--- title: "5 ImageFX Alternatives Now That Google Moved It to Flow" url: https://www.imagequarry.com/alternatives/imagefx/ last_updated: 2026-10-20 --- # ImageFX alternatives: where to make images now that ImageFX is part of Flow Google ImageFX was a Google Labs text to image tool running on Imagen models. On Feb 25, 2026, Google said the capabilities of Whisk and ImageFX were moving into Google Flow, and ImageFX's address now redirects to flow.google.com. People searching for an alternative want somewhere to type a prompt and get an image now, ideally at no cost. Google Flow is the official successor and keeps a History panel of edits; Gemini and Adobe Firefly suit people who want a simpler image tool with a free tier, and ChatGPT Images suits editing in conversation. ImageQuarry suits people who refine one image over many rounds and want every version and branch kept. _We make ImageQuarry, one of the alternatives below. ImageFX and each alternative were compared on a plain text to image start, editing in words, image models, how you start and moving old work, using each vendor's public pages, checked October 20, 2026._ ## ImageFX alternatives at a glance | Tool | Best for | Price from | How it differs | |---|---|---|---| | Google Flow | ImageFX users who want Google's own replacement and their old projects back | 50 Flow credits a day at no charge; more with a Google AI plan | The official successor, with Nano Banana models and a History panel | | Gemini | People who just want to type a prompt in an app they already use and get an image | Free plan; Google AI Pro $19.99 a month | Text to image and edits inside the Gemini app, free to start | | Adobe Firefly | Designers who want a free daily allowance and outputs Adobe calls safe for commercial use | Firefly Standard at US$9.99 a month, after a daily no-cost allowance | Free daily generations, Firefly Image 5, and partner models including Nano Banana | | ChatGPT Images | People who prefer asking for an image in a chat and steering it with comments | Free plan with limited images; Go $8 a month | Image creation in ChatGPT, with comments and area selection | | ImageQuarry | Work that starts with a prompt and then needs many careful rounds on the same image | Starter costs $9 monthly and Pro $29 monthly | A prompt starts it; worded changes and branches carry it forward | ## What is ImageFX? Google's Dec 16, 2024 post named ImageFX as one of its Labs tools getting new Imagen 3 models. Captured Labs interface text shows ImageFX's model choices running from Imagen 2 to Imagen 4, "Edit image" and "Remix image" buttons (with edits made by Imagen 2), an aspect ratio setting and a lockable seed for similar outputs. You could publish an image to a gallery where others could view and remix it. Since 2026, labs.google/fx/tools/image-fx redirects to Google Flow, which describes itself as "the ultimate AI for creatives" for video, images and tools. _ImageFX was the Google Labs image tool, not Google's Imagen models themselves; the models are still used elsewhere, while the ImageFX screen is gone._ ## ImageFX pricing ImageFX was a Labs tool with no price list; what replaced it is Google Flow. Flow gives 50 credits a day to everyone, and Google AI plans add monthly Flow credits on top. Flow credit amounts are from Google's Flow help; plan prices are from Google's Gemini subscriptions page, which shows monthly prices only. Prices as of October 2026, from labs.google. Check the vendor for current pricing. - ImageFX Flow without a plan: $0 per month (50 Flow credits each day; Nano Banana 2 Lite is the default model at no charge) - ImageFX With Google AI Plus: $4.99 per month (200 more Flow credits each month) - ImageFX With Google AI Pro: $19.99 per month (1,000 more Flow credits each month) - ImageFX With Google AI Ultra: From $99.99 per month (10,000 more Flow credits a month ($199.99 tier: 25,000); Nano Banana Pro is the default model) Prices as of 2026-10. ## What ImageFX does well - **A plain prompt box on Imagen**: ImageFX was a straightforward text to image tool, with quality choices from Default to Best quality powered by Imagen 2, 3 and 4. - **Repeatable results**: A lockable seed let you create similar outputs on purpose, and an aspect ratio setting shaped the frame. - **A gallery to share and remix**: Publishing a creation made it viewable and remixable by others, so ideas could pass between people. - **Its successor keeps your edit history**: In Flow, editing an image does not lose the original: the History panel holds earlier versions and the prompts behind them, and the Agent can make 20 lighting variations of one image. - **Full export through Takeout**: Google Takeout exports your Flow images, prompts, projects, collections and edit stacks with their version chains. ## Where ImageFX falls short - **The tool itself is gone**: ImageFX's address now redirects to Google Flow, so the original prompt screen cannot be opened. - **Older editing model**: Even when ImageFX generated with newer Imagen versions, its interface text says edits were made using Imagen 2. - **Limited availability**: The captured Labs FAQ says the tools were for users 18 and over in listed countries; an older entry named only the US, Kenya, New Zealand and Australia. - **Old work moves only if you opt in**: Google said you can opt in to transfer ImageFX projects into Flow "starting in March"; the Flow help pages read do not mention ImageFX or confirm how that works. ## Why people look for a ImageFX alternative - ImageFX no longer exists as its own tool, and you need somewhere to keep making images from text. - You want a simple image tool, and Flow, where ImageFX went, is a studio for video, images and tools. - You want a stronger default model without the top plan: Flow's no-charge default is Nano Banana 2 Lite, and Nano Banana Pro is the default only for Google AI Ultra. - You were outside ImageFX's listed countries or age range, and want a tool you can use where you are. ## The 5 ImageFX alternatives ### 1. Google Flow Best for: ImageFX users who want Google's own replacement and their old projects back How it differs: Flow is where Google moved ImageFX, and you can opt in to transfer your ImageFX projects into the Flow library. It runs Nano Banana models rather than the Imagen choices ImageFX offered, with Nano Banana 2 Lite at no charge and Nano Banana 2.1 as the standard model. You edit by dragging an image into the prompt and describing the change, and the History panel keeps every earlier version. Price: 50 Flow credits a day at no charge; more with a Google AI plan (as of 2026-10) Limitation: It is a full studio for video and images rather than a single prompt box, and Nano Banana Pro is the default only on Google AI Ultra. ### 2. Gemini Best for: People who just want to type a prompt in an app they already use and get an image How it differs: Gemini is Google's assistant app, and its image feature runs on Nano Banana 2 for free, with Nano Banana 2.1 on a Google AI plan. You describe what you want, then ask for changes such as a different background, and images land in your Library to download or export to Docs. It works on the web, Android and iPhone. Price: Free plan; Google AI Pro $19.99 a month (as of 2026-10) Limitation: Images carry a visible watermark, and Google's pages disagree on which models are on the free plan. ### 3. Adobe Firefly Best for: Designers who want a free daily allowance and outputs Adobe calls safe for commercial use How it differs: Firefly gives free daily generations that refresh every day, with Adobe's own Firefly Image 5 model and partner models such as Gemini 3.1 with Nano Banana 2. Prompt to Edit changes objects and backgrounds from a typed description, and Adobe states that outputs from its own Firefly models are safe for commercial use. Price: Firefly Standard at US$9.99 a month, after a daily no-cost allowance (as of 2026-10) Limitation: The free plan states no number of generations, and the commercial safety statement does not cover partner models. ### 4. ChatGPT Images Best for: People who prefer asking for an image in a chat and steering it with comments How it differs: Instead of ImageFX's prompt box and Remix button, ChatGPT makes and edits images in a conversation. You can attach references, select an area to change, and switch to Canvas view to comment on one or more images. ChatGPT's no-cost tier allows a limited number of images. Price: Free plan with limited images; Go $8 a month (as of 2026-10) Limitation: How many images you get depends on your plan, and programmatic use needs the separately sold image API. ### 5. ImageQuarry Best for: Work that starts with a prompt and then needs many careful rounds on the same image How it differs: ImageFX was built to turn a prompt into images, with editing as a side button. ImageQuarry starts the same way, from a plain description, but the work continues there: ask for a change, get a new version, and branch from any earlier version to try a second direction without losing the first. Projects and a library keep each image with its history. Price: Starter costs $9 monthly and Pro $29 monthly (as of 2026-10) Limitation: Every plan is paid, which matters if you came from a no-cost Labs tool, and ImageQuarry has no published Terms or rights policy yet. ## Who should stay with ImageFX - Move to Flow if you mainly want Google's models at no charge: the 50 daily credits and Nano Banana 2 Lite cover casual prompting. - Flow fits if you want images and video in one place, since it treats images as stand-alone assets or ingredients for video. - Flow also suits you if version history matters, because it keeps earlier versions and prompts in a History panel. ## How to get your ImageFX and Flow images out 1. Opt in to the ImageFX transfer Google announced for 2026, so your projects and assets land in your Flow library. 2. Go to takeout.google.com, select Flow, and request an export; it includes generated and uploaded media, prompts and settings, projects and collections, and edit stacks with version chains. 3. Choose a.zip or.tgz archive by email link (active for 7 days) or have it sent to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or Box. 4. Keep the prompts from the export: they are the quickest way to recreate your best images in another tool. 5. Downloading your data does not delete it from Google's servers, so you can keep using Flow while you try something else. Does not carry over: ImageFX seeds, its Imagen quality settings and gallery remixes do not carry over to other tools; only the files and prompts you export do. ## ImageFX alternatives: questions ### What happened to Google ImageFX? Google's Feb 25, 2026 Flow update said ImageFX and Whisk capabilities were moving into Google Flow. The ImageFX address now redirects to flow.google.com. ### Is there a free ImageFX alternative? Yes. Google Flow gives everyone 50 credits a day, and Google says you can generate images for free there. Gemini's free plan includes image generation and editing, Adobe Firefly gives free daily generations, and ChatGPT's free plan includes limited image creation. Every ImageQuarry plan is paid. ### Can I still use Imagen models? ImageFX's model menu ran Imagen 2, 3 and 4, but Flow's image models are Nano Banana 2 Lite, Nano Banana 2.1 and Nano Banana Pro. Replicate's homepage features google/imagen-4-ultra among its hosted models, for developers. ### How do I download my ImageFX images? If you opted in to the transfer into Flow, use Google Takeout and select Flow: it exports your images, prompts, projects and edit history as a.zip or.tgz archive. The older Labs FAQ also offered exports on request by email. ### How does ImageQuarry compare with ImageFX? ImageFX turned prompts into images with a few edit and remix buttons. ImageQuarry is a workspace for one image's whole path: describe it, ask for changes in words, keep each version, and branch from any earlier one. You pay monthly, $9 for Starter or $29 for Pro. ## Sources Checked 2026-10-20. - [Google ImageFX: blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/google-labs/flow-updates-february-2026](https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/google-labs/flow-updates-february-2026/) - [Google ImageFX: blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/google-labs/video-image-generation-update-december-2024](https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/google-labs/video-image-generation-update-december-2024/) - [Google ImageFX: labs.google/fx/tools/image-fx](https://labs.google/fx/tools/image-fx) - [Google ImageFX: support.google.com/flow/answer/16352836](https://support.google.com/flow/answer/16352836?hl=en) - [Google ImageFX: support.google.com/flow/answer/16526234](https://support.google.com/flow/answer/16526234?hl=en) - [Google ImageFX: support.google.com/flow/answer/16729550](https://support.google.com/flow/answer/16729550?hl=en) - [Google ImageFX: support.google.com/flow/answer/17571126](https://support.google.com/flow/answer/17571126?hl=en) - [Google ImageFX: web.archive.org/web/20260217021247/https://labs.google/fx/tools/whisk/faq](https://web.archive.org/web/20260217021247/https://labs.google/fx/tools/whisk/faq) - [Adobe Firefly: adobe.com/products/firefly.html](https://www.adobe.com/products/firefly.html) - [Adobe Firefly: adobe.com/products/firefly/features/ai-photo-editor.html](https://www.adobe.com/products/firefly/features/ai-photo-editor.html) - [Adobe Firefly: adobe.com/products/firefly/plans.html](https://www.adobe.com/products/firefly/plans.html) - [ChatGPT: learn.chatgpt.com/docs/image-generation.md](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/image-generation.md) - [ChatGPT: learn.chatgpt.com/docs/pricing](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/pricing) - [ChatGPT: web.archive.org/web/20261019170919/https://chatgpt.com/pricing](https://web.archive.org/web/20261019170919/https://chatgpt.com/pricing/) - [Gemini: gemini.google/overview/image-generation](https://gemini.google/overview/image-generation/) - [Gemini: gemini.google/subscriptions](https://gemini.google/subscriptions/) - [Gemini: support.google.com/gemini/answer/14286560](https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/14286560?hl=en) - [Replicate: replicate.com](https://replicate.com/) ## Related pages - [Whisk alternatives](https://www.imagequarry.com/alternatives/whisk/): What to use now that Google Whisk, the image remix experiment, has moved into Flow. - [Gemini image generation alternatives](https://www.imagequarry.com/alternatives/gemini/): Alternatives to Gemini image generation, compared. - [Adobe Firefly alternatives](https://www.imagequarry.com/alternatives/adobe-firefly/): Alternatives to Adobe Firefly for Generative Fill style edits, terms that cover every model, and steady pricing. - [ChatGPT Images alternatives](https://www.imagequarry.com/alternatives/chatgpt-images/): Alternatives to ChatGPT Images, compared. - [Meta AI alternatives](https://www.imagequarry.com/alternatives/meta-ai/): Alternatives to Meta AI's Muse Image for clearer output terms, kept versions and model choice. - [Bing Image Creator alternatives](https://www.imagequarry.com/alternatives/bing-image-creator/): Alternatives to Bing Image Creator for clearer usage terms, deeper edits and work you can keep. - [All AI image tool alternatives](https://www.imagequarry.com/alternatives/): Every alternatives page, grouped by kind of tool. ## Past the first prompt Start ImageQuarry with a description, then shape the image one worded change at a time, with every version kept.