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Kelli Parker

Award-Winning Communications SME with 15+ years experience

November 23, 2024

Let’s face it (pun intended): we’re living in a world where your online presence can make or break opportunities. Whether you’re looking to dazzle on LinkedIn, charm on social media, or just want to avoid using that grainy webcam shot from 2010, a fantastic headshot is your secret weapon. But who has the time or cash to hire a professional photographer these days? Enter the magical world of AI headshot generators!

Imagine creating a stunning, professional-grade headshot without leaving your couch or changing out of your pajamas. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, pinch yourself, because it’s real! I started playing around with the technology in 2023 and embarked on a mission to find the crème de la crème of AI headshot generators. I’ve been testing out Secta, Aragon, Headshotpro, and Betterpic. Strap in, because I’m about to spill the tea on which one deserves the crown.

Picture this: 300 high-quality images, 75+ styles, and 13 powerful customization tools. No, it’s not a juiced-up photo studio – it’s Secta Labs! These folks are like a wish-granting genie of the digital age, but instead of three wishes, you get hundreds of picture-perfect versions of yourself. It’s a selfie enthusiast’s dream come true! Of all the tools I’ve tried, Secta Labs delivers the most accurate results in terms of likeness and realism, making them my top pick and number one choice.

They’ve also got a 30-day money-back guarantee (perfect for the commitment-phobes among us) and a cool “photo replication” feature. Ever wanted to magically transplant your head onto a body with better fashion sense? Just me? OK.

• Ease of use: Very easy to use
• Image Requirements: 20 Images (Minimum)
• Turn Around Time: Less than 1 hour
• Image Quality Score: 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Number of Images: 300 HQ Images
• Editing Options: 13 powerful tools
• Styles: 75+ Styles
• Pricing: $49 (Once-off payment)
• Subscription: Basic ($3.99), Pro ($9.99), Unlimited ($14.99/month)
• Money-back Guarantee: 30 Days
• Free Retries: Up to two free retries
• Private Gallery: Yes
• Live Chat Support: Yes
• Sharing: Yes

Image Requirements: 20 Images

Secta’s user interface is very user-friendly, and the process is easy—from filling out basic information to uploading images. They provide instructions and a video guide to help you get the best results, and they automatically reject low-quality images. The only challenging part is the image upload. The service requires a minimum of 20 images. That said, I understood why, after receiving the results—the accuracy and likeness were excellent.

Image Quality Score: 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Because of the large number of images (300 HQ images), I expected to receive them in more than two hours, but I was surprised to get them in less than an hour.

I gave Secta a 5-star rating because I was really amazed by the results I received. My AI twin didn’t look like it came from the uncanny valley. Wrinkles? Check. Natural skin texture? You bet. White hair at my temples? Sigh. It’s me but on a really, really good day.

When I scrolled through the hundred of images from Secta, they had the most realistic results, especially when it comes to skin color and texture. My wrinkles looked natural, and my skin wasn’t overly smooth or perfect. The balance between lighting and shadows was just right, and the resolution was excellent — not too sharp or too smooth.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Editing Options: 13 Editing Tools

Another advantage of Secta AI is its 13 editing tools and the wide range of over 75 styles available.

The editing tools include the basics like changing the background, clothing, expression, upscaling, and more. This allows for significant customization, helping users achieve their desired look easily.

Styles

There are more than 75 image styles to play around with.

Shook

The Shook feature allows you to copy styles, clothing, and vibe, and you can also swap your face onto a photo.

Sample Shook Results

Pricing

Secta Labs AI offers prices starting at $49 for 300 headshots. They also have different subscription plans that you can choose from based on what you need.

Aragon AI is one of the most well-known AI headshot generators, and it claims to be ranked number one in this field. It stands out as the only AI headshot generator that can create 100 high-quality images using just 6 uploaded photos. This efficiency makes Aragon AI appealing to users who may not have many images available but still want a large variety of professional headshots.

Aragon AI Overview

• Ease of use: Very easy to use
• Image Requirements: 6 Images
• Image Quality Score: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
• Number of Images: 100 HQ Images
• Editing Options: 13 powerful tools
• Styles: 6 Styles
• Pricing: $35 starter, $45 Basic, $75 Premium (I chose the starter package)
• Money-back Guarantee: 7 Days
• Turn Around Time: Less than 1 hour
• Free Retries: 1 free retry
• Private Gallery: Yes
• Sharing: Yes
• Live Chat Support: Yes

Image Requirements: 6 Images

Filling out basic information on Aragon AI is quite easy, and I was really impressed by their image requirements. They only require a minimum of 6 images and allow up to 10 for upload. This is particularly beneficial for those who may not take many pictures on their phones or don’t have many saved photos.

Aragon AI also has strict uploading guidelines; images with multiple faces are automatically rejected. This ensures that the AI can work with clear and appropriate images to create high-quality headshots.

Image Quality Score: 3 ⭐⭐⭐

In their advertisement, Aragon AI promises a 2-hour turnaround time, but I actually received my 100 images in less than 1 hour, which was a pleasant surprise. Below are examples of the images that I liked the most.

At first glance, the images are beautiful and high-quality. I really like the clothing and styles in the photos. However, I gave it a 3-star rating because NONE of these images actually look like me, and the skin texture looks too smooth, like it has been heavily retouched. I prefer a less perfect look that captures my real facial details and skin texture to make it look more realistic.

Editing Options: 13 powerful tools

Similar to Secta Labs, Aragon AI also offers 13 powerful tools. With these tools, you can perform various basic editing and retouching options, such as background removal, face enhancement, text removal, and more. These features make it easy for users to customize and improve their images to achieve the desired look. However, Aragon AI currently offers only 6 styles, which is significantly fewer compared to Secta Labs, which has over 75 styles to choose from. This limitation might affect users looking for a wider variety of options to match their preferences.

Styles

There are six style options.

Pricing

Aragon AI offers different pricing options based on your needs. They provide three tiers: Star, Basic, and Premium. Each tier comes with varying features, including more images, poses, backgrounds, and faster processing times. This flexibility allows users to choose a plan that best suits their requirements.

Another popular AI headshot generator is HeadshotPro, one of the pioneers in the market. If you’re looking to save money and only need images without extra features like changing the background, clothing, or expressions, then HeadshotPro is a great option for you. It’s ideal for those who don’t need personalized elements and just want high-quality images at an affordable price.

HeadshotPro Overview

• Ease of use: Very easy
• Image Requirements: 15 Images (Minimum)
• Turn Around Time: Less than 1 hour
• Image Quality Score: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
• Number of Images: 39 HQ Images
• Editing Options: 2 editing tools
• Styles: 36 Styles
• Pricing: Basic: $29, Pro: $39, Executive: $59 (I chose the Basic package)
• Money-back Guarantee: Less than 14 Days
• Free Retries: Unverified
• Private Gallery: Yes
• Sharing: No
• Live Chat Support: No (thru email)

Image Requirements: 15 Images

Their user interface is also great, very minimalist like Secta Labs, and the process of filling out basic information and uploading photos is super easy. They required me to upload 15 images and provided instructions and guides on what makes a good photo. They even automatically reject any bad photos, especially those with multiple faces, which makes the process smoother.

Image Quality Score: 3 ⭐⭐⭐

Again, I received the results in less than an hour, which was impressive. The images were high quality, and I really liked the vibe and feel—they were very relaxing and beautiful. However, I gave a 3-star rating because, again, the images don’t look like me at all! I noticed that the image quality was similar to Aragon, but HeadshotPro’s images were more close-up, and the skin texture seemed a bit too smooth, like it had been retouched. Also, about 95% of the results featured short hairstyles. Overall, HeadshotPro delivers good images but needs to improve the likeness.

Below are examples of the images I liked the most.

Editing Options: 4 powerful tools

HeadshotPro has very limited editing options. However, they make up for this with a variety of styles. As I mentioned earlier, if you’re looking for more customization options, this might not be the best choice for you. But if you’re looking to save money and time and don’t need extra features, HeadshotPro could be a great fit for you.

Styles

There are 36 styles to play with.

Pricing

HeadshotPro offers prices starting at $29 for 40 headshots. If you need more images, they also have options for $39 for 100 images and $59 for 200 images. Each package delivers high-quality results, making it an excellent choice for enhancing your professional image.

Among the four AI headshot generators I’ve mentioned, BetterPic is the only one that offers 4K studio-quality photos. When I searched online about BetterPic, I also found that they had 12 AI editing tools. However, when I tried it recently, only 3 tools were available: Remove Background, Colored Background, and Human Edit. It’s possible that they are currently updating their platform for an improved version of their image editing tools.

BetterPic Overview

• Ease of use: Very easy
• Image Requirements: 8 Images (Minimum)
• Image Quality Score: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
• Number of Images: 20 - 4K Images
• Editing Options: 3 editing tools
• Styles: 8 Background types
• Pricing: $39 Basic, $45 Pro, $79 Expert (I chose the Basic Plan)
• Money-back Guarantee: 7 Days for not trained model and less than 14 days for the trained model
• Turn Around Time: Less than 1 hour
• Free Retries: 1 free redo on (Expert package)
• Private Gallery: Yes
• Sharing: Yes
• Live Chat Support: Yes

Image Requirements: 8 Images

The process with BetterPic is very easy. Like Aragon, which requires a minimum of 6 images, BetterPic asks for 8 images, making it the second AI headshot generator with the fewest image requirements for creating high-quality headshots. What’s impressive is that you receive 4K studio-quality images. BetterPic also provides helpful guides to ensure you’re uploading the right type of images for the best results. They even reject images with multiple faces, likely to avoid poor outcomes.

One key feature is the quality score given for your uploaded images. This score is important because it tells you whether your photos are good enough to generate high-quality headshots. Knowing upfront if your images meet the necessary standards helps avoid bad results and saves time.

Surprisingly, like the other headshot generators, BetterPic also delivered impressive speed in processing results. I received my images in less than an hour, but I only received 20 pictures, which is the least compared to the competitors. For instance, Secta offers 300 images, Aragon provides 100 images, and HeadshotPro gives 39 images. This might be because of the high resolution you get, which is why they only provide a limited number of images for their Basic Plan at $39.

Image Quality Score: 3 ⭐⭐⭐

Below are the images I liked the most.

The high resolution of the images generated by BetterPic is undeniable, resembling those taken by a professional photographer. However, personally, I prefer backgrounds that aren’t too busy and have a more minimalist look, especially since I plan to use them as a professional headshot. Additionally, all of these photos made me look MUCH younger than I am, and the likenesses didn’t capture my real appearance. She could be a young niece of mine. These are areas that could be improved. Overall, I still see a lot of potential in BetterPic to compete with other AI headshot generators.

Editing Options: 3 editing tools

I was pleased with the image editing tools they offer, as the results were great. However, I felt a bit limited in personalizing the images I wanted, as they currently only provide three editing tools. Based on my online research, I initially thought there were 12 editing tools available. I believe they are working on improvements since there’s an announcement about AI edits V2.0 on their page, which is something I’ll be looking forward to.

Pricing

BetterPic offers different pricing options based on your needs. They provide three tiers: Basic $39, Pro $45 and Premium $79.

All four AI headshot generators provide great image quality, and the cost is worth it. Aragon is amazing because it only requires 6 images to generate 100 HQ headshots. HeadshotPro needs 15 images to generate 40 high-quality headshots, Betterpic requires 8 images for 20 4K headshots, and Secta Labs needs 20 images to generate 300 HQ images.

I can say that all of these services put in the effort to provide a great experience for each customer, but the one that stood out the most in terms of the number of images received, image quality, accuracy, and product features is Secta Labs AI, making it my number one choice. If you want headshots that make you look like the best version of yourself (without crossing into “Wait, who is that?!” territory), Secta Labs is your new best friend. It’s like having a personal photographer, stylist, and magician all rolled into one AI-powered package.

So go ahead and give it a whirl. Your LinkedIn profile (and your mom, who’s been asking for an updated photo for the last five years) will thank you!