DALL-E 3 converts detailed text descriptions into finished images, competing directly with Midjourney and Stable Diffusion in a market where image generation has become table stakes for creative work. The core appeal is fidelity: it interprets nuanced prompts better than most competitors and handles text-in-images more reliably. You pay per image—roughly $0.04 for a standard 1024×1024 generation through the API, or $15/month for 115 monthly credits via ChatGPT Plus. The friction point is cost at volume and the learning curve for prompt engineering; mediocre prompts yield mediocre results, and there's no free tier to experiment without committing money.