

Features I rarely used:

• Private generation (didn't care)
• Priority queue (free tier was fast enough)

Was it worth $20/month? No. Free tier (25/day) covered my text-heavy work. Never needed more than that.

Downgraded after month 1.

Cost Per Image Analysis#

Calculated real cost per usable image (counting failed generations, iterations, tests).

Paid tools:

• Total spent: $500
• Usable images: 672
• Cost per image: $0.74

Free tools:

• Total spent: $0
• Usable images: 575
• Cost per image: $0.00

Obviously free wins on per-image cost. But let's factor in time.

Time investment:

• Paid tools: 47 hours total (4.2 minutes per image)
• Free tools: 63 hours total (6.6 minutes per image)

Free tools took 34% longer due to:

• Daily limit planning
• More iterations needed (lower success rate)
• Less sophisticated editing tools
• Manual prompt optimization (no Magic Prompt equivalent)

If I value my time at $50/hour:

• Paid: $500 + (47h × $50) = $2,850 total cost
• Free: $0 + (63h × $50) = $3,150 total cost

The $500 paid subscription actually saved $300 in time value.

But. That math assumes every hour was billable work. It wasn't. Most was personal projects and exploration where time cost doesn't matter.

Realistic calculation (only counting client work):

• Client work hours with paid tools: 18 hours
• Client work hours with free tools: 31 hours

Difference: 13 hours saved with paid tools Value: 13h × $50 = $650 saved

On client work specifically, paid tools saved $150 net ($650 time saved minus $500 cost).

Project-by-Project Breakdown#

Compared both stacks across actual projects.

Project 1: Real Estate Listing Images (24 images)#

Paid stack (Midjourney):

• Time: 3.2 hours
• Cost: $0 (within subscription)
• Client feedback: "These are perfect"
• Revisions: 1 minor round

Free stack (Gempix2, Leonardo Free):

• Time: 5.1 hours
• Cost: $0
• Client feedback: "Good, but can we improve lighting?"
• Revisions: 2 rounds

Winner: Paid (Midjourney)

The quality difference mattered for real estate. Clients noticed. Photorealism was significantly better.

Extra $40/month subscription felt justified for this client vertical.

Project 2: Social Media Content (138 posts)#

Paid stack (mixed):

• Time: 14 hours
• Cost: $0 (within subscriptions)
• Engagement: 4.2% average
• Quality: Great but overkill

Free stack (Gempix2, Ideogram Free):

• Time: 18 hours
• Cost: $0
• Engagement: 4.1% average
• Quality: Good enough

Winner: Free

After Instagram compression, quality differences disappeared. Engagement rates were basically identical.

Spending $500 for 0.1% better engagement made no sense.

Project 3: Client Logo Concepts (31 variations)#

Paid stack (Midjourney, Ideogram Plus):

• Time: 4.5 hours
• Cost: $0 (within subscriptions)
• Client satisfaction: 9/10
• Revisions: Minor tweaks only

Free stack (Ideogram Free, Gempix2):

• Time: 6.8 hours
• Cost: $0
• Client satisfaction: 8/10
• Revisions: One major round

Winner: Paid (slight edge)

Text rendering quality mattered. Ideogram Plus handled complex typography better. But Ideogram Free wasn't far behind.

Would I pay $20/month just for logo work? No. The free tier would've been fine with one extra revision round.

Project 4: Blog Header Images (64 images)#

Paid stack (Midjourney, DALL-E 3):

• Time: 8 hours
• Cost: $0 (within subscriptions)
• Blog performance: No noticeable impact
• Quality: Beautiful

Free stack (Gempix2, Bing Creator):

• Time: 10.5 hours
• Cost: $0
• Blog performance: No noticeable impact
• Quality: Solid

Winner: Free

Blog headers display at 800-1200px wide. Quality differences weren't visible at that size. Extra $500 didn't improve metrics.

Project 5: Product Mockup Backgrounds (47 images)#

Paid stack (Leonardo AI Artisan):

• Time: 5 hours
• Cost: $0 (within subscription)
• Client feedback: Professional
• Batch generation saved time

Free stack (Leonardo AI Free, Gempix2):

• Time: 8.5 hours
• Cost: $0
• Client feedback: Professional
• Hit daily limits twice

Winner: Paid (barely)

Leonardo's batch generation was legitimately useful. Generated 8 variations at once instead of one-by-one.

But the free tier would've worked fine spread over more days. Batch generation is convenience, not necessity.

The Specific Tools Verdict#

Breaking down what was worth paying for.

Midjourney ($120 total) - WORTH IT (for specific use)#

Keep if:

• Client work demands max quality
• Photorealism is your focus
• You generate 20+ images daily
• Aesthetics matter more than speed

Skip if:

• Social media is your main output
• Budget is tight
• Free quality is "good enough"

I kept Midjourney for Month 4. Use it exclusively for client presentations and portfolio work.

Leonardo AI Artisan ($90 total) - NOT WORTH IT#

The free tier covered 80% of my needs. Artisan gave me batch generation and more credits, but hitting free limits wasn't that painful.

Downgraded to free after Month 3. Haven't missed the paid features.

DALL-E 3 / ChatGPT Plus ($60 total) - CONDITIONAL#

Worth it if you already use ChatGPT heavily. The image generation is a bonus.

Not worth it for images alone. Bing Image Creator offers the same DALL-E 3 model free.

I kept the subscription but for ChatGPT, not images.

Adobe Firefly ($60 total) - NOT WORTH IT#

Generative fill was cool. Used it 12 times in 3 months.

$60 for 12 uses = $5 per use. Not sustainable.

Canceled after Month 2. Don't miss it.

Ideogram Plus ($60 total) - NOT WORTH IT#

Free tier (25/day) was plenty. Never hit the limit on text-heavy work.

Magic Prompt was nice but not $20/month nice.

Downgraded after Month 1.

RunwayML ($110 credits) - SPECIAL USE CASE#

Only used for video generation experiments (not core image work).

Can't fairly judge for this comparison, but probably won't reload credits.

What I Actually Learned#

Three months in, the patterns became clear.

Learning 1: Quality Matters Only Sometimes#

Paid tools produce better images. Measurably better. Blind tests confirmed it.

But "better" doesn't always mean "necessary."

Social media content, blog images, rough concepts—free quality was sufficient. The extra polish from paid tools didn't improve outcomes.

Client presentations, portfolio work, print materials—paid quality mattered. Clients noticed and appreciated the difference.

Know which projects need max quality. Use free for everything else.

Learning 2: Daily Limits Are Real Friction#

Hit free tier limits 37 out of 92 days (40%). Each time, I either:

• Waited until the next day (project delays)
• Switched to paid tools (defeating the free experiment)
• Spread work across multiple free platforms (annoying)

For high-volume work (30+ images/day), unlimited paid access removes meaningful friction.

For normal volume (5-15 images/day), free limits rarely matter.

Learning 3: Advanced Features Sound Better Than They Are#

Paid tools advertise impressive features:

• Custom model training
• Advanced ControlNet
• Sophisticated editing
• API access
• Priority queues

I barely used most of them. The features that actually mattered:

• Generation quality (core capability)
• Speed/limits (removes friction)
• Batch generation (saves time)

Everything else was noise. Don't pay for features you won't use.

Learning 4: Free Tools Improved During Testing#

Gempix2's text rendering noticeably improved from July to September. Ideogram's free tier got faster. Leonardo's quality increased.

The gap between free and paid is shrinking. What required paid tools in June was possible free by September.

This trend likely continues. Free tools are catching up fast.

Learning 5: Time Value Depends on Context#

For billable client work, paid tools saved 13 hours over 3 months. That's $650 in value vs $500 cost.

Net positive: $150

For personal and social media work, paid tools saved time but that time wasn't billable.

Net negative: $500 spent with no revenue offset

The math only works if you're billing clients or monetizing output.

The Month-by-Month Spending Evolution#

My actual spending behavior changed as I learned.

Month 1 (July): $240

• Started with all paid subscriptions
• Excited by features
• Used paid tools for everything

Month 2 (August): $120

• Canceled Adobe Firefly ($20 saved)
• Downgraded Ideogram to free ($20 saved)
• Realized free tools worked fine for most projects

Month 3 (September): $90

• Downgraded Leonardo to free ($30 saved)
• Kept only Midjourney and ChatGPT Plus
• Used free tools for 70% of work

Month 4 (October, beyond experiment): $60

• Kept Midjourney for client work
• Kept ChatGPT Plus for text, bonus images
• Everything else free

From $240/month to $60/month while maintaining output quality for 90% of projects.

The Recommendation Matrix#

Your situation determines whether paying makes sense.

Pay for AI Image Tools If:#

1. You're billing clients regularly ROI calculation works. Quality improvements justify cost. Recommended: Midjourney ($40/month)

2. You generate 50+ images daily Free tier limits become painful friction. Recommended: One unlimited paid tool

3. Photorealism is critical Free tools can't match paid quality here (yet). Recommended: Midjourney or DALL-E 3

4. Time has high monetary value Hours saved exceed subscription cost. Calculate your actual hourly rate

Use Free Tools If:#

1. Social media is your main output Quality difference doesn't matter post-compression. Recommended: Gempix2, Ideogram Free

2. You generate under 25 images daily Free tier limits won't affect you. Recommended: Mix of free tiers

3. Budget is genuinely $0 Can't pay? Free tools are totally usable now. Recommended: Gempix2 (unlimited) + Ideogram Free

4. You're still learning/exploring Don't pay while figuring out your needs. Recommended: All free tiers to test

Hybrid Approach (What I Do Now):#

• Midjourney: Client presentations only (10-15 images/month)
• ChatGPT Plus: Already subscribed, bonus images
• Gempix2: Social media and volume work (100+ images/month)
• Leonardo Free: Product backgrounds and specific styles
• Ideogram Free: Text-heavy designs

Total cost: $60/month Value delivered: Same as $240/month full paid stack

The Brutal Honest Truth#

After generating 1,247 images and spending $500, here's what I'd tell my past self:

"Start with free tools. Only pay when you hit a specific, documented pain point."

I spent $500 because I could afford to experiment. Most of that spending wasn't necessary.

Gempix2 (free, unlimited) + Ideogram Free (25/day) would've covered 80% of my work at $0 cost.

The $500 bought me:

• Slightly better quality (0.8 points on 10-point scale)
• Saved 13 hours on billable work ($650 value)
• Removed daily limit friction (convenience, not necessity)
• Access to features I rarely used

Was it worth it overall? No. Was it worth it for client work? Yes. Was it worth it for social media? Absolutely not.

Three Months Later: What Stuck#

Writing this in January 2026, three months after the experiment ended.

Current monthly spending: $40 (just Midjourney)

Dropped ChatGPT Plus (wasn't using it enough). Use free tools for everything except client final deliverables.

Current image output: 80-100 images/month

• 15-20 on Midjourney (client work): $40
• 60-80 on free tools (everything else): $0

Saving $200/month vs my initial paid stack setup. Output quality hasn't noticeably decreased for end users.

The free tools improved enough that the paid quality advantage matters less than it did in July.

The $500 Experiment Conclusion#

Paid tools are better. Measurably, objectively better.

But "better" doesn't always mean "necessary" or "worth the cost."

For most people, most of the time, free AI image tools are sufficient. The 2025 free tool ecosystem is legitimately good.

Pay for AI images if:

• You're making money from them (client work, products)
• You're bottlenecked by quality (proven, not assumed)
• You generate high volume (50+ daily, free limits hurt)

Everyone else? Start free. Upgrade only when you hit a concrete problem free tools can't solve.

I spent $500 to learn this. You don't have to.

Data appendix: Full spending breakdown, tool-by-tool usage stats, and project-by-project time tracking available in [spreadsheet link would go here].

Questions about methodology or specific comparisons? The experiment continues. Hit me up with your cost-benefit questions.