As a blogger and digital marketer, I feel like I spend half my life scrolling through stock photo websites. You know the drill. You type in “happy person working” and get the same five models with impossibly white teeth, staring at a blank laptop screen with pure, unadulterated joy. It's… not authentic. And your readers can smell it a mile away.
So, the rise of AI image generation felt like a breath of fresh air. Suddenly, we could create the exact person we needed. A pensive-looking fisherman from Norway? Done. A cheerful baker in a flour-dusted apron? Easy. But it came with its own set of problems: complicated tools, expensive subscriptions, and the dreaded “uncanny valley” where the faces are almost right, but just creepy enough to put you off your lunch.
Then I stumbled upon CGFaces. The premise was simple: a platform for free, high-quality, AI-generated images of people. Free? High-quality? My skepticism-meter, honed by years of chasing traffic and clicks, went into overdrive. So, I did what any self-respecting SEO nerd would do. I spent a weekend playing with it. Here’s what I found.
Visit cgfaces
So What Is CGFaces, Really?
At its heart, CGFaces is a two-headed beast, but in a good way. Think of it as a hybrid car. On one hand, you have the all-electric, totally free mode: The Collection. This is a public gallery of AI-generated faces you can browse and download for free. On the other hand, you have the gas engine for when you need more power: the AI Studio. This is their built-in image generator where you can craft your own custom people using prompts, and this part runs on a credit system.
It’s an interesting model that tries to solve the two biggest hurdles for content creators: budget and specificity. Need a generic-but-good-looking face for a blog post right now? Hit the free gallery. Need a very specific character for a marketing campaign? Fire up the AI Studio.
The Free Collection Is Surprisingly Solid
My first stop was the free collection, because who doesn't love free stuff? I was immediately impressed by one thing: the resolution. You can download these images at 16 megapixels. That’s huge. We're not talking about some dinky, pixelated thumbnail. These are genuinely high-resolution images you could slap on a landing page or even use in print without them looking like a blurry mess.
The quality is… good. For the most part, CGFaces has done a decent job of climbing out of the uncanny valley. The faces look human. They have pores, slight imperfections, and natural expressions. Of course, you’ll still find the occasional oddity—an ear that looks a bit too perfect, a slightly vacant stare—but it's miles ahead of where AI was a couple of years ago. The platform also says it self-generates images based on demand and encourages user contributions, which could make the library incredibly diverse over time.
Getting Your Hands Dirty in the AI Studio
Okay, the free stuff is great, but the real fun is in making your own stuff. The AI Studio is where you become the director. I've used my fair share of AI generators, from the behemoth Midjourney to the more user-friendly DALL-E 3, and I'd place the CGFaces studio somewhere in the middle. It’s straightforward enough that you won’t need a PhD in prompt engineering to get started.
Breaking Down the Credit System
This is where money enters the chat. The AI Studio runs on prepaid credits. Now, before you groan and think “another subscription,” hold on. This is actually one of my favorite things about the platform. It's a one-time purchase model. This is like a pay-as-you-go coffee card, not a gym membership that silently drains your account every month while you sit on the couch. You buy a pack of credits, and you use them when you need them. Simple.
The pricing seems pretty reasonable, especially for small-scale users. Here’s a quick look at their credit packs:
| Credits | Price (USD) | What You Get (Roughly) |
|---|---|---|
| 500 Credits | $6.00 | 100 high-quality images or 500 fast images |
| 1000 Credits | $12.00 | 200 high-quality images or 1000 fast images |
| 2200 Credits | $24.00 | 440 high-quality images or 2200 fast images |
| 5000 Credits | $49.00 | 1000 high-quality images or 5000 fast images |
The one major catch? The credits expire after one year. This is a classic move to encourage usage, so if you're an infrequent user, buy the smallest pack you think you'll need.
The Good and The Not-So-Good
Every tool has its quirks. CGFaces is no different. After spending some time with it, here's my brutally honest take from a blogger's point of view.
What I Genuinely Liked
The free, high-res library is the undeniable star. For zero dollars, you get access to a growing collection of usable, non-cringey photos of people. That’s a massive win for anyone on a tight budget. I also appreciate the simplicity of the AI Studio and the non-subscription pricing. It feels less predatory than some other services out there.
What Made Me Pause
The quality of your generated images is entirely dependent on you. I once tried to generate a 'thoughtful SEO expert analyzing a traffic graph at dusk' and got a man with three arms pointing at what looked like a plate of spaghetti. Prompting is a skill. Don't expect magic on your first try. Also, the expiring credits are a bit of a bummer. I have digital assets I bought years ago that I can still use; its a shame these have a shelf life.
Who Should Be Using CGFaces?
So, who is this for? I'd say CGFaces is perfect for a few key groups:
- Bloggers and Content Creators: Need a quick featured image of a person that doesn't look like every other blog in your niche? The free gallery is your new best friend.
- Social Media Managers: You need a high volume of diverse faces for posts and ads. The AI Studio can be a cost-effective way to generate unique visuals.
- Small Business Owners: You're building a website and need some lifestyle shots for your 'About Us' page but don't have the budget for a photoshoot. This is a fantastic alternative.
- Designers: Great for creating mockups and placeholders with realistic people before you get the final assets from a client.
Who is it not for? If you're running a massive national ad campaign for a Fortune 500 company, you're probably still going to need real photographers, model releases, and all that legal jazz. AI isn't quite there yet for replacing the high-stakes commercial world.
Frequently Asked Questions About CGFaces
I've seen a few questions pop up, so let's tackle them head-on.
Are the images on CGFaces really free to use?
For the images in the main 'Free Images' gallery, yes. According to their license page, you can use them for personal and commercial projects. However, you should always double-check the latest license terms on their site before using an image in a critical project. The images you create in the AI Studio are also yours to use.
What happens if my credits expire?
They're gone. Poof. The prepaid credits expire one year after purchase, so it's best to buy a package size that you're confident you'll use within that timeframe.
Can I use these images for my business?
Yes, the license generally allows for commercial use, which is a huge plus. This means for blogs, websites, social media marketing, etc. Again, just give their official license page a quick read to be safe.
How does CGFaces compare to Midjourney or Stable Diffusion?
Think of it as specialized versus generalist. Tools like Midjourney can create anything—dragons, landscapes, abstract art, and people. CGFaces is hyper-focused on one thing: generating realistic people. This focus can make it easier and faster to get a usable human face without as much prompt wrangling.
What's the trick to writing good prompts?
Be specific! Don't just say 'a woman'. Say 'A close-up portrait of a laughing 35-year-old woman with curly red hair, freckles, wearing a green sweater, natural morning light, shallow depth of field.' The more detail you provide about age, ethnicity, expression, clothing, and lighting, the better your result will be.
My Final Verdict on CGFaces
So, is CGFaces the future of stock photography? Maybe not the entire future, but it’s a seriously impressive and useful piece of it. It neatly solves a real, everyday problem for people like me.
The combination of a genuinely free high-resolution library with a straightforward, pay-as-you-go generator is a winning formula. It democratizes access to unique, high-quality images of people. It’s not perfect, and you'll need a little patience to master the AI Studio, but the value here is undeniable. For my money—and for my blog—CGFaces has earned a permanent spot in my digital toolbox.
