AI image generator commercial-use comparison
Use this table when you want the provider-side answer at a glance. It compares whether commercial use is permitted, the condition most likely to change the answer, and the policy date we currently cite.
| Generator | Commercial use | Key plan / rights condition | Policy date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midjourney | Conditional | If a company has more than US$1 million in gross revenue, Midjourney requires Pro or Mega to own/use generated assets commercially under its current terms. | May 27, 2026 |
| ChatGPT Images / OpenAI | Generally permitted | No special consumer plan gate is identified here for ordinary commercial use. API and business services are governed by the OpenAI Services Agreement in addition to applicable service-specific terms, with separate contractual protections and exclusions. | Service Terms updated September 10, 2026; Services Agreement effective January 1, 2026; individual Terms of Use vary by region (reviewed September 16, 2026) |
| Adobe Firefly | Generally permitted | The key distinction is the model/feature used, not merely the subscription name. Partner models inside Firefly can have different terms and should be checked separately. | May 13, 2026 |
| Ideogram | Generally permitted | Do not confuse output rights with model-weight licensing. Hosted/API output use and self-hosted model weights are separate paths: the public open weights are non-commercial unless you obtain the applicable self-serve commercial or enterprise licence. | Licensing page reviewed September 16, 2026; Non-Commercial Model Agreement updated June 3, 2026 |
| Leonardo.Ai | Generally permitted | Commercial use is possible on both free and paid tiers, but paid usage provides materially stronger ownership/control according to Leonardo’s current pricing and terms pages. | January 19, 2026 |
| Recraft | Conditional | Free: no commercial use. Paid: business/personal use is permitted and Recraft assigns its copyright interest in generated assets, subject to the terms. | August 11, 2026 |
| Canva AI / Magic Studio | Conditional | The important access distinction here is not a subscription price gate but whether the output is standalone AI output or incorporates Canva Licensed Content governed by Canva's Content License Agreement. | AI Product Terms effective June 26, 2026; Terms of Use effective August 19, 2026 |
| Runway | Generally permitted | No ordinary plan-based commercial-use gate is identified in the current usage-rights guidance. Enterprise arrangements can add privacy, no-training or contractual protections, but those are separate from the baseline output-use permission. | Usage-rights guidance reviewed October 3, 2026 |
| Magnific / Freepik AI | Conditional | Free: do not rely on the asset for commercial deployment. Paid: commercial AI-content licence is included, subject to the service terms and third-party rights. | Current AI licensing guidance reviewed October 3, 2026 |
Detailed generator policies
Midjourney
Commercial use is generally available, but Midjourney has plan and company-size conditions that matter before you sell or deploy outputs.
Generally permittedChatGPT Images / OpenAI
OpenAI assigns its rights in output to the user to the extent permitted by applicable law, while reminding users that outputs may not be unique and third-party rights still matter.
Generally permittedAdobe Firefly
Adobe says Firefly outputs from non-beta features can be used commercially, and beta features can also be used commercially unless the product explicitly says otherwise.
Generally permittedIdeogram
Ideogram says it does not claim ownership of generated outputs and allows commercial use of outputs, subject to its usage policy and third-party rights.
Generally permittedLeonardo.Ai
Leonardo permits commercial use, but the ownership position differs between free and paid usage, so plan status matters if you need stronger control over the asset.
ConditionalRecraft
Recraft’s free-tier assets are personal-use only, while paid subscribers own assets they create subject to current restrictions. This makes plan selection critical for commercial work.
ConditionalCanva AI / Magic Studio
Canva permits lawful use of AI outputs, but the rights position changes when the result modifies or incorporates Canva Licensed Content, so the exact source workflow matters.
Generally permittedRunway
Runway says users retain rights in generated content and does not impose a non-commercial-use restriction on outputs, while users remain responsible for inputs and third-party rights.
ConditionalMagnific / Freepik AI
Magnific/Freepik AI allows commercial use on paid plans, while free-plan AI output is positioned for personal use and may carry attribution requirements, making access level important.