Image Generation

DALL-E: The Image Maker Built Into ChatGPT

OpenAI's image creator that's built into ChatGPT — quick and easy for making pictures from text.

• Included with ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo)★★★★★ 5/5

DALL-E: The Image Maker Built Into ChatGPT

What It Is

DALL-E is the image-making tool that's built right into ChatGPT. If you already have ChatGPT Plus (the $20/month version), you already have DALL-E. No separate app to download, no new thing to learn — you just ask ChatGPT to make you a picture, and it does.

That's the big advantage here: convenience. You're already chatting with ChatGPT to write your emails and brainstorm ideas. When you need a picture too, you just ask in the same conversation. "Make me an image of a cat riding a skateboard" and there it is.

DALL-E isn't the fanciest image tool out there. Midjourney makes prettier pictures. But DALL-E makes good enough pictures, and it's right there where you're already working. For a lot of people, that's what matters most.

What Can It Do For Me?

  • Quick images for social media — posts, stories, blog headers
  • Pictures with words in them — signs, posters, simple infographics, birthday cards
  • Visualize ideas — "show me what this would look like" right in a conversation
  • Make presentation visuals — slides, diagrams, decorative images
  • Create fun images for messages — personalized pictures to send to friends and family
  • Edit and refine — "make it more blue" or "try it in a cartoon style" — just talk naturally

Pricing

Included with ChatGPT Plus ($20/month): DALL-E comes with your ChatGPT subscription. No extra cost. You can make a reasonable number of images per day.

There's no separate DALL-E subscription. If you have ChatGPT Plus, you have DALL-E. Simple as that.

The Good and The Bad

Pros:

  • Already in ChatGPT — no new tool to learn or pay for
  • Really easy — just describe what you want in normal words
  • Best at putting text in images — signs, labels, headlines actually come out readable
  • You can edit images by just talking — "make it bigger," "change the color," "try a different style"
  • Good for practical images — diagrams, charts, simple graphics
  • The back-and-forth feels natural — describe, see result, adjust, see new result

Cons:

  • Images aren't as pretty as Midjourney's — good but not gorgeous
  • Pictures can look a bit generic and "AI-made"
  • There's a daily limit on how many images you can create
  • Not great at photorealistic images — better at illustration and cartoon styles
  • Limited size and shape options
  • No way to keep a character's face consistent across different images

Should You Try It?

If you already have ChatGPT Plus, just use DALL-E. It's already there, it's already paid for, and it's genuinely easy to use. You don't need to learn anything new — just ask ChatGPT to make you a picture like you'd ask a friend.

For everyday image needs — a quick graphic for a social post, a fun picture for a group chat, a header image for a blog — DALL-E is perfect. It's especially good when you need words in your image, like a poster or a card with a message on it. Other AI image tools struggle with spelling. DALL-E mostly gets it right.

But if you need images that are truly beautiful — for marketing, for art, for anything where "wow, that's gorgeous" is the goal — Midjourney is worth the extra $10-30/month. DALL-E makes functional pictures. Midjourney makes art. Different tools for different needs.

Most people will be happy with DALL-E for everyday stuff. It's the "good enough" option that's already in your pocket. And honestly, "good enough" is usually good enough.

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