7 Best AI Headshot Generators in 2026 (Tested and Ranked)
A professional headshot used to mean booking a photographer, driving across town, spending an hour posing under lights, then waiting a week for proofs. Total cost: $250-450 in a major US city. Now you upload 6-15 selfies to an AI tool and get 40-200 studio-quality headshots in under two hours for $29-79.
LinkedIn says profiles with professional photos get 21x more views and 36x more messages. About 44% of professionals have either switched to AI headshots or are considering it. If you want to learn how to get the best results from AI tools like these, the AI Academy covers practical AI skills including image generation.
The tools have gotten good enough that in blind tests, evaluators can't reliably tell AI-generated from real. But there's a catch: only 10-20% of AI headshots are truly usable in a professional context. The rest have subtle issues with eyes, teeth, hands, or that "too perfect" look that 38% of viewers describe as "soulless." Picking the right tool matters.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Photos | Turnaround | Trustpilot | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aragon AI | $35-75 | 40-100 | 15-90 min | 5.0/5 (6,100) | LinkedIn, realism |
| HeadshotPro | $29-59 | 40-200 | 1-3 hrs | 4.6/5 (3,220) | Teams, enterprise |
| BetterPic | $35-79 | varies | <60 min | 4.8/5 (1,000) | 4K quality, realism |
| Secta AI | $49 | 200+ | 1-3 hrs | Mixed | Volume, editing |
| Dreamwave | $35-99 | 100-400 | 30-90 min | 2.8/5 | Volume, human touch |
| Try It On AI | $19-47 | 100-200 | ~90 min | Mixed (400) | Budget option |
| Fotor | Free/$9.99/mo | 2 free | Fast | N/A | Free testing |
Aragon AI
Aragon AI produces the most photorealistic headshots I've seen from any AI generator. In multiple independent blind tests, their output fools evaluators more consistently than any competitor. The results look like they came from an actual photo studio, not a diffusion model.
You upload just 6 selfies (the fewest of any tool), pick your attire style and background, and get results in 15-90 minutes depending on your plan:
- Basic: $35 for 40 headshots
- Standard: $45 for 60 headshots, 2 attire types, 30-min delivery
- Executive: $75 for all attire and background options, 15-min delivery
The "Remix" feature is unique to Aragon: after generation, you can adjust backgrounds, create variations, and tweak results at no extra cost. Genuinely useful because even with the best generator, you'll want to fine-tune your top picks.
Ratings: Trustpilot 5.0/5 from 6,100+ reviews. The highest score at the highest volume of any tool on this list.
Where it falls short: some users report occasional facial distortions around eyes, teeth, and lips. Mid-range pricing with no free tier to test.
HeadshotPro
HeadshotPro is the tool I'd recommend for companies that need consistent headshots across a team. When your "About Us" page has 30 people shot by 30 different photographers over 5 years, it looks messy. HeadshotPro generates everyone's photos with the same lighting, style, and background. visual consistency that traditional photography can't match without expensive coordination.
Basic at $29 (40 headshots). Professional at $39 (100 headshots). Executive at $59 (200 headshots). Team at $39/user, enterprise deals around $20/employee with 120+ images each.
Fortune 500 companies use HeadshotPro, which says something about the quality bar. You upload 12-20 selfies (more than Aragon requires), and turnaround is 1-3 hours. The usability rate is about 70%, meaning roughly 28 out of 40 headshots on the Basic plan will be good enough for professional use. That works out to about $1.25 per usable photo.
Ratings: Trustpilot 4.6/5 from 3,220 reviews.
Privacy is solid: uploaded photos are deleted after 7 days, generated headshots after 30 days. The complaints that do exist focus on needing genuinely good selfies to start with. Garbage in, garbage out applies here.
BetterPic
BetterPic stands out for one specific reason: 4K resolution (3840x5120 pixels) on every plan, including the cheapest one. Most competitors generate at 512x512 or 1080p and charge extra for high resolution. If you need headshots for large-format printing, conference materials, or high-res website headers, BetterPic delivers without upscaling artifacts.
The Expert plan at $79 includes human editing: a real person reviews and touches up your AI-generated photos. That hybrid approach catches the small issues AI misses: subtle skin texture problems, unrealistic hair details, or slightly off lighting. Over 100,000 customers have used BetterPic, generating 34+ million headshots total.
Basic at $35. Pro at $39. Expert at $79 (includes human editing).
Ratings: Trustpilot 4.8/5 from 1,000+ reviews. Right between Aragon and HeadshotPro on user satisfaction.
The limitation: fewer total photos per dollar compared to volume-focused tools like Secta AI or Dreamwave. If you want 200+ shots to pick from, BetterPic isn't the most efficient choice.
Secta AI
Secta AI takes a volume approach. One plan at $49 gives you 200+ headshots across 130+ styles. The math: about $0.16 per headshot, the lowest cost-per-image of any dedicated tool.
At a 10-15% usability rate (typical for high-volume generation), you still end up with 20-30 genuinely good shots. That's competitive in absolute numbers even though the hit rate is lower.
Key features:
- Built-in AI editor for backgrounds, variations, expansion, and upscaling
- Up to 7 styles per batch (corporate, casual, creative shots in one purchase)
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Turnaround is advertised as under an hour but real-world reports suggest 2-3 hours. Hand and finger distortion shows up more frequently than with Aragon or BetterPic. If you want quality over quantity, look elsewhere. If you want the maximum options at the lowest price, Secta delivers.
Dreamwave AI
Dreamwave pushes the volume dial even further. The Best Value plan at $99 generates 400 photos with 15 outfits, 10 backdrops, 2 free redos, and unlimited human touchups. That last feature matters: a real person will adjust any photo you're not satisfied with, as many times as you want.
Starter at $35 (100 photos). Standard at $59 (200 photos). Best Value at $99 (400 photos + unlimited touchups). Free tier available (queue measured in weeks, not minutes).
Dreamwave focuses on avoiding the "AI look," and in blind realism tests, their headshots are rated as "real" more often than most competitors.
Ratings: Trustpilot 2.8/5 from only 7 reviews (too small to draw conclusions). Self-reported: 4.4/5 from 4,892 users. The complaints mention billing issues and inconsistent quality. Verify with a test run.
Try It On AI
Try It On AI is the cheapest dedicated headshot generator. Built by MIT AI engineers and used by 800,000+ professionals.
Creative Studio at $19 (125 images). Express at $21 (100 headshots, ~90 minutes). Premium at $47 (200 images + 2 human edits).
Quality is noticeably below Aragon and BetterPic. Reviewers report issues with extra teeth, unusual finger shapes, and background artifacts. Hair and skin color accuracy is good, but facial features often drift from source photos.
For a LinkedIn photo you'll use casually, it works fine. For a headshot going on your company's website or investor materials, spend the extra $15-30 on Aragon or HeadshotPro. The quality difference justifies the small premium when the photo represents your professional identity.
Fotor
Fotor is the only major tool offering a true free tier: 2 headshots at no cost, no account required. The quality gap versus paid tools is significant, so think of it as a way to calibrate your expectations rather than your final destination.
The paid tier runs $9.99/month (subscription, not one-time). At that monthly cost, you'd spend $120/year, more than any one-time purchase tool on this list. Unless you need ongoing headshot generation, a single purchase from Aragon or HeadshotPro is better value.
Use Fotor to test whether AI headshots work for your face shape and style preferences. If the free results look promising, invest in a paid tool for the final version. If they look terrible, that's useful information too. Either way, it costs you nothing to find out.
How to choose
If quality is everything: Aragon AI ($35-75). Highest realism, best Trustpilot score, fewest uploads required.
If you're buying for a team: HeadshotPro ($29-59, team discounts). Consistent style across employees, enterprise pricing, Fortune 500 trusted.
If you need 4K resolution: BetterPic ($35-79). 4K on every plan, optional human editing on Expert tier.
If you want maximum options to pick from: Dreamwave ($35-99) or Secta AI ($49). 200-400 photos per purchase.
If budget is the priority: Try It On AI ($19-47). Cheapest dedicated tool, decent for casual use.
If you want to test first: Fotor (free). 2 headshots at zero cost, no signup.
One important note: the quality of your input selfies matters more than which tool you pick. All of these generators need clear, well-lit photos with simple backgrounds. Blurry gym selfies will produce bad results on every platform. Spend 5 minutes taking good selfies in natural light before uploading.
FAQ
Are AI headshots good enough for LinkedIn?
Yes. Tools like Aragon AI and BetterPic produce results that are indistinguishable from professional photography in most cases. LinkedIn profiles with professional photos get 21x more views, and AI headshots deliver that same boost at 90% less cost. The caveat: pick from your results carefully. Only 10-20% of generated images are truly professional-grade, so generate a large batch and be selective.
Can people tell if a headshot is AI-generated?
Sometimes. About 38% of viewers describe AI headshots as looking "too perfect" or "soulless." The tells are usually in the eyes (too sharp or symmetrical), skin texture (too smooth), and backgrounds (too clean). Better tools like Aragon and BetterPic minimize these artifacts. AI detection tools can identify diffusion-model images with 62-94% accuracy, but most people aren't running detection tools on your LinkedIn photo.
How much do AI headshots cost vs. a real photographer?
A traditional headshot session costs $250-450 in a major US city, plus time for travel, shooting, and proofing (3-5 hours total). AI headshots cost $29-79 one-time and take 15 minutes of selfie-taking plus 1-3 hours of generation. That's a 80-90% cost reduction and significant time savings. The trade-off is authenticity: a skilled photographer captures something real about you that AI approximates.
How many selfies do I need to upload?
It varies: Aragon AI needs just 6, HeadshotPro wants 12-20, and most others fall somewhere in between. Use varied angles (front, 3/4, slight left, slight right), natural lighting, and simple backgrounds. Avoid sunglasses, heavy filters, or group photos. The better your input, the better your output.
Should I use a free AI headshot generator?
Free tools like Fotor are fine for testing whether AI headshots work for you. For actual professional use, pay the $29-79 for a dedicated tool. The quality difference is obvious, and this is a photo that represents you to employers, clients, and colleagues. A $35 investment in Aragon or HeadshotPro pays for itself the first time someone views your profile and takes you seriously.
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