Photo AI, Lensa and Epik alternatives
Photo AI, Lensa and Epik all make AI pictures of you from your own photos. They charge in different ways: Photo AI by subscription, Lensa and Epik through in-app purchases. This page compares them with haloshot, an AI photoshoot app where you add three photos, pick one of 124 art-directed shoots and see a free five-frame preview before you buy HD photos in one-time packs. Prices checked 13 October 2026.
The short answer
Photo AI suits people who want many photos a month and will write prompts. Lensa and Epik are photo editors with AI effects and paid themed packs. haloshot is narrower: 124 fixed shoots, five matching frames per shoot and no subscription. Gemini and ChatGPT stay the free option for a one-off image.
What to compare
Check these five things before you pay:
- How you pay. Subscription, in-app purchase or one-time pack.
- What you upload. How many photos, and of what.
- Who picks the look. You, with a prompt, or the app, with a preset.
- What one look gives you. How many images, and whether they match each other.
- What you may do with them. Personal use only, or commercial use too.
Photo AI, Lensa, Epik and haloshot at a glance
| haloshot | Photo AI | Lensa | Epik | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | AI photoshoot app with 124 art-directed shoots | AI photographer that creates a model of you, with themed photo packs and your own prompts | AI photo editor by Prisma Labs with AI effects and avatars | AI photo and video editor by SNOW Corporation with AI filters and Yearbook packs |
| Photos you upload | 3: face, half turn, full length | 5 to 15 to create your model | Not stated on the App Store listing | 8 to 12 selfies for AI Yearbook (TechCrunch, 2023) |
| How you pay | One-time packs, no subscription | Monthly or yearly subscription | In-app purchases: avatar packs and Unlimited Access | In-app purchases: Yearbook packs and EPIK PRO |
| Prices | Free preview, then €4.99 to €19.99 per pack | $19 to $199 a month, or $99 to $1,199 a year | $2.99 to $49.99; Magic Avatars packs $3.99 to $11.99 | Yearbook packs $3.99 to $9.99; EPIK PRO $11.99 a month or $51.99 a year |
| Free to try | 1 preview (5 frames) and 2 HD photos | No free plan listed | Free download | Free download |
| Who picks the look | You pick one of 124 shoots | Photo packs, or your own prompts from the Pro plan | You pick an effect or avatar style | You pick a pack or filter |
Photo AI prices as shown on photoai.com/pricing; Lensa and Epik prices from the US App Store. All checked 13 October 2026.
The alternatives in detail
haloshot
haloshot starts from the look. Each of its 124 shoots, in 11 collections, is a written plan by art director Alex But that fixes the light, lens, set, clothes and location. You add three photos, choose a shoot and get a free preview of five frames, then keep the ones you like as 4:5 HD photos at 1 credit each. Packs are one-time: €4.99 for 10, €9.99 for 25 or €19.99 for 60, and credits never expire.
It does not edit photos you already have, take prompts or make video, and it offers nothing outside its own shoots.
Photo AI
Photo AI, at photoai.com, asks for 5 to 15 photos to create an AI model of you, which the site says takes about 5 minutes. You then take pictures with themed photo packs, and from the Pro plan you can write your own prompts. Every plan is a subscription: Starter is $19 a month for 50 AI credits, Pro $49 for 1,000, Max $99 for 3,000 and Ultra $199 for 10,000, with lower prices if you pay yearly. The pricing page lists Starter for personal use only and a commercial use license from Pro, and names Nano Banana Pro on every plan.
Pick Photo AI over haloshot if you want a large number of photos every month, prompts of your own or the extras on its higher plans, such as video.
Lensa
Lensa, by Prisma Labs, calls itself “the AI photo editor for the trending looks creators love.” It works on photos you already have: retouching, an eraser, an enhancer and AI effects such as Golden Hour, Halo Flash and Y2K Digicam, plus avatars in artistic styles. It is free to download on iOS and Android. The US App Store lists in-app purchases from $2.99 (Unlimited Access for one week) to $49.99, and Magic Avatars packs from $3.99 to $11.99. The listing does not say what each Unlimited Access tier includes, so check in the app before you buy.
Pick Lensa over haloshot if you want to retouch your own photos or add a quick effect to one of them.
Epik
EPIK, by SNOW Corporation, is an AI photo and video editor with enhance, skin retouching, cutouts, object removal, AI filters and hairstyle and expression changes. Its AI Yearbook took it to No. 1 on the App Store in October 2023. TechCrunch reported then that you uploaded 8 to 12 selfies and got 60 images back, in up to 24 hours or in under two hours for a higher price. The US App Store now lists Yearbook packs from $3.99 to $9.99 and EPIK PRO at $0.99 a week, $11.99 a month or $51.99 a year.
Pick Epik over haloshot if you want a cheap themed pack like the Yearbook, or a full photo and video editor.
Gemini and ChatGPT
General AI assistants make portraits too. Both are free to start and follow any prompt, and you write the art direction yourself. The details are in Gemini vs haloshot and ChatGPT vs haloshot.
Pricing compared
| App | How you pay | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| haloshot | One-time packs; credits never expire | Free: 1 preview and 2 HD photos. Starter €4.99 for 10 HD, Shoot €9.99 for 25 HD, Studio €19.99 for 60 HD |
| Photo AI | Subscription, monthly or yearly | Starter $19 a month or $99 a year; Pro $49 or $349; Max $99 or $599; Ultra $199 or $1,199 |
| Lensa | In-app purchases (US App Store) | Unlimited Access from $2.99 for a week; other items up to $49.99; Magic Avatars packs $3.99 to $11.99 |
| Epik | In-app purchases (US App Store) | Yearbook packs $3.99 to $9.99; EPIK PRO $0.99 a week, $11.99 a month or $51.99 a year |
| Gemini | Free, or a Google AI plan | Free tier; Google AI Plus $4.99 a month, Google AI Pro $19.99 a month (US) |
| ChatGPT | Free, or a ChatGPT plan | Free plan with limited image creation; Plus $20 a month |
App Store and Google prices change by country. For one set of 10 HD portraits, haloshot costs €4.99 once; the cheapest Photo AI plan costs $19 for one month or $99 for a year. Prices checked 13 October 2026.
Which one to pick
- Many photos a month and your own prompts: Photo AI.
- Retouching and effects on photos you already have: Lensa.
- A cheap themed pack, or a full photo and video editor: Epik.
- A free one-off image of your own idea: Gemini or ChatGPT.
- A matched five-frame set in a finished look, without a subscription: haloshot.
haloshot shoots to compare
Five frames per shoot, all in the same light, lens, set and outfit. Open one to see its example frames and settings.
Sources
- Photo AI: pricing
- Photo AI: home page (photos to upload, training time)
- Lensa AI on the US App Store
- Lensa: official site
- EPIK on the US App Store
- TechCrunch, 6 October 2023: AI app Epik hits No. 1 on the App Store for its viral yearbook photo feature
- Google: Gemini subscriptions
- OpenAI Help: What is ChatGPT Plus?
All checked 13 October 2026, except the TechCrunch article, which reports on October 2023.
See a shoot before you pay
Three photos in, a free five-frame preview out. HD photos in one-time packs, no subscription.
Questions
Is there a Photo AI alternative without a subscription?
Yes. haloshot sells HD photos in one-time packs (€4.99 for 10, €9.99 for 25, €19.99 for 60), and credits never expire. Lensa and Epik sell packs as in-app purchases. Every Photo AI plan is a subscription (checked 13 October 2026).
How many photos do I need to upload?
haloshot needs 3: face, half turn and full length. Photo AI asks for 5 to 15 to create your model. For Epik’s AI Yearbook, TechCrunch reported 8 to 12 selfies in 2023. Lensa’s App Store listing does not give a number.
Does haloshot train an AI model on my photos?
No. Your three photos go with each shoot’s plan to the OpenAI Images API as reference, and neither haloshot nor OpenAI trains models on them. You can delete your photos and everything made from them at any time. Photo AI works differently: it creates a model of you from your uploads.
Which is cheapest for a few photos?
Gemini and ChatGPT cost nothing on their free tiers. haloshot gives every new account 1 free preview and 2 free HD photos, then 10 HD photos for €4.99. On the US App Store, Epik’s Yearbook packs and Lensa’s Magic Avatars packs start at $3.99.
Can I see a haloshot style before I upload photos?
Yes. Each of the 124 shoots has a page with example frames and its camera and light settings, so you see the look first. Browse all shoots.
More comparisons: Gemini vs haloshot · ChatGPT vs haloshot · All comparisons