Where to draw for free
Lesson 2 of 13 in the course “AI Images and Slides”. Free, with animations and a quiz.
The service map
There’s no single best image AI, each has its strength. As of October 2026 the picture looks like this. ChatGPT runs GPT Image: version 2 came out in April, 2.5 in September, and it’s strong at lettering, diagrams and edits right in the chat. Gemini uses Nano Banana 2 by default, which is fast and good at editing photos, while Nano Banana Pro is for 4K and complex layouts. Midjourney V8.2 arrived in July and gives the most “artistic” look, but there’s no free plan, subscriptions start at $10 a month. People love Ideogram for type, Recraft for vector icons and Canva for templates.
Free and in Russian
If a foreign service isn’t available in your country or needs a foreign card, there are local options in Russian. Alice AI by Yandex draws for free in “Draw” mode and gives up to four options at a time, though you can’t upload your own reference there yet. Yandex also has a separate app, Shedevrum. In spring 2026 Sber released Kandinsky 6 Image in GigaChat: it’s free and can not only draw but also change backgrounds and clothes in photos and restore old pictures. ChatGPT and Gemini also draw for free, with a daily limit.
What “free” really means
A free plan almost always has a catch: a daily image limit, a watermark, a slow queue or no commercial use. Some have a public gallery too: in Midjourney, for example, other users can see your pictures by default, and you can only hide them on the Pro and Mega plans at $60 and $120 a month. So before making anything for your brand, read the service’s rules and privacy settings. Five minutes that can keep your collection from being copied before launch.
How to read rankings
The fairest rankings work like an arena. Several random models draw the same prompt, the names are hidden, and a person picks the best picture. Thousands of these votes become a rating. On the llm-stats.com arena, for example, GPT Image 2 held first place for text-to-image in October 2026. But the leader changes almost every month, and photo editing is ranked separately. So a ranking is a hint where to start, not a verdict. Test your own prompt in 2–3 services yourself.
Pick for the task
Instead of asking “which AI is best”, ask “what do I need right now”. A picture with lettering or a diagram: start with ChatGPT or Ideogram. Editing your own photo: Gemini or ChatGPT. Art and mood: Midjourney. An icon or logo that stays sharp when enlarged: Recraft, which makes vectors. Fast and free in Russian: Alice AI, Shedevrum or GigaChat. A post from a template with text: Canva.
Liya’s kit
Liya has four things that won’t vanish if a service does. A main service for her tasks and a backup for when she hits a limit. A note with prompts that worked. And a folder: photos of her candles from every side, a high-quality logo and her best results. Once a month she runs the same prompt in 2–3 services to see if a better option has appeared. Do the same and a new ranking leader won’t scare you.
Check yourself
- Liya needs a post picture that says “20% off”. Where should she start?
Correct answer: ChatGPT or Ideogram: they’re strong at lettering. Lettering is a separate skill, and services differ at it. For text in a picture, start with those that are strong at it. - Liya is designing a new collection in Midjourney on the basic plan. What should she know?
Correct answer: Pictures are visible to others by default; hiding them needs Pro or Mega. Midjourney has a shared gallery, and Stealth mode, which hides pictures, only comes with the $60 and $120 monthly plans. - A new leader tops the arena. What’s the smartest move for Liya?
Correct answer: Run her own prompt in the new leader and compare with her main service. A ranking averages other people’s prompts. What matters is how the model handles her tasks.