AI avatar generators: free tools and apps to make a profile picture from a photo

AI avatar generators create a profile picture in two ways: from a text description or from your photo. The AI renders a portrait in the selected style—anime, comic book, digital painting, 3D, or a realistic photo. Such an avatar is useful for Telegram, YouTube, Steam, gaming profiles, and social media. Below are the services listed in our catalog: free online avatar generators, apps for creating an avatar from a photo, and tools for talking video avatars. Plan terms change, so check the current price on the service page.

How to choose an avatar generator

• Need a free avatar. Choose generators that create images from descriptions: Kandinsky and Shedevrum. The free plans of other services are limited by the number of images, styles, or output quality.
• Need a portrait of yourself from a photo. Fotor, Lensa, and Zmoji are suitable: they work with an uploaded image and preserve recognizable facial features.
• Need a “live” face for video. Choose HeyGen or Vidyard: the avatar speaks your text.
• Platform matters. Avatarify and Zmoji are mobile apps for iOS and Android, Fotor also works in a browser, and Vidyard offers a web version and a browser extension.

Free AI avatar generators

1. Kandinsky

Kandinsky is a Russian AI model for image generation. To create an avatar, simply write a prompt specifying who is depicted, the style, background, and mood. It is suitable when you need a free AI avatar generator without uploading your own photos: the AI creates the character from scratch. The result depends on the wording, so it is useful to run the same idea several times and choose the best version.

2. Shedevrum

Shedevrum is an image generator from Yandex. It works in the same way: you describe the image, and the service creates several versions. It is convenient for quickly making avatars for social media and messenger accounts. As with other AI image tools, the portrait varies from one prompt to another, so the best results are found through iteration.

3. Canva

Canva is an online editor where you can build an avatar from a template, add text and a background, and adjust the crop to fit a circular frame. It is useful when you already have an AI-generated image and need to format it for YouTube or Telegram. The basic plan is free; some templates and features require a subscription.

Avatar generators that use your photo

4. Fotor

Fotor is a photo editor with a dedicated AI avatar generator: upload an image and choose a style, such as anime or digital realism. It works in a browser and in mobile apps. You can retouch the result, apply filters, and create a collage in the same service. The free plan has limitations, and some features are available by subscription.

5. Lensa (Prisma)

Lensa by Prisma Labs is an iOS and Android app where “Magic Avatars” are created from several of your photos. It is suitable if you need an artistic avatar that still looks like you. For the best result, upload several photos taken from different angles. A subscription is required after the trial period.

6. Avatarify

Avatarify is an iOS and Android mobile app that animates photos: choose a song, and the portrait “sings” it in a short animation. It is more of an entertainment tool and a video avatar for social media than a generator of a static profile picture. The app has no desktop version.

7. Zmoji

Zmoji creates a cartoon avatar from a photo or lets you build one manually, after which you can use it to make emojis and stickers for messengers. The app is available for iOS and Android. It is suitable for informal communication; some features require a subscription.

Talking avatars for video

These tools solve a different task: they create not a profile picture, but a video character that voices text.

8. HeyGen

HeyGen is a service where an on-screen avatar speaks an entered script in different languages. It is used for educational and promotional videos, presentations, and explainer videos. You can choose a ready-made avatar or create your own. The subscription cost may be substantial for small projects; trial access is available. For details, see how to make a video in HeyGen.

9. Vidyard

Vidyard is a business video platform for sales and marketing: it is used to record personalized video messages for customers and publish videos. The AI avatar feature lets you voice messages with a digital avatar. It is intended for companies rather than personal use.

Avatar sizes for Telegram, YouTube, and Steam

Platforms display avatars as circles or squares, so place the face and main subject closer to the center. Upload a square image to make cropping predictable.

The same principle applies to gaming profiles, including Standoff 2 and Minecraft: the AI generates the image, and you adjust its size to meet the requirements of the specific platform.

How to create an AI avatar

1. Decide where the avatar will be used: this determines the format and style—formal for YouTube and professional profiles, bright and expressive for games and social media.
2. Choose a method: from a description (Kandinsky, Shedevrum) or from your photo (Fotor, Lensa, Zmoji).
3. Write a prompt: specify who is in the image, the style (anime, comic book, 3D, realism), background, lighting, and mood. For matching avatars, describe two characters in the same style with a shared background.
4. Generate several versions and choose the best one.
5. Crop the image to the required square size, check how it looks in a circle, and upload it to the platform.

What to consider

• Photos and personal data. Upload only your own images and check the service terms to see how photos are stored and deleted.
• Terms of use. For a commercial profile or brand, verify that the plan allows this type of image usage.
• Recognizability. If the avatar should look like you, use photo-based services rather than description-based generators.
• Consistent identity. Using the same avatar across different platforms makes you easier to recognize.

Conclusion

For a free avatar created from scratch, choose Kandinsky or Shedevrum; for an avatar based on your photo, use Fotor, Lensa, or Zmoji; and for a video character, consider HeyGen or Vidyard. You can open each service in the catalog to compare its terms and alternatives.

To swap a face in an existing photo or video, see AI face swap services.