In the age of digital media, the best to grab users’ attention is through images. Be it through photographs, graphics, animations, or even memes – visuals are vital in ensuring user engagement and interaction. Visuals not only make applications more attractive, but it also provides depth and context to applications which makes them easier to navigate. For online marketers, social media managers, online advertisers, etc., using images in applications is non-negotiable. Image generation APIs are handy tools worth diving deeper into if you wish to improve your applications or services – especially if you want to utilize suitable images that will gravitate users towards your app. Before we get started…
What exactly is an image generation API?
API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that bridges communication between and among applications. API allows multiple systems to work together behind the scenes and share products or services, even if they are developed by unrelated groups which have no other coordination besides agreeing on the specific API definition. Simply put, an API provides access to data and information that can be summoned to be included in your software/application with a simple API call.
Accordingly, an image generation API is an application programming interface that users can utilize to interact with a wide variety of image resources, i.e. images, image data, image editing, and the like. The vision is for you to upscale your marketing image creation with ease, and for you to effortlessly be able to generate thousands of visuals for your social media pages, e-commerce, banners, and blogs.
There are several image generation API to choose from, but don’t worry because we have researched for you. We have narrowed down the best APIs for your use based on the following criteria:
- Key features. We analyzed the best and most convenient features of the image generation API
- We checked the subscription fees if any to know if it’s worth it.
- User experience. We ranged over user reviews to determine practicality and ease of use.
So here are the 10 best image generation API we think you will love:
1. Pixelixe Image Generation API
Generate banners, social media graphics, and any other layouts using the Pixelixe image generation API. Choose your desired image or graphic template, modify texts, arrange images, and select colors to fit your needs. One of the API’s best features is its automated banner generation. With this API, you can generate endless variations of captivating banners that will surely boost your marketing campaigns. This is perfect for users in e-commerce or social media marketing.
Pricing: Pixelixe Studio offers a free 10-day trial with 50 documents. Paid use ranges from $9 to $249 per month. Custom plans are also available with higher volume limits.
User experience: There is a required level of programming know-how to utilize the API. Nevertheless, Pixelixe’s wide variety of image personalization options should not be missed, especially if you are working on e-commerce or running an online business.
2. Color Tag API
Color Tag is a powerful API for color detection and generation of color tags within images. Simply take an image or URL and the API will produce a list of text labels and hex RGB values that you can use as tags for your image or item. Currently, the API offers two color sorting modes: based on relevance, and based on color weight.
Color Tag can perform color segmentation and histogram analysis to provide color statistics for an image. It is especially useful for building color tag clouds for color searches, determining a picture’s dominant colors, finding exact color names using uploaded images, building a color palette for your e-commerce needs, and anything you can come up with!
Pricing: Free usage plan is available, but for more precise results, you can subscribe to their varying paid versions starting from $18 up to $250 per month.
User experience: You need a RapidAPI account to consume the API. With a few code lines, you can access integration samples, response samples, and other resources.
3. The Cat API
If you’re a cat lover, you do not want to miss out on this API! The Cat API provides free access to thousands of random cat pictures. With this tool, not only can you specify your preferred image type, image size, and category of cat pictures, the API also allows applications to favorite images, vote on images, retrieve votes, and many more.
Price: The app is free for you to use on your non-monetized app. You can also get a paid license for a monthly payment of $10. This is required if you intend to charge for access to the application using the API. Volume pricing is also available which is ideal for enterprises.
User experience: Boasting billions of requests delivered to over 30k developers, you cannot go wrong with this API. It is simple yet well-built; it makes browsing, retrieving, and utilizing cat images fun and easy.
4. Microsoft Computer Vision API
The Microsoft Computer Vision API provides advanced algorithms for image processing and the return of information. The API allows you to: extract visual features based on image content, generate a description of an image with complete English sentences, generate a thumbnail image with user-specified dimensions, and more.
Pricing: As long as you make less than 5,000 requests per month, you can use the API for free. Otherwise, you can subscribe to any of its paid plans, which start from $19.90 to $199.90 per month.
User experience: The API is user-friendly and easy to understand. With a few simple API commands, you can effortlessly process images and find exactly what you’re looking for. However, the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) could still use some work.
5. Meme Generator API
Love creating memes for fun? The Meme Generator API allows users to select preloaded images and formatted top and bottom text sentences to generate their own customized memes. Memes generated can be viewed in JPEG image format and easily shared with friends with the help of social media.
Pricing: The API offers a free plan at the beginning of use; there are also monthly paid versions that vary depending on the features that a user may need. Subscription costs $25 to $250 per month.
User experience: The API’s 9/10 popularity score speaks for itself. Its features are sure to entertain users. It also includes SSL Support.
6. Anonymizer
The Anonymizer API can generate a fake face that looks like you. This Artificial Intelligence-based image generation API uniquely uses the technology of images. With this API, you can upload an image of your face and produce an entirely different face that looks closely similar to yours.
This API is used mainly for identity protection and anonymity. Photos generated can be used in a variety of projects including medical advertisements, documentation of embarrassing situations, criminal proceedings, applications, redistributed software and many more.
Pricing: The Anonymizer API can be enjoyed for free, limited to 50 photos per month. Monthly subscriptions are offered to start at $250 per month for 1,000 photos and $300 per month for 10,000 photos.
User experience: The API involves new and unique technology, although its use is very specific and thus not for everyone.
7. Removal.AI API
For online marketers, graphic artists, and photographers, removing backgrounds can be a tedious task. With the Removal.ai API, you can instantaneously reliably remove background information and move on to your more important tasks. You can use the API to remove backgrounds seamlessly with a few clicks. With the use of artificial intelligence, the API quickly and efficiently separates an image’s foreground from its background.
Pricing: They offer a free account with 50 free previews via API and Apps. Monthly subscriptions cost $0.07/image and a lifetime subscription that costs $0.48/image.
User experience: The API is highly recommended for removing background from images. This technology produces clean cutout results. It can be brought into your application with just a few lines of coding.
8. Artbreeder API
With the Artbreeder API, you can create epic artwork with minimal effort. Combine two or more images to create an entirely new image with this API. If you are an artist or a fan of good art, you will enjoy browsing through and creating inspiring AI-generated artwork across hundreds of art genres. Use uniquely generated images in your app/software and captivate your audience.
Pricing: The API is free to use.
User experience: it has some cool artwork you can browse and choose from. It may take a while to learn the tool, but it offers endless possibilities that are well worth the time and effort.
9. Photo Refiner API (Cre8tive AI)
Low-resolution images do nothing but hurt a service provider’s marketing strategy. Photo Refiner API does the trick by incorporating high-resolution AI functions into your services. With this AI-powered tool, you can augment image quality up to 16 times by expanding the number of pixels in either vertical or horizontal directions. Photo Refiner finely enhances low-resolution images, producing the most optimal image resolution desired.
This tool uses deep learning, which is the latest AI technology in generating ultra-refined photographs and illustrations. It is a huge step forward from conventional technology.
Pricing: Photo refiner offers a variety of subscription plans depending on usage and purpose. Their entry plan is free and it can be used on a per-image basis with a minimum of one image. For more frequent use, it is advisable to get their paid plan which ranges from $48 per month to $800 per month. Custom plans are also available.
User Experience: The Cre8tiveAI Photo Refiner API has impressive image processing features that users will surely love. It is ideal if you want to incorporate the most advanced photo refining system into your service. If used well, it will not only reduce your costs but will also improve the appeal of your services, especially if you are in e-commerce and online marketing.
10. Everypixel Image Recognition API
Everypixel image recognition API uses machine learning and the latest AI technology to identify images in an almost human-like manner. The API uses inbuilt pre-trained modes to recognize objects and elements within images. The API algorithm uses precise image keywording to tag and categorize images. Other features of the API include stock photo scoring, UGC photography scoring, and age recognition.
Pricing: The API is free for the first 100 requests per day. The business tier adheres to the pay-as-you-go payment model, where 1000 license requests cost $0.6.
User Experience: Everypixel does not have the best interface at the moment, but its search capacity offers a refined search that allows users to obtain high-quality images necessary for their projects.
Takeaway
Guided by our criteria-based research, the following APIs made it to our top 10:
- Pixelixe Image Generation API
- Color Tag API
- The Cat API
- Microsoft Computer Vision API
- Meme Generator API
- Anonymizer
- Remove BG API
- Artbreeder
- Cre8tive AI Photo Refiner API
- Everypixel Image Recognition API
There is no better time to introduce APIs into your system. Powered by the latest technologies such as artificial intelligence, generating captivating images and enhancing the capabilities of your application or service cannot be easier.
With a growing list of functional and convenient image generation API tools in the market, you can be sure to get the best visuals that fit your marketing needs. Refer to this list anytime you find yourself needing the best tools for automated banner generation, image resolution enhancement, image collection, or even sorting cat photos. Image generation API have a whole lot to offer.
Author’s Bio:
Shelly Solis is a blog outreach specialist and SEO for SaaS companies. She is one of the co-founders of SaaSLaunchr.com – SaaS Marketing, a digital marketing agency launched last September 2021. She has worked with companies in niches like healthcare, accounting, business, finance, digital marketing, SaaS, technology, and financial asset management.