Ideogram may appear to be one of many image generation AI platforms but one of its primary selling points is that it can work wonders with text and typography.
This means that, as well as being able to produce professional pictures, you can use Ideogram to be creative with words and get its text rendering engine to make them truly stand out.
With many other features aimed at helping you to get closer to your vision, this is an AI with a multitude of design uses, as we’re about to see.
This article was correct as of March 2025. AI tools are updated regularly and it is possible that some features have changed since this article was written. Some features may also only be available in certain countries.
What is Ideogram?
Announced in 2023 with a mission to “help people become more creative through generative AI”, Ideogram has proven more than capable of producing stunning images. Get it to create a picture of a person, for example, and you’ll be hard-pressed to distinguish the AI model from a real human. The same goes for natural images of landscapes and animals.
Where Ideogram has really made a mark, however, is with its typographical powers, whether you’re overlaying text on to an image or making text the entire focus. Simply enter a strong, clear prompt detailing exactly what you’re after and use the various tools to determine the aspect ratio, color palette and type of rendering you want.
If you’re not getting what you’re after, you can refine your prompt using the innovative Magic Prompt feature that adds additional content, details, ambiance and stylistic information. You can also remove the background of an image, use it as the basis for another picture and create images in bulk. Some features are only available on paid-for tiers, though.
What can you use Ideogram for?
Ideogram is great at producing images that look as if they’ve been taken by a professional photographer whether you’re focussing on people, nature or a product. You can upload a photo and use it as a prompt or use words to describe what you’re after and you’ll get images that could easily adorn the pages of a high-end glossy magazine.
But what is sure to get the creative juices flowing is Ideogram’s near-effortless ability to produce word-based posters, logos and images good enough to be plastered across a t-shirt and worn with pride. You could also use Ideogram to create memes, social media visuals, greetings cards and personalized messages.
The good news is that Ideogram doesn’t claim any ownership rights over any images generated and you’re free to use them as you wish. That also means you can use images created by others so if you would prefer to keep your images “secret” and usable only by yourself, make them private.
What can’t you use Ideogram for?
Ideogram is entirely focussed on producing images so don’t come to this one expecting to create videos as well. Don’t expect it to be able to tap into the work of other artists either – this isn’t an AI that will enable you to produce art “in the style” of someone else by just entering a text prompt (although you could, if you wish, upload a relevant image, we guess).
How much does Ideogram cost?
There is a free Ideogram tier which gives you up to 40 images each week but you won’t be able to search other people’s images and you’ll only be able to download pictures as JPGs. You’ll also be restricted to preset aspect ratios and you won’t be able to remove the background, upscale extend or batch generate images via CSV.
For those features you’ll need to pay and the more you fork out, the more features you get. There’s a basic plan that allows PNG image downloads, turbo and quality rendering, up to 800 images each day and 3,200 priority images each month (plus lots more) for $8 / £6 / AU$12.65 a month. There’s a Plus Plan giving 8,000 priority images each month and unlimited “slow credits” for $20 / £15.50 / AU$31 a month. And there’s a Pro plan for $60 / £46 / AU$95 a month which gives 28,000 priority images a month and unlimited slow credits.
There are discounts if you pay annually and you should really look at the plans and pricing for the full lowdown.
Where can you use Ideogram?
You can use Ideogram on the web. You can also access Ideogram on an iPhone, iPad or Mac by visiting Apple’s App Store and on an Android device if you go to Google Play.
Is Ideogram any good?
In TechRadar’s Ideogram AI image generator review, we praised Ideogram for its great image quality, excellent text integration and generous free plan. We also loved that the platform goes out of its way to help you create the perfect prompt, thereby ensuring you’re better able to get exactly what you want out of an image.
The Remix feature came in for praise – particularly because it also allows you to take another user’s image and put your own spin on it. But Ideogram was criticised for not having more editing features – you’ll need to make use of a different package for that if you want to go beyond cropping, drawing, zooming or removing unwanted elements.
Use Ideogram if…
You want to get creative with text – this is a great tool for producing stylistic slogans and logos.
You’d like to produce sellable designs because Ideogram doesn’t restrict your rights.
You want some help with your prompts or feel you could learn how to better generate images in general.
Don’t use Ideogram if…
You want a fully-formed art package that will generate an image and then allow you to edit it to your heart’s content.
You want to create some quirky funnies – in general, the images produced by Ideogram are professional by design.
You don’t want the hassle of trying to explain exactly what you’re after from an image.
Also consider
Midjourney is a great AI image generator which not only pumps out images with amazing lighting and texture but also allows you to make use of text.
Flux is an open source AI image generator that can run on decent hardware which means you don’t need internet access or cloud storage.
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