The 10 Best AI Design Tools (Tested & Reviewed)

The 10 Best AI Design Tools (Tested & Reviewed)

Here's the thing about AI design tools – 90% are rubbish.

I learned this hard last year. We wasted three months and £5,000 testing every “revolutionary” AI design tool that promised to transform our workflow.

Most were glorified image filters with “AI” slapped on the marketing.

But among the sea of mediocrity, we discovered some genuine gems. Tools that didn't just promise transformation – they delivered it.

🔰 TL;DR: After testing 50+ AI design tools and spending £5,000+ on various subscriptions, I've identified the ten tools that genuinely deliver results. Midjourney leads for realistic image generation, while Figma's AI features revolutionise UI/UX workflows. The real game-changer? Most tools now offer free tiers that rival what premium subscriptions cost just 6 months ago.

Why Trust My Reviews?

I'm not some tech blogger regurgitating feature lists. I've built a successful design agency that serves over 300 clients. We've tested these tools in real-world projects with deadlines and budgets.

When I tell you a tool is worth your time, it's because it's proven itself in the trenches.

The Current State of AI Design Tools

The landscape has shifted dramatically in the past 12 months:

• 73% of design agencies now use AI tools daily
• Average design completion time reduced by 62% with AI assistance
• The quality gap between AI and human designs narrowed to 15% (down from 45% in 2023)

But here's what people need to discuss: The best AI tools aren't replacing designers – they're augmenting them unexpectedly.

The Truth About AI Design

Picture this: You're a chef with a new sous chef who can prep ingredients at lightning speed, never gets tired, and knows every recipe ever written.

That's what good AI design tools do. They handle the grunt work, letting you focus on the creative decisions machines can't make.

The Top 10 AI Design Tools for 2025

1. Midjourney V6

Best for: Photorealistic image generation 

Price: £30/month 

Free tier: No

Remember when I needed 50 product images for a client's e-commerce site? Midjourney V6 generated them in 2 hours. The same job would've taken a week with traditional photography.

Key Features:

• Photorealistic output that's virtually indistinguishable from real photos
• Advanced style mixing capabilities
• Precise, prompt control
• Commercial usage rights

Pros:

• Unmatched image quality
• Excellent consistency between images
• Strong community support

Cons:

• No free tier
• The steep learning curve for prompt engineering
• Discord-only interface

2. Figma AI Features

Best for: UI/UX design automation 

Price: Included in Figma Professional (£15/user/month) 

Free tier: Yes, limited features

Key Features:

• Auto-layout suggestions
• Component variations generator
• Design system recommendations
• AI-powered prototyping

Pros:

• Seamless integration with existing Figma workflows
• Real-time collaboration
• Extensive plugin ecosystem

Cons:

• Some features are limited to paid plans
• Occasional processing delays
• Variable results with complex designs

3. Adobe Firefly

Best for: Brand-safe image generation and editing 

Price: £29.99/month 

Free tier: Yes, with limitations

Key Features:

• Commercial-ready asset generation
• Style transfer capabilities
• Text-to-image generation
• Vector art creation

Pros:

• Legal clarity on commercial usage
• Integration with Creative Cloud
• Clean, professional interface

Cons:

• Monthly credit limits
• Requires Creative Cloud subscription for full features
• Limited style variety compared to Midjourney

4. Canva Magic Studio

Best for: Quick marketing materials 

Price: £24.99/month 

Free tier: Yes

A personal story: I needed 20 social media posts for a client last month. Canva Magic Studio generated them in 15 minutes. The client loved them. Old me would've spent a day on this.

Key Features:

• Magic Design (instant layouts)
• Brand Kit integration
• Background removal
• Text effects generator

Pros:

• Intuitive interface
• Extensive template library
• Real-time collaboration

Cons:

• Limited customisation options
• Basic animation capabilities
• Template-dependent results

5. Leonardo.ai

Best for: Creative concept art 

Price: £22/month 

Free tier: Yes

Key Features:

• Style-consistent image generation
• Custom model training
• Batch processing
• High-resolution output

Pros:

• Unique artistic styles
• Strong community features
• Regular model updates

Cons:

• Inconsistent results
• Queue system during peak times
• Limited editing features

6. Stable Diffusion XL

Best for: Custom model development 

Price: Self-hosted (free) or various cloud options 

Free tier: Yes (if self-hosted)

Key Features:

• Open-source flexibility
• Custom model training
• Local deployment option
• Advanced prompt control

Pros:

• Complete control over the pipeline
• No usage restrictions
• Active development community

Cons:

• Technical knowledge required
• Hardware demands for local deployment
• Less user-friendly than alternatives

7. Microsoft Designer

Best for: Quick, free image generation 

Price: Free 

Free tier: Yes

Key Features:

• DALL-E integration
• Simple interface
• Basic editing tools
• Commercial usage rights

Pros:

• No cost
• Easy to use
• Quick results

Cons:

• Limited control
• Basic features only
• Queue system during peak times

8. RunwayML

Best for: Video and motion graphics 

Price: £35/month 

Free tier: Yes, limited

Key Features:

• Video generation
• Motion tracking
• Green screen removal
• Style transfer

Pros:

• Unique video capabilities
• Professional-grade outputs
• Regular feature updates

Cons:

• Expensive for full features
• Learning curve
• Processing limitations

9. Remove.bg API

Best for: Automated background removal 

Price: Pay-per-use 

Free tier: Yes, limited

Key Features:

• API integration
• Batch processing
• HD output
• Transparent background

Pros:

• Excellent accuracy
• Fast processing
• Developer-friendly

Cons:

• It can be expensive at scale
• Limited to one function
• Occasional edge case issues

10. DreamStudio

Best for: Artistic image generation 

Price: Credit-based system 

Free tier: Yes

Key Features:

• Multiple AI models
• Style mixing
• Inpainting capabilities
• High-resolution output

Pros:

• Flexible pricing
• Good image quality
• Regular model updates

Cons:

• Credit system complexity
• Inconsistent results
• Basic interface

How to Choose the Right AI Design Tool

I've burned through £5,000 testing AI design tools, so you don't have to. Here's the unfiltered truth about picking the right one.

1. Primary Use Case (Be Brutally Specific)

Listen – everyone says, “I need an AI design tool.” That's like saying, “I need a vehicle”, without specifying if you're delivering pizzas or racing Formula 1.

Get specific:

• Are you creating one-off designs or batch processing?
• Do you need variations of the same design?
• Are you working solo or with a team?

Real talk: When we started using AI at Inkbot Design, we wasted £3,000 on a “perfect for designers” tool but couldn't handle our daily workload of 50+ social media posts. Big mistake.

2. Budget Reality Check

Stop looking at monthly prices. Here's what matters:

• Cost per output (especially for image generation)
• Team member access fees
• Hidden costs (storage, processing credits, export fees)

Pro tip: Multiple free-tier tools often beat one premium subscription. We use the free version of Canva Magic Studio for 60% of our basic tasks, saving £300/month.

3. Technical Expertise (Be Honest)

Too many people buy Stable Diffusion because it's “more powerful” but never use it because they can't code. Be realistic about your technical skills:

Beginner (No Code):

• Canva Magic Studio
• Bing Image Creator
• Adobe Firefly

Intermediate (Basic Tech Skills):

• Midjourney
• Figma AI
• RunwayML

Advanced (Coding Required):

• Stable Diffusion XL
• Custom API integrations
• Self-hosted solutions

4. Integration Requirements (The Hidden Deal-Breaker)

This is where most people mess up. Your AI tool needs to play nice with:

• Your existing design software
• Team collaboration tools
• Asset management systems
• Client review processes

Real example: We nearly switched our entire agency to a “revolutionary” AI tool until we discovered it couldn't export to our client's preferred format. Disaster avoided.

5. Output Quality Threshold

Here's my controversial take: You probably don't need the highest quality output.

What you need:

• “Good enough” for your specific use case
• Consistency across outputs
• Appropriate resolution for your medium

I've seen agencies waste thousands on premium tools when their clients couldn't distinguish between AI-generated images from the free tier vs. the paid tier.

The Quick-Pick Framework (With Real Numbers)

Stop overthinking it. Here's your cheat sheet:

Need Photorealistic Images?

→ Midjourney V6

• Budget: £30/month
• Learning curve: 2-3 days
• Output rate: 50-60 high-quality images/hour

Working on UI/UX?

→ Figma AI

• Budget: £15/user/month
• Learning curve: 1 day (if you know Figma)
• Output rate: 15-20 screen designs/hour

Creating Marketing Materials?

→ Canva Magic Studio

• Budget: £24.99/month
• Learning curve: 2 hours
• Output rate: 30-40 social media posts/hour

Producing Video Content?

→ RunwayML

• Budget: £35/month
• Learning curve: 3-4 days
• Output rate: 5-6 edited videos/hour

Need Custom Development?

→ Stable Diffusion XL

• Budget: Variable (hosting costs)
• Learning curve: 2-3 weeks
• Output rate: Depends on hardware

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

The AI design landscape is evolving rapidly. What worked yesterday might be obsolete tomorrow.

But one thing's sure: These tools aren't going anywhere. They're becoming essential parts of modern design workflows.

Want to see how we're using AI to transform client projects? Visit Inkbot Design to learn more about our AI-enhanced design services.

Remember: The best tool is the one that solves your specific problems. Start with the free tiers, experiment, and scale up when you see results.