# What AI image tools do and how they differ Lesson 1 of [AI image tools foundations for buyers](https://aiimagegen.fyi/academy/ai-image-tools-foundations.md), 15 minutes. AI image tools fall into a few clear categories, and the category decides whether a tool fits your job. This site lists seven: text-to-image generators, image editors and inpainting, AI product photography, upscalers, background removal, AI logo and design tools, and open image models you can run yourself. ## Generators make new images from words A text-to-image generator turns a written prompt into an image. It is the right starting point when you need artwork, ad backgrounds, illustrations or scenes you cannot photograph. OpenAI's image generation guide describes the API as generating and editing images from text prompts, with separate models tuned for editing precision and for fast general work (read 2026-11-13). Black Forest Labs sells FLUX models through an API priced per image or per megapixel (read 2026-11-13). Generators are weakest at exact facts. They redraw text, labels and product shapes, so they suit creative work more than documentary accuracy. ## Editors change images you already have An AI image editor takes an existing image and modifies it: remove an object, replace a background, restyle, extend the canvas or fix a detail. Inpainting is the specific case of editing inside a masked region. Stability AI's API pricing lists Erase Object, Inpaint, Outpaint and Remove Background as separate paid edits at a few cents each (read 2026-11-13). Black Forest Labs documents FLUX.2 editing with multi-reference input of up to 10 images, which lets you guide an edit with several references (read 2026-11-13). Editing is cheaper and safer than generating when a good source photo exists, because the unchanged parts stay true. ## Single-purpose tools do one job well Upscalers enlarge an image with AI. They predict detail; they do not recover detail that was never captured, so check results at 100% zoom. Upscayl is a free, open-source desktop upscaler (read 2026-11-13). Background removers cut the subject out. remove.bg gives new users 1 free credit and states one credit covers one HD image (read 2026-11-13). Product photography tools combine cutting, scene generation and export for shops; Photoroom's pricing page lists a Pro plan at $12.99 per month with 8,000 credits and 1,000 exports (read 2026-11-13). ## Open models run on your hardware Open image models publish their weights so you can run them yourself. FLUX.1-schnell is listed under the Apache-2.0 licence, SDXL under OpenRAIL++, and FLUX.1-dev under a non-commercial licence on their Hugging Face model cards (read 2026-11-13). You trade a subscription for setup work, privacy and control. ## Pick the category first Before comparing prices, name the job in one sentence: what you will make, from what input, for which channel. A tool that excels at art is often poor at product photos. The site's free tool picker maps answers about the job to these categories. ## Sources - [OpenAI image generation guide](https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/image-generation), accessed 2026-11-13. - [Black Forest Labs pricing](https://www.blackforestlabs.ai/pricing), accessed 2026-11-13. - [Black Forest Labs, FLUX.2 image editing docs](https://docs.bfl.ml/flux_2/flux2_image_editing.md), accessed 2026-11-13. - [Stability AI API pricing](https://platform.stability.ai/pricing), accessed 2026-11-13. - [Upscayl](https://upscayl.org), accessed 2026-11-13. - [remove.bg API page](https://www.remove.bg/api), accessed 2026-11-13. - [Photoroom pricing](https://www.photoroom.com/pricing), accessed 2026-11-13. - [FLUX.1-schnell model card](https://huggingface.co/black-forest-labs/FLUX.1-schnell), accessed 2026-11-13. - [SDXL model card](https://huggingface.co/stabilityai/stable-diffusion-xl-base-1.0), accessed 2026-11-13. - [FLUX.1-dev model card](https://huggingface.co/black-forest-labs/FLUX.1-dev), accessed 2026-11-13. Also on the [web page](https://aiimagegen.fyi/academy/ai-image-tools-foundations/what-ai-image-tools-do).