I need a professional headshot for my job application, but I don’t have access to a photographer right now. I’ve tried a couple of apps, but the results weren’t great. Can anyone suggest a headshot app that really works and looks natural? Any tips on using it would be helpful too.
iPhone Headshot App Showdown
So here’s my two cents on the latest “AI headshot generator” craze for iOS. Honestly, I went in with my expectations as low as my storage space (does anybody else get those full phone warnings every week?!). I figured the “AI Headshot Photo Generator” from the App Store was another dud destined for the app graveyard. Weird faces, uncanny valley vibes, washed-out backgrounds—seen it all.
Surprisingly? This one isn’t half bad. In fact, some shots came out looking so lifelike my mom thought I finally gave in and paid for a professional shoot (lol, as if). It’s got this neat trick where it stitches together a sort of avatar from your own pics and, wild twist, can even animate videos with your synthesized face. Sounds like Silicon Valley buzzword soup, yet it actually does something interesting with your old selfies.
Heads up: the app is pay-to-play, so don’t expect a free ride. Still, for anyone desperate to step up their LinkedIn game or just wants convincing profile pics without leaving their sweatpants, give the AI Headshot Photo Generator a look: Best AI headshot app for iPhone
Android Contenders: My Quick Take
Alright, Android folks—there’s also an option that doesn’t totally suck:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.prequelapp.aistudio&hl=en_US
You’ll find it gets the job done, if you’re after that fresh look without fuss.
Fire Round: AI Headshot Apps I’ve Personally Tested
Let’s cut the fluff. Here’s my hit-or-miss scoreboard from real usage, graded with zero patience for marketing hype.
BetterPic
Wish your LinkedIn looked like you just walked off a movie set? This one spits out near-photorealistic pics, with pro-level lighting tweaks.
Human editors for the nitpicky, tons of styling flexibility
Sometimes throws weirdness on glasses and frames
Portrait Pal
Super simple pipeline—upload, wait, done. Some uncanny realism in the right conditions.
Looks like you, super user-friendly
Sometimes the neck-to-head sizing is just…odd
AI SuitUp
Save your wallet some pain—this one’s value city but still delivers believable results.
Strong facial accuracy, crazy fast, easy on the budget
Very basic interface, don’t expect fancy controls
HeadshotPro
If you love remixing photos ‘til dawn, meet your new playground. Lots of options for edits.
Big variety, flexible editing
Quality is a lottery—some pics are forgettable
Aragon.AI
Fast, neat layout, lots of details for those picky about lighting and hair.
Delivers fast, natural skin and hair textures, easy tweaking
You’ll hit paywalls for cooler effects
Profile Bakery
Aimed at job hunters. Handy extras for resumes and LinkedIn optimization.
Helps with CVs, job market–focused
Not really for your casual Tinder pic
Multiverse AI
Want to prompt-engineer your way to a new look? You can feed it text prompts.
Pretty quick, solid resemblance
Image cropping’s all manual—can get annoying
Try It On
The “hat collection” of AI headshots—pick from Hollywood, neon, floral themes and more.
15-minute rush delivery, offers manual touch-ups
Some styles look like they came from a teen’s scrapbook
HeadshotKiwi
Budget bulk get: You get a mountain of photos for the price of two café lattes.
$59 nabs 250 shots, hip backgrounds
The app is new—expect the occasional glitch
Fotor
Totally free to try and good for anyone new.
Zero upfront payment
Great for memes or fun, not for professional stakes
AI Headshot Generator
More anime than IRL, so… definitely a niche.
Creative styles galore
Don’t use for anything serious (resume, work, etc.)
ForgeHeadshots
Want that “DSLR-on-the-beach” headshot in 15 minutes? Here you go.
Studio and outdoor modes, realistic look
App itself takes the wheel—less customization
SellerPic
Type in what you want, AI cooks it up—with style try-ons too.
Prompt-based edits, virtual wardrobe
Stuck with monthly credits (just give me a one-time buy, please)
ChatGPT (Vision Model)
It works right inside ChatGPT, speedy
Output is kind of a toss-up, rarely dead-on with faces
Gemini AI (by Google)
Spits photos out in a heartbeat
Faces… kind of off. Wouldn’t use it beyond a joke
Final Thoughts
If you’re on the fence, I’d say grab a couple free trials and see what the algorithm spits out! No AI is perfect, but we’re getting close to “Did you hire Annie Leibovitz?” territory. Just don’t expect miracles, and try not to judge your whole self-worth on what a neural net thinks your jawline looks like.
3 Likes
Not even gonna sugarcoat it: AI headshot apps are like vending machines. Sometimes you get a perfect Snickers, sometimes you get 17 melted M&Ms jammed together in a single wrapper. Lots of what @mikeappsreviewer covered is accurate, BUT honestly, there are a couple “best” apps depending what you’re going for.
If you want a truly pro look for a job (like, please-hire-me-I-am-not-a-robot), actual human touch beats AI every single time. If that’s not possible, and you NEED it now, my go-to for the least amount of forehead-warping weirdness is BetterPic. Real editors, not just bots, so less chance to end up with that glossy mannequin vibe. Still, it WILL occasionally mess up around glasses or hair. If you don’t wear either, congrats, your odds improve.
Aragon.AI isn’t bad either—very speedy—but if you’re neurotic about every pixel, you might still spot some off lighting or skin blips. Fotor is a meme/fun option, not a serious one; please don’t try to impress HR with those. Never used SellerPic, but that “credits system” is the kind of thing that makes me irrationally angry.
If you’re on Android, Prequel AI Studio is decent—better than 95% of what’s there. (Srsly, most Android headshot apps look like they want to sell you cryptocurrency.)
IMO: Try two or three with a free trial, pick the one that spits out the least uncanny result. Lighten up the background with something neutral. Crop it tight, no full-body or party shots. Above all: NO AI-generated anime or weird filters for a job app unless you’re literally joining a manga studio.
One caution: if your profession is super-traditional—finance, law, government—you’re rolling the dice a bit. If it’s tech, design, or something IG-forward, you’ll be fine.
Last note: No shame in using an AI headshot app, just make sure you look like you by the end. Wouldn’t want to show up on your first day and have someone ask, “Wait, who hired the Pixar character?”
Honestly, these AI headshot apps are the wild west—some will make you look hirable, some will make you look like you belong in a Dreamworks sequel. After reading the breakdowns from @mikeappsreviewer and @andarilhonoturno (love the side-eye about “Pixar character” syndrome btw), I’m still not 100% sold on any app as a “magic bullet,” but here’s my take after trawling through a dozen myself.
If all you want is “good enough” for a job app and don’t have the time/energy for a proper photoshoot, BetterPic actually does land higher on my shortlist. It’s true, their real human touch means you get less of that uncanny glassy stare (unless you wear glasses, then who knows what’ll show up on your face). Aragon.AI is mad fast and handles hair/skin better than most, but sometimes the lighting makes me look like I’ve just seen a ghost. Fotor? Only if you want your boss to wonder why your head is floating in space. AI Headshot Generator? Unless you’re applying to be an anime voice actor, pass.
All that said, big agree/disagree moment with the notion that AI is almost as good as a real photog. It sells a fantasy to think everyone will buy it—especially for trad jobs. And LOL at anyone suggesting Prequel AI Studio makes you ready for Wall Street. It’s “not totally sucky”, which is generous for Android apps, but IMHO it still gives off minor crypto scam vibes.
Here’s my brutal bottom line: If you have literally zero options, do a quick hair/skin cleanup IRL, grab BetterPic, and accept that it won’t look exactly like you but should get you past HR’s first glance. Snap a few well-lit selfies with a neutral wall, and avoid any app demanding $20 just to see your own face.
Honestly tho, as wild as these apps can get, nothing is worse than submitting a job app with your 2019 “cousin’s wedding” beer-in-hand crop or an anime sparkle filter. Keep it boring, keep it clean, and if the AI gives you three chins, just try again. We’ll all be replaced by robots soon anyway, right? ¯_(ツ)_/¯
If you’re still iffy after reading everyone’s AI headshot adventures, here’s a straight-shooting breakdown—because every AI headshot isn’t created equal, and what looks “on point” to the algorithm might look like a crime scene to you.
Everyone’s fixated on slick names like BetterPic or Aragon.AI, but honestly, most job app filters just want a clear, natural photo that doesn’t make their software flag you as a cartoon. That’s where the ’ shines: it delivers solid, business-friendly results with way less “uncanny valley” than half the field. One of the big benefits is its facial feature accuracy—not pro photographer level, but you won’t get six ears or melted glasses like with some bargain-bin competitors. Speed is another pro, and the interface is clean without confusing sliders or endless style menus.
Negatives? Sure, no app can fully compensate for terrible lighting or a weird selfie angle, and ’ occasionally blurs hairlines or makes hair look just slightly too crisp. Plus, if you’re after total control—like adjusting jaw width or exact skin tone—it’s more “set it and forget it” than “fiddle with every pixel.”
To echo the vibe from past reviews: if you just need one good headshot that says “hire me” instead of “hire a new photographer,” the ’ hits the mark—especially if you want to avoid the roulette wheel of Fotor or headless experiments from AI SuitUp. Not perfect, but for online apps and HR’s lazy scan, it’s a safe, boring pick. And let’s be real: boring is underrated when you’re job hunting.