Compare · Last checked October 20, 2026
Bing Image Creator vs ChatGPT: two chat style ways to make an image
Bing Image Creator is Microsoft's image tool at bing.com/create, and Microsoft calls it free for anyone signed in with a personal Microsoft account. ChatGPT makes and edits images inside the same chat you use for everything else, with limits that grow with the plan, from Free at $0 to Pro from $100 a month. Both accept an uploaded picture and both let you ask for an edit in words. ChatGPT goes further on editing: you can select one area and describe the change for that area, and comment on images in a Canvas view. Bing Image Creator lets you pick between two Microsoft image models and keeps creations in Collections.
We make ImageQuarry, which is not one of these two products. We compared Bing Image Creator and ChatGPT using their own public pages, checked October 20, 2026.
Last updated October 20, 2026
At a glance
| Bing Image Creator | ChatGPT | |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs to start | No paid plan found; daily fast creations, then standard speed or Rewards points | Free at $0 with "Limited image creation"; Go $8, Plus $20 and Pro from $100 a month |
| Editing by asking | An "Edit image" button; the FAQ example asks for a new hairstyle | Ask in the chat, or select an area and describe the change for that area |
| Model choice | Pick MAI-Image-2.5-Flash or MAI-Image-2e | Model chosen by ChatGPT; you do not pick one in the help pages read |
| Where it runs | Web, the Bing app mini app, Copilot Search and Bing Search | Web, iOS, Android, the desktop app and Codex |
| Account needed | A personal Microsoft account; work and school accounts are excluded | A ChatGPT account on any plan |
Bing Image Creator and ChatGPT: the differences that matter
Region edits and comments are on the ChatGPT side
ChatGPT's help says you can select a specific area of an image and describe the change for that area, and in Canvas view you can use Comment to give feedback on one or more images. Bing Image Creator documents an Edit image button and editing uploaded pictures, but its pages read show no region selection, expand or upscale tools.
Bing Image Creator lets you choose the model
Bing Image Creator's FAQ says you can select between models and names MAI-Image-2.5-Flash and MAI-Image-2e, although every edit of an uploaded image runs on MAI-Image-2.5-Flash. The ChatGPT pages read describe one built in image model and no picker.
How much you can make without paying
Bing Image Creator's FAQ gives 15 free fast creations a day, then slower standard speed, with up to 200 prompts in 24 hours; its create page says 10 fast creations instead, so the two Microsoft pages disagree. ChatGPT's Free plan lists "Limited image creation" without a number, and more image creation comes with Go, Plus and Pro.
Storage of uploads and results
Bing Image Creator says uploaded images are kept for up to 30 days, or up to 18 months when no face is detected, and that generated images are stored for up to 90 days. The ChatGPT pages read describe images living in the chat and its Canvas view, without a stated retention period for images.
Terms for what you make
Bing Image Creator's terms say Microsoft does not claim ownership of your creations but takes rights to copy and display them, and note that creations may not be unique; no clause on commercial use was found. The ChatGPT pages read state no commercial use terms for images, so check OpenAI's terms before you publish.
Bing Image Creator vs ChatGPT, side by side
Checked against each vendor's public pages on October 20, 2026. "Not stated" means the pages we read do not say; it is not a claim that the feature is missing.
| Topic | Bing Image Creator | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Text to image | Yes, from MAI-Image-2.5-Flash or MAI-Image-2e | Yes, inside any chat |
| Edit an uploaded image | Yes; all editing uses MAI-Image-2.5-Flash | Yes; attach it to the composer to edit or use as guidance |
| Edit one area | Not stated on the pages read | Select an area and describe the change |
| Several references | Not stated on the pages read | A small set of references for content and style |
| Aspect ratios | 1:1, 3:2 and 2:3 | Not stated on the pages read |
| Organizing results | Collections; images stored up to 90 days | Focused view and Canvas view inside the chat |
| Watermark | Microsoft pages disagree: a fixed corner watermark, or an opt in setting | Not stated on the pages read |
| API | None found | Sold separately as the Image generation API |
As of 2026-10-20
Sources: Bing Image Creator bing image creator; Bing Image Creator termsofuseimagecreator; Bing Image Creator help; Bing Image Creator create; ChatGPT page (Wayback capture); ChatGPT image generation.md; ChatGPT 6825453 chatgpt release notes; ChatGPT page (Wayback capture); ChatGPT pricing; ChatGPT space.md
Pricing
Prices as of October 2026, from each vendor's own pages. Credits are not comparable across products, because each vendor defines its own credit. Check the vendor for current pricing.
| Product | Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bing Image Creator | Bing Image Creator | $0 | Free with a Microsoft account; 15 fast creations a day per the FAQ, then standard speed or Microsoft Rewards points |
| ChatGPT | Free | $0 per month | Limited image creation |
| ChatGPT | Go | $8 per month | More image creation |
| ChatGPT | Plus | $20 per month | More complex and accurate image creation; image generation with Thinking |
| ChatGPT | Pro | From $100 per month | Plans at $100, $200 or $500 a month; image generation with Thinking |
| ChatGPT | Business | $20 per user per month, billed annually | $25 per user per month when billed monthly; 2+ users |
Prices as of 2026-10
About each product
Bing Image Creator
Bing Image Creator, formerly Image Creator from Designer, turns a description or an uploaded picture into images at bing.com/create, in the Bing mobile app and inside Copilot Search. You choose between MAI-Image-2.5-Flash and MAI-Image-2e, and one prompt can return several images that count as one creation. Microsoft describes it as free for personal Microsoft accounts, with daily fast creations and slower standard creations after that, and Rewards points to buy more fast ones. Results go to Collections and are kept for up to 90 days, and the tool supports over 100 languages.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT generates and edits images in the chat. You can ask for an image, attach a reference to edit or to guide the style, select one area and describe the change, and switch to a Canvas view to compare the images from a chat and comment on them. Its September 2026 release notes, read as search indexed text, describe ChatGPT Images 2.5 with more precise editing. Image limits depend on the plan: Free at $0, Go at $8, Plus at $20 and Pro from $100 a month, on web, iOS, Android and desktop.
Which one fits your work
Choose Bing Image Creator when
- You want to make images with a personal Microsoft account and no subscription
- You want to pick between two image models
- You already search with Bing or Copilot
- You want square, horizontal or vertical presets
Choose ChatGPT when
- You want to edit one selected area by describing the change
- You want to compare and comment on images from one chat side by side
- You use ChatGPT for writing and want images in the same place
- You may later need an image API
Where ImageQuarry fits
ImageQuarry is built around one image at a time. You describe an image or upload one, ask for a change in words, and each change becomes a new version while the earlier ones stay in place. You can branch from any earlier version, add reference images and keep the work in projects and a library. Plans are paid monthly: Starter at $9 per month with 100 image credits a month, or Pro at $29 per month with 300 image credits a month.
Questions about Bing Image Creator vs ChatGPT
Is Bing Image Creator free?
Microsoft calls it free for anyone signed in with a personal Microsoft account. Its FAQ gives 15 fast creations a day, then standard speed, and Rewards points can buy more fast creations; its create page says 10 fast creations, so the limits differ by page.
Can both edit a photo I upload?
Yes. Bing Image Creator edits uploaded images with MAI-Image-2.5-Flash, and ChatGPT edits an image you attach to the chat, including one selected area at a time.
Which one lets me choose the image model?
Bing Image Creator, which offers MAI-Image-2.5-Flash and MAI-Image-2e. The ChatGPT help pages read describe a single built in model.
Does a work account work with Bing Image Creator?
Not according to Microsoft: it is not available to users signed in with a Microsoft Entra ID, which is typically a work or school account.
How long are images kept?
Bing Image Creator says generated images are stored for up to 90 days and uploads for up to 30 days, or up to 18 months when no face is detected. The ChatGPT pages read give no image retention period.
Sources
Every competitor fact on this page comes from the vendor's own pages, checked on the date shown. Recheck them before you buy.
Checked October 20, 2026
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