Royalty Free Pixabay ImageOverview
There are several free AI platforms online. I’m exploring them using the
free options as I have not purchase any subscriptions.
Below are my personal results and tips along with my opinions as to which AI that I
prefer for each task. My goal is to see what you can reasonably do for free, and
when it makes sense to upgrade. Results are not scientific.
Writing:
ChatGPT by OpenAI
This is the tool I use the most for writing, blogging, coding & webpage
design. It’s great for:
- Rewriting my own articles for better flow and clarity.
- Turning an outline or even just a title into a full draft.
- Fixing grammar and adjusting tone (casual, friendly, or professional).
- Generating HTML and CSS that I can adapt into this website.
- Coding with literally any programming language.
Unexpected Benefits
AI will give you ideas you may not have expected. Some of the page
formatting used in various places on this website was created by ChatGPT. I was able
to integrate many features into my template for use anywhere I choose on this
website. In fact, I have learned lot of new things about HTML and CSS by utilizing
code generated by ChatGPT generated. This was a game changer. AI can take 'good'
input and make it better and more efficient while eliminating mistakes. AI can make
you more productive if used properly.
Pros
- Strong at structure and readability.
- Helpful suggestions and quick edits.
- Good at matching a style if you paste a sample.
Cons
- Free plans can be slower at busy times.
- Daily or session limits may stop long tasks.
- Facts may be outdated; you still need to verify.
Tell Chat GPT that it should play the role of copy editor. Paste a document you wrote and say, “Match this style.” Add: word count, audience level, and key points.
CoPilot by Microsoft
I also tried CoPilot. It was easy to use but I didn't
like the results. It generated 3 different choices for each item I asked it to
rewrite. Each was technically correct and worded differently. However, the overall
tone and wording just wasn't right. In my use case, I want to use the content on my
website it would often generate text that sounded to technical or too cerebral for
my target audience. I wanted to keep things on my website easy enough for anyone to
understand. Perhaps I wasn't prompting it correctly to get results I wanted.
Image Generation:
Google Gemini
My best results by far, were with Google Gemini. I asked Gemini to
generate an image of a woman with an umbrella walking in the rain in a big city. The
first image was created within 10-20 seconds. The result shown below is how Gemini
interpreted my description and it filled in the details to make a complete a near
photo-realistic picture.
From here I started requesting changes. I became more specific with my prompt. I
changed it to a red umbrella and a leather coat, and the second image was created.
Note that the city background has changed and the woman is now in the street! Maybe
she is in the crosswalk. Perhaps I should have suggested that she stay on the
sidewalk!
As I was just experimenting, I did several more. They were all variations on a
theme. Every image was spectacular and they almost looked real. I would certainly
use Gemini again for creating images. It's great for fun, and fast results.
Images were created by using Google Gemini AI.
CoPilot
I used Microsoft Copilot for free image generation with mixed results.
Making simple cartoons from uploaded family photos worked well and finished in a
minute or two depending on complexity. My niece loved her cartoon portrait that I
posted on Facebook.
However, when I tried to create a network diagram from a text prompt,
the layout looked good, but Copilot kept repeating one mistake, even after I
rephrased the prompt many times. Copilot simply couldn't grasp what I wanted. I
ended up using an image editor to manually correct the mistake before I could use
it.
ChatGPT
When I tried image generation on the ChatGPT. It was extremely slow for
me. A simple cartoon request (text prompt only, no photo uploaded). It ran for hours
and it was the next morning when I saw it was finally completed. I was underwhelmed.
My next few requests never finished. It may work faster on a different day or on a
paid plan. I'm guessing that the system may have been overloaded at the time. This
was a complete bust. I may try revisit this one again in the future to see if I can
achieve better results.
Cartoon image was created by using ChatGPT AI.
Others:
Yes, there are many other AI models that can generate images. I will
update this article when I get the opportunity to try them.
Paid image/video models exist and are usually better and faster—but some can be expensive. For one-off projects, try the free tier first to see if it meets your needs.
Current Events:
For breaking news and trending topics, Grok has been
the best in my tests. It’s trained to pay attention to posts on X (formerly
Twitter), so it often feels more up-to-date on headlines and public reactions.
Nearly all news outlets are on X and therefore available to Grok.
Pros
- Strong at summarizing fast-moving news and commentary.
- Good for reading a variety of quick opinions.
Cons
- Social media sources can be biased or incomplete.
- You still need to check original, reliable sources.
Ask for “multiple viewpoints” and “sources to verify” as part of the same prompt.
Self-Hosted LLMs:
I tried running local models for experimentation and website summaries.
I can’t recommend them for most people yet. When I asked for a summary of a
local author’s website, the model attributed the author’s original work to
someone else. This was a deal killer for me.
- Llama 2: Feels outdated now. I probably won't use it anymore.
- Llama 3.1: Much better than 2, but still missed important details in my tests.
- Version 4: I have not made this attempt. It's VERY large and I am not sure I have a GPU that's sufficient to make the attempt. Once I do, I will update this article accordingly.
Why Run Locally?
- Privacy: Your content stays on your own machine and won't be used for training purposes. This is a strong selling point if your dealing with confidential or your own copyrighted materials.
- Offline work: It can be used even if you have no internet or internet is limited.
- Customization: You can add your own documents.
Running Locally Can be Challenging
- Hardware need: Using just your CPU-only can be slow; NVIDIA GPUs with at least 8GB+ VRAM help considerably.
- Model size: Larger LLM will consume use more RAM/VRAM and disk space. We recommend at least 32 Gig of RAM, but even more is recommended.
- Quality: Self-Hosting may still lag behind top hosted models that run on MUCH larger systems with hundreds of servers and GPU's. A home user or small business simply can't afford that much hardware.
If you care most about privacy and can handle the setup, local models can be
worth it. For everyday accuracy and speed, hosted AI is usually easier.
(For more background, see my related post #34.)
My Recommendations
| Tool | Best For | Speed (Free) | Accuracy | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open AI ChatGPT | Writing, editing, structure, coding | Less than 30 seconds for most results | Always proof-read and verify everything | Great for drafts & rewrites, check sources |
| Microsoft Copilot | Simple images & cartoons | 1-2 minutes per image | Good for casual art | Complex diagrams may need edits |
| Google Gemini | Image Generation | Seconds | Good quality art | Must be PG |
| Grok | Breaking news & trends | Fast | Varies by source | Ask for sources; expect bias |
| Llama (local) | Privacy & offline tests | Varies by hardware | Mixed; can hallucinate | Memory hog; complex setup |
General Tips for Better Results
- Be specific: Say the audience (e.g., “high school level”), length, and tone.
- Provide examples: Paste a paragraph of your style to match.
- Chunk big tasks: Free plans have limits—work in sections.
- Verify facts: Ask for sources and check them yourself.
- Save prompts: Keep your best prompts in a doc for reuse.
- Respect privacy: Avoid sharing sensitive data with online models.
- Expect filters: Image tools block some content; rephrase if needed.
When to Consider Paying
- You need faster results and fewer rate limits.
- You want higher-quality image or video generation.
- You rely on current, cited information for work or school.
- You value priority support and advanced features.
Always try the free tier first. If it saves you time or prevents mistakes, a
paid plan can be worth it.
