Eight free AI tools to create Studio Ghibli-style images easily

The internet is obsessed with the Ghibli art trend, transforming photos into magical, hand-drawn scenes featuring soft colours, whimsical characters, and enchanting landscapes reminiscent of iconic Japanese animated films like Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro.

While tools like ChatGPT and Grok helped kick off the craze, you don’t need to pay to join in. Several free alternatives are now available for those looking to generate Ghibli-style visuals without a subscription.

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Getimg.ai, Stable Diffusion

This specialised tool transforms text prompts into vivid, detailed artwork that beautifully reflects the charm of Studio Ghibli.

Available on platforms like getimg.ai, it allows users to customise colours, textures, and scene elements. Although there's a paid version, the free tier still produces striking results.

Stable Diffusion is one of the most popular open-source AI generators. With the right prompts, it delivers soft, whimsical art true to the Ghibli aesthetic.

Fotor’s filter

For a quick Ghibli-style makeover of your selfies or landscapes, Fotor’s preset filter is a great pick.

With just one click, it captures the soft colours and dreamy ambience of Miyazaki’s films - no editing skills needed.

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insMind, Artbreeder

This tool excels at transforming photos into expressive, anime-style visuals complete with rich, detailed backgrounds.

The free version is easy to use and ideal for anyone seeking high-quality results without the hassle of extensive customisation.

Great for mixing and tweaking artistic styles, Artbreeder gives users freedom to create their own Ghibli-inspired characters and scenes.

Deep Dream Generator, Craiyon

Using deep learning, Deep Dream Generator produces artistic, dreamy visuals with hand-painted effects that capture the whimsical charm of Studio Ghibli’s animation.

Simple and free, Craiyon (formerly DALL-E Mini) turns text prompts into Ghibli-like visuals. It’s perfect for quick experiments and casual fun.

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Google Gemini

Though not built exclusively for Ghibli art, Gemini responds well to creative prompts and can generate accurate anime-style visuals.

These tools make it easy for anyone to tap into their inner child and ride the current wave of Ghibli-inspired AI art.

With just a prompt or photo upload, you can dive into your own Ghibli-inspired world.