Best Free AI Headshot Generators in 2026: What You Actually Get

"Free AI headshot generator" is one of the most searched terms in this space. And every tool claims to offer one. But "free" does a lot of heavy lifting in these marketing pages. Some give you 3 credits a day. Some put you on a waitlist. Some generate results so mediocre they're only free because nobody would pay for them.

We tested the most popular free AI headshot generators to find out what you actually get without paying. And whether the results are worth using on your LinkedIn, resume, or company website. The AI headshot market is booming, and free tools are riding that wave.

How We Evaluated

Every tool was tested the same way: upload selfies (where required), generate headshots, evaluate on four criteria:

1. Realism (Does it look like a real photo or obviously AI-generated?)
2. Likeness (Does it actually look like the person who uploaded the photos?)
3. Quality (Resolution, lighting, background, overall polish)
4. What "free" actually means (Credits, watermarks, resolution limits, waitlists)

Can I get AI headshots for free?

Yes, several tools offer free tiers, but they come with significant limitations like watermarks, low resolution, limited style options, and fewer outputs. Free tools typically skip custom model training, so results look generic rather than specifically like you. For professional use, paid options starting around $27 deliver noticeably better quality and likeness.

Most free tools use general-purpose models instead of training on your specific face. That means you get results that look professional in the abstract but don't capture your actual features. If you need a headshot for casual use or to test the technology, free tools work fine. For LinkedIn, your resume, or anywhere a first impression counts, the quality gap becomes obvious.

What is the cheapest AI headshot generator?

Free options exist like Canva and MyEdit, but the cheapest paid generator with genuinely good quality is Narkis at $27 for 200 headshots. HeadshotPro offers 120 headshots for $29, and Aragon charges $25 for 40 headshots. All three train custom models on your face rather than using generic templates.

The price difference between free and $27 is small, but the quality gap is enormous. Free tools produce results that look AI-generated. Paid tools that train custom models produce headshots indistinguishable from studio photography. For most professionals, that's worth the cost of lunch.

The Free AI Headshot Generators

1. Canva AI Headshot Generator

What you get for free: Basic AI headshot generation through Canva's free tier. Upload a photo, select gender, get results.

The reality: Canva's strength is design templates, not AI photo generation. The headshots look acceptable from a distance but fall apart on close inspection. Skin textures are smoothed to uncanny-valley territory. Backgrounds are generic. If you're using it for a presentation slide where nobody will zoom in, it works. For LinkedIn? You can do better.

Verdict: Functional but visibly AI-generated. Fine for internal use, not for your professional profile.

2. HeadshotPro Free Tool

What you get for free: A basic headshot generator separate from their paid product. They're transparent about it. The free version won't match their paid tier.

The reality: HeadshotPro's paid product is genuinely good. Their free tool is a lead magnet. The quality gap between free and paid is intentional and obvious. Free results have limited style options, lower resolution, and less realistic output. It exists to make you want the $29 version.

Verdict: Honest about its limitations. Worth trying to see if you like their style before paying.

3. Aragon AI

What you get for free: A waitlist. You sign up, you wait, you might eventually get free headshots. Or you can pay $12+ to skip the line.

The reality: When you do get results, Aragon produces solid headshots. Their training process uses 12-20 uploaded photos and generates 40+ outputs. The quality is among the better options in this space. But calling it "free" when there's a waitlist with no guaranteed timeline is generous marketing.

Verdict: Good product, misleading "free" claim. Budget $12-25 if you want to actually use it.

4. MyEdit by CyberLink

What you get for free: 3 credits per day. Each credit generates one headshot.

The reality: MyEdit is surprisingly capable for a free tool. The results are clean, the customization options (background, style) are usable, and the interface is straightforward. Three credits a day means you can experiment over a few days and end up with a decent headshot without paying. The catch is limited style options on free. Premium unlocks the good stuff.

Verdict: The most genuinely useful free option. If you're patient and don't need extensive customization, this works.

5. Fotor AI Headshot Generator

What you get for free: Basic generation with watermarks on some outputs and limited resolution.

The reality: Fotor has been in the photo editing space for years. Their AI headshot tool is decent but not specialized. It's a feature within a broader editing platform. Results are acceptable but generic. You'll look professional in the way that stock photos look professional: technically correct, emotionally flat.

Verdict: Usable if you already have a Fotor account. Not worth signing up specifically for headshots.

6. HeadshotMaster

What you get for free: Genuinely free generation, no sign-up required.

The reality: No sign-up is a strong selling point. Upload a selfie, get a headshot. The quality is inconsistent. Some outputs are surprisingly good, others look like they were generated by a model from two years ago. No training on your face means likeness is hit-or-miss.

Verdict: Quick and genuinely free. Good for seeing what AI headshots look like. Not reliable enough for professional use.

The Problem With Free AI Headshots

There's a pattern across every free tool we tested: they skip the step that matters most.

The best AI headshot generators train a custom model on your face using multiple photos from different angles. This is what produces headshots that actually look like you. Not a generic attractive person with your approximate hair color.

Free tools can't afford to do this. Custom model training costs compute time. So they use general-purpose models that produce generic results. The output might look professional in the abstract, but it won't look like you.

What Actually Works

If you need headshots that are both professional and recognizably you, the math changes. The question isn't "is there a free tool?". It's "what's the best value?"

Narkis.ai trains a custom LoRA model on your selfies in about 3 minutes, then generates 200 headshots for $27. That's 13 cents per headshot, each one trained specifically on your face. The results are photorealistic. Indistinguishable from studio photography.

Compare that to:

• HeadshotPro at $29 for 120 headshots (24 cents each)
• Aragon at $25 for 40 headshots (63 cents each)
• Dreamwave at $35 for 40 headshots (88 cents each)
• A studio photographer at $200-500 for 5-20 edited photos ($10-100 each)

The free tools save you $27 but cost you quality and likeness. For most professionals, that's the wrong trade.

For a broader look at how headshot expectations differ by profession, see our complete guide to types of professional headshots.

The Bottom Line

Free AI headshot generators exist, and some of them produce passable results. MyEdit is the best of the bunch for genuinely free use. HeadshotPro's free tool is honest about being a demo.

But if your headshot matters. If it's going on LinkedIn, your company's website, your conference bio, or anywhere that a first impression counts. The gap between free and a $27 custom-trained model is enormous.

Try the free tools. See what the technology can do. Then decide if your professional image is worth less than the price of lunch.