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PortraitAI vs starryai

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors. PortraitAI starts at $4.99, starryai at $11.99. Only starryai has a free tier.

PortraitAITurns a selfie into a painted 18th-century-style portrait, with dozens of other historical and fantasy filters.starryaiMobile-first AI image generator with a daily free allowance

Side by side

FactPortraitAIstarryai
CategoryAI Avatars & HeadshotsText-to-Image Generators
Pricing modelPaidFreemium
Starts at$4.99 week$11.99 month
Public APINoNo
PlatformsiOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
CompanyRoman Bilyistarryai, Inc.
Launched—2021
Last verifiedSep 1, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

PortraitAI

Does one thing well: it renders a recognizable, painterly 18th-century portrait from a normal selfie, and that specific filter is still the reason people install it years after its viral moment. Outside that signature look, the roster of extra filters is closer to what any general photo-filter app offers.

Pros

  • the 18th-century filter produces a distinctive, recognizable painted look
  • over 100 filter styles in one app
  • works from a single uploaded photo, no account setup required to preview

Cons

  • subscription or one-time unlocks are required for full-resolution downloads
  • no web version, so desktop users need a phone to run it
  • no control over pose or composition beyond the input photo

starryai

A phone-first art toy that is fine for hobbyists who want daily free renders without touching a desktop, and wrong for anyone who needs repeatable, controllable output. If you care about model choice, LoRAs or consistent characters, Leonardo or a local Stable Diffusion setup will beat it.

Pros

  • Genuine free daily generations rather than a one-off trial
  • Same account and balance across web, iOS and Android
  • Commercial rights on generated images are granted in the terms
  • Bundles upscaling and background removal so you do not need a second editor

Cons

  • No API, so it cannot be wired into a pipeline
  • Pricing is a maze of weekly, monthly, annual and credit-pack SKUs that differ by store
  • Style presets do most of the work; prompt-level control is shallow
  • Output quality trails current flagship image models

Which one fits

Choose PortraitAI if you need

  • a single shareable historical-style portrait from a selfie
  • gifting a novelty portrait image
  • trying several stylized filters in one app

Choose starryai if you need

  • Casual creators generating avatars, wallpapers and social posts on a phone
  • People who want a free daily quota without installing anything
  • Quick style exploration across many preset looks before committing to a real tool

More comparisons

Browse all AI Avatars & Headshots →