Free ChatGPT users can now create images with DALL-E 3, but there's a catch

Those of you who use ChatGPT for free can now ask the popular chatbot to generate anything from a business logo to a charcoal drawing to an abstract painting and more. On Thursday, OpenAI announced in an X post that image creation through DALL-E 3 has started rolling out to free users. Previously, cooking up an image was a perk available only to ChatGPT Plus subscribers.

The only downside is that free users are limited to two images per day whereas subscribers can request as many as 50 per day. That’s not a bad option if your image needs are modest. However, the free flavor of Microsoft Copilot grants you up to 15 images per day.

Also: ChatGPT vs. ChatGPT Plus: Is a paid subscription still worth it?

One cool feature with DALL-E 3 image creation is that you can ask ChatGPT for assistance if you’re not sure what type of image you want.

As an example, the post on X submitted the following request: “What’s art nouveau. My wedding planner suggested it for the barn for our reception. Can you show me what that might look like.” In response, ChatGPT generated an image of an art nouveau-style wedding in a barn.

To test it myself, I asked ChatGPT to help me design a logo for a business. It then requested details about the business, such as the name, industry, target audience, and any specific ideas or themes.

I told it that the business sells fresh fish, that its name is Fish from the Sea, and that I wanted a logo with a nautical theme. ChatGPT responded with a list of visual and thematic elements for the logo and asked me if I wanted it created. After giving it the go-ahead, it generated an image with all the elements I had requested and asked if I wanted any changes or refinements.

Also: How to use DALL-E 3 in ChatGPT

Though OpenAI said that image generation was just starting to roll out, I was able to access it through a free account that I use. After requesting two images, ChatGPT told me that I had reached my image creation limit and that I had to either upgrade to ChatGPT Plus or try again tomorrow.

A variety of other AI-powered image creation tools are available online or through mobile apps, including Microsoft Designer, Google Gemini’s Imagen 2, Stability AI’s DreamStudio, Midjourney, and Wombo Dream. But if you already use ChatGPT, and your image needs are light, then this is another handy option to consider.