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Craiyon is the current name of DALL-E Mini, an independent text-to-image project created by machine-learning engineer Boris Dayma. It became famous in 2022 because it made image generation accessible and produced strange, often funny results that users could share. Dayma’s available interviews are historical, not a new interview; Craiyon’s current service describes a broader set of image-generation and editing features.
This retrospective covers the project’s origins and viral appeal, then summarizes Craiyon’s current product and plan information as reviewed on October 7, 2026. Features, prices, and terms can change, so check Craiyon’s live pages before relying on them.
The creator behind DALL-E Mini
Boris Dayma was the central creator of the original DALL-E Mini project. His interviews describe him as leading its early development, but do not establish Craiyon’s current ownership or leadership structure.
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Dayma was interested in the possibilities described in OpenAI’s original DALL-E research: a system that could interpret a written prompt and produce an image. He began developing DALL-E Mini at a Google–Hugging Face community event in July 2021.
Historical accounts of the project appear in BBC Science Focus and WIRED. These are historical reports, not a newly published corporate interview with Craiyon.
How DALL-E Mini became Craiyon
DALL-E Mini was an independent attempt to reproduce the general idea of text-to-image generation. It was inspired by OpenAI’s research, but it was not an OpenAI product or service.
- OpenAI published its DALL-E research. The work inspired independent developers to explore text-to-image generation.
- Dayma began the project in 2021. He developed the first version at a Google–Hugging Face event in July.
- The early results were limited. The first version could produce simple prompts, while more complex images were often distorted or ambiguous.
- Users shared the results. The system’s accessible, unpredictable generations proved well suited to experimentation and social sharing.
- The project changed its name. WIRED reported that OpenAI requested a name change to avoid confusion with its DALL-E brand. The independent project became known as Craiyon.
Craiyon’s current About page lists the company’s start as 2022 and says it released DALL-E Mini in June 2021. Keep the company/service date distinct from the project’s development at the July 2021 event.
Why the images went viral
Early images could be muddy, distorted, or anatomically strange, and prompts could be interpreted unpredictably. Those limitations also made the results surprising and often funny. Users compared prompts with their outputs, then shared and remixed the images as memes.
Dayma told WIRED that his own creative prompt was “Eiffel Tower on the moon,” adding that users went on to try stranger ideas. This was a historical comment, not a new statement for this article.
The viral moment was not simply a story about “bad AI.” DALL-E Mini made image generation accessible at a time when other systems had more limited access, while users developed the prompt conventions and sharing practices that made its outputs culturally recognizable. A peer-reviewed analysis in Convergence describes this circulation as participatory meme culture and discusses related concerns about AI mimicry, digital labor, and the visibility of human creators.
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What was technically distinctive about the early system?
DALL-E Mini was notable for attempting text-to-image generation with broad public access. WIRED reported that the early model used roughly 30 million labeled images. That is an estimate about the historical system, not a description of Craiyon’s current training data or models.
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Craiyon now describes its generators as proprietary and showcases versions v3, v4, and v5. Its About page marks v6 as “Coming Soon,” without giving a release date. The available first-party information does not establish that current v5 or planned v6 uses the same data or architecture as early DALL-E Mini.
Why accessibility mattered to Dayma
Dayma’s interviews emphasize making image generation available for ordinary people to explore. The early project let users experiment with a new technology, see its strengths and weaknesses, and create images for entertainment or creative exploration without needing to train a model.
Its cultural contribution was as much about public participation as technical performance. It made prompt-based image generation understandable to people who had never worked in machine learning, and users’ playful prompts helped shape how the technology was discussed and shared.
What Craiyon is today
Craiyon’s current About page describes a visual-creation service with:
- Text-to-image generation and proprietary styles.
- An image editor and background removal.
- Image search.
- Model generations labeled v3, v4, and v5.
- v6 marked as coming soon, with no release date shown.
The About page reports more than 3 billion images created and more than 1 million monthly active users. These are Craiyon-reported figures, not independently audited statistics.
Craiyon offers a free entry point as well as paid plans. Its pricing page describes differences in image quality, editing tools, privacy, downloads, processing priority, watermarks, and attribution. Check the live plan details because they can change.
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Plans, credits, privacy, and downloads
Craiyon’s pricing page lists these annual-billing amounts and monthly edit-credit allowances:
| Plan | Annual total shown | Monthly edit credits | Plan details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supporter | $120 | 100 | Unlimited image generation; features include animation, upscaling, and vectorization. Generated images are listed as public. |
| Professional | $240 | 300 | Unlimited image generation, privacy-related benefits, and additional premium features. |
| Ultra | $840 | 1,200 | Unlimited image generation and a larger editing allowance. |
The pricing page describes paid benefits that can include higher-quality models, private images, priority processing, and no watermarks. The exact combination depends on the current plan details.
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Craiyon’s pricing information also says subscriptions can be canceled through account settings, unused monthly edit credits do not roll over, and sales are non-refundable. Verify the live pricing and feature details before subscribing.
For a casual user, student, or meme-maker, the free tier is a sensible starting point. Paid plans may suit people who need more editing, privacy, or watermark-free downloads; compare the current plan details with your actual needs before paying.
Does Craiyon have an API?
Craiyon’s current pricing FAQ says it does not have a public API. It says an API may be offered in the future, but a subscription does not currently include API access.
That makes Craiyon unsuitable for developers seeking a currently available public API for automated or batch image generation. Check Craiyon’s official information for any future announcement.
Can you use Craiyon images commercially?
Craiyon’s pricing FAQ says commercial use is allowed with any account type, subject to its Terms of Use. It says free users must credit Craiyon, while subscribers can use images without attribution. These are the company’s policy statements, not comprehensive legal advice.
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- Wireless Superior Connectivity: Connect wirelessly via Bluetooth or directly using USB-A cable which enables you to work, draw or create whether it's at a desk, on the sofa, in classroom or even outside
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Platform permission does not automatically resolve copyright, trademark, publicity, privacy, or other legal questions. Consider those risks before using generated images in advertising, branding, publishing, or merchandise, and seek specialist legal advice for high-value uses.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Safety and policy limits
Craiyon’s Terms of Use set limits on prohibited uses. Those terms are not an independent assessment of the current moderation system or filter performance. Users remain responsible for their prompts and outputs.
What the available evidence does—and does not—show
The historical interviews and reporting explain DALL-E Mini’s origin and cultural impact. Craiyon’s first-party pages describe its current product and plans. Together, these sources do not provide an independent benchmark of the current models.
The available material does not establish how current Craiyon models compare with other image generators, what data or architecture v5 or planned v6 use, when v6 will launch, or whether Craiyon’s reported image and user totals have been independently audited. It also does not establish whether Boris Dayma currently leads or controls the company.
Who should use Craiyon?
Good fits
- Casual users who want to try image generation before paying.
- Teachers or students exploring how models interpret prompts.
- Meme creators and artists interested in unexpected results.
- Creators who can use its built-in editing or background-removal tools.
Poor fits
- Teams requiring precise typography, diagrams, or repeatable brand assets.
- Developers seeking a public API or automated workflow.
- People generating confidential work on a plan where images are public.
- Anyone who needs guaranteed image exclusivity or documented enterprise controls.
FAQ
What is DALL-E Mini?
DALL-E Mini was an independent text-to-image project inspired by OpenAI’s DALL-E research. It was not an OpenAI product.
Is DALL-E Mini the same thing as Craiyon?
Craiyon is the name adopted by the independent project after a request to change the similar DALL-E Mini name. Craiyon’s current service has features beyond the early project.
Who made Craiyon?
Boris Dayma was the central creator of the original DALL-E Mini project. The historical interviews cited here do not establish Craiyon’s current leadership structure.
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Why did DALL-E Mini go viral?
It made image generation accessible, and its often-surprising outputs encouraged users to experiment, compare results, and share them as memes.
Can I still use Craiyon for free?
Craiyon’s current pricing information describes a free entry point. Check the live site for current limits and plan terms.
Can I use Craiyon images commercially?
Craiyon’s pricing FAQ says commercial use is allowed subject to its Terms of Use, with attribution required for free users. That permission does not resolve every legal question about an image.
Does Craiyon have an API?
Craiyon’s current pricing FAQ says there is no public API at present.
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The lasting importance of the Craiyon story
Craiyon’s early significance was not only that it generated images. It showed what could happen when a complex generative technology became accessible and socially shareable.
The roughness of early DALL-E Mini made its limits visible, but also made experimentation inviting. The through-line from Dayma’s historical interviews to Craiyon’s current service is accessibility: users could try image generation, learn how it responded to prompts, and share the results.
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