AI image generators: which one to choose?

“Which AI image generator is the best?” The question makes little sense: a tool built for artistic illustration and a tool built for a legally-safe commercial visual are not compared on the same criteria. Here is what really sets Midjourney, Nano Banana 2 (Google Gemini’s image generator) and Adobe Firefly apart — and which to choose based on what you want to produce.

A word on method

These tools move fast: a new version, a new feature, a new price almost every quarter. This comparison reflects the state of play in summer 2026; always check the official pages before committing to a subscription. What moves little, on the other hand, is the positioning of each tool — it is on this lasting basis that you can choose with peace of mind.

Midjourney — artistic quality, without guaranteed commercial rights

Midjourney remains the reference for aesthetic rendering: visual consistency, refined textures, results that look like crafted illustration rather than an image churned out on a line. Version 7 of the model notably improved text rendering in images, long a weak point of the genre.

The trade-off: access is paid only (no more free trial), the interface goes through a Discord channel or the website, and Midjourney does not offer an intellectual-property guarantee as formal as Adobe’s for high-risk commercial use (a registered trademark, a widely-distributed advertising visual).

For: illustration, moodboards, creative visuals where aesthetic rendering matters more than speed of execution.

Nano Banana 2 (Google Gemini) — fast, integrated, grounded in the real

Nano Banana 2 is the image generation and editing model built into Gemini. Its strength: speed (a few seconds per image), access to Gemini’s knowledge base to accurately depict a place, a product or a real figure, and direct integration into the Google ecosystem (Chrome, Google Photos) as well as, in preview, into Adobe Firefly.

Free access via the Gemini app allows limited use (around twenty images a day at standard resolution); unlimited use goes through a paid Gemini subscription. A “Lite” version, faster and cheaper, targets high-volume uses.

For: fast on-the-fly generation, image editing, visuals grounded in real references, if you are already in the Google ecosystem.

Adobe Firefly — commercial use without legal risk

Firefly answers a specific concern: producing visuals usable commercially without fearing a copyright claim. The model is trained on Adobe Stock-licensed or public-domain content, and Adobe provides an intellectual-property guarantee (indemnification in case of a dispute) for professional use.

Firefly integrates natively into Photoshop, Illustrator and Express, which makes it a natural choice if your team already works with the Adobe suite. Standalone subscriptions also exist, independently of Creative Cloud.

For: marketing, corporate communication, any visual meant for public distribution where the legal risk must be kept under control.

The routing table

Your priority	Reflex
Artistic quality, refined illustration	Midjourney
Speed, editing, Google ecosystem	Nano Banana 2 (Gemini)
Commercial use without rights risk	Adobe Firefly
Accurately depict a real place or product	Nano Banana 2 (Gemini)

A shared point of caution

None of these tools guarantees perfect accuracy on precise details (a logo, a long text, a recognisable person): always check the result before distribution, especially for public use. And as with any AI tool at work, do not generate an image from confidential or protected visuals without first checking your usage rights — the same confidentiality habits apply.

Key takeaway

There is no best AI image generator in the absolute: there is the right tool for the right stake. Midjourney for artistic quality, Nano Banana 2 for speed and factual accuracy, Adobe Firefly for safe commercial use. Start from your real constraint — aesthetics, speed or rights — rather than from a general ranking. It is the same logic as for choosing between ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini on the text side.