Stable Diffusion
Open-weight AI image generation model by Stability AI with API and self-hosted deployment options
FREEMIUM Verified JUN 11, 2026
★ 27.2k as of Jul 5, 2026
Civitai
Community hub for Stable Diffusion models, LoRAs, and checkpoints, with a built-in AI image generator and a Buzz-credit economy
Civitai is the largest community hub for Stable Diffusion, Flux, and other open image models, combining a searchable library of checkpoints and LoRAs with an on-site generator so anyone can run them without a local GPU. The free tier covers unlimited browsing, downloads, and Buzz-funded generation; paid membership runs from $10/month (Bronze, 10,000 Buzz) up to $50/month (Gold, 50,000 Buzz) for more private models, storage, and generation priority. Best for people who want control over specific checkpoints and styles rather than one polished house model.
Unverified JUL 11, 2026 FREEMIUM Live
What is Civitai?
Civitai is a community-driven platform for Stable-Diffusion-family models: checkpoints, LoRAs, and embeddings that creators train and upload for anyone to browse, review, and download. Rather than shipping one polished house model like Midjourney, Civitai’s value is the sheer breadth of its library — thousands of community-trained variants tuned for specific art styles, characters, and concepts, each with version history, sample images, and community ratings. Alongside the library, an on-site generator lets anyone run those checkpoints and LoRAs directly in the browser without owning a GPU or setting up a local pipeline, and an on-site LoRA trainer lets creators fine-tune a custom style or character from a handful of reference images.
The platform runs on Buzz, an internal credit currency that funds generation and training. Buzz can be earned for free through engagement — reactions, comments, uploads — or obtained through a paid membership’s monthly allowance. Since May 2025, direct credit-card purchases of Buzz were dropped after Visa and Mastercard restricted funding for platforms hosting adult content, so buying Buzz now runs through cryptocurrency instead. That same payment-processor pressure pushed unrestricted content generation off the main site and onto a separate property, while civitai.com itself became SFW-by-default with added restrictions on real-person likeness and celebrity content. The Creator Program lets model uploaders earn a share of the Buzz other users spend running their checkpoints and LoRAs, which they can bank and eventually withdraw as cash.
Who is it for?
Civitai fits people who want granular control over which model, style, or character generates their images rather than a single general-purpose engine, and who are comfortable navigating a community-curated library where quality varies checkpoint to checkpoint. The free tier is enough to browse, download, and generate with earned Buzz; anyone doing regular on-site generation or training will run through free Buzz quickly and need a paid membership starting around $10/month.
- Stable Diffusion hobbyists and power users who want access to niche, community-trained checkpoints and LoRAs they can’t find bundled into a single commercial tool.
- Model creators and fine-tuners who want to publish checkpoints or LoRAs, build a following, and earn Buzz — and eventually cash — through the Creator Program.
- People without a capable local GPU who still want to run Stable Diffusion-family models, using the on-site generator instead of a local install.
- Developers who want programmatic access to model and image metadata through Civitai’s public REST API.
- Anyone wanting one polished, general-purpose image generator should look instead at a tool like Midjourney or Leonardo AI, since Civitai’s strength is breadth and customization, not a single house style.
How much does Civitai cost?
Starting price: $10/mo · Free tier: yes · Model: freemium
Pricing verified JUL 11, 2026
Price history tracked from June 2026
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Unlimited model, LoRA, and checkpoint browsing and downloads · Community image, video, and article feeds · On-site generation funded by freely earned Buzz · No credit card required |
| Bronze | $10/mo | 10,000 Buzz per month · 3 private models · 8 images per generation job · 100 GB vault storage · Priority support, ad-free browsing |
| Silver | $25/mo | 25,000 Buzz per month · 10 private models · 10 images per generation job · 250 GB vault storage |
| Gold | $50/mo | 50,000 Buzz per month · 100 private models · 12 images per generation job · 500 GB vault storage |
What are Civitai's key features?
- On-site AI image generator that runs community-uploaded checkpoints and LoRAs without local GPU setup
- Buzz — an on-platform credit currency earned through engagement or bought with cryptocurrency, spent on generation and LoRA training
- On-site LoRA trainer for fine-tuning a custom style or character from reference images
- Creator Program that pays uploaders a share of the Buzz spent running their checkpoints and LoRAs in the generator
- Vault storage for backing up downloaded models, scaled by membership tier
- Public REST API for browsing models, model versions, images, and creators programmatically
What people use Civitai for
- 01 Downloading community-trained Stable Diffusion, Flux, or Pony checkpoints and LoRAs tuned for a specific art style or character
- 02 Generating images directly on the site with a chosen checkpoint and LoRA stack, without owning a GPU or setting up ComfyUI
- 03 Training a custom LoRA on the on-site trainer from a small set of reference images
- 04 Browsing community-shared prompts, generation parameters, and image metadata to reproduce a specific look
- 05 Earning ongoing income through the Creator Program by publishing checkpoints or LoRAs that other users spend Buzz to run
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Free tier keeps full browsing, downloading, and community participation with no paywall | Buzz can no longer be bought directly with a credit card — since May 2025, Visa and Mastercard pressure over adult content forced Buzz purchases onto cryptocurrency instead |
| Largest public library of Stable-Diffusion-family checkpoints and LoRAs, covering niche styles and characters most single-model tools don't offer | Explicit-content generation has been pushed off the main site onto a separate, unrestricted-content property, and real-person-likeness content is restricted, so what you can generate where has shifted more than once |
| On-site generator and LoRA trainer mean no local GPU or ComfyUI setup is required to use community models | Output quality varies widely by model — community checkpoints and LoRAs range from professional-grade to broken, with no centralized quality gate |
| Creator Program gives model uploaders a direct, usage-based payout instead of relying on donations alone | Exact membership benefits (Buzz per month, storage, private model slots) are hard to find on the official pricing page itself and are easiest to confirm through the Creator Program docs or third-party breakdowns |
What are the best Civitai alternatives?
Leonardo.Ai
AI image generator with custom model training, canvas editor, and token-based generation
FREEMIUM Verified JUN 11, 2026
Playground
AI design studio for generating images, logos, posters, and print-ready merch from prompts or templates, backed by frontier image models
FREEMIUM Verified JUN 30, 2026
Midjourney
AI image generator that creates high-quality art and photos from text prompts via web and Discord
PAID Verified JUN 11, 2026
How people make money with Civitai
- Upload checkpoints or LoRAs through the Civitai Creator Program — when other users spend Buzz generating images with your resource you earn a cut, which you bank monthly and later withdraw as cash once you clear the platform's minimum payout threshold
Frequently asked questions
Is Civitai free?
Yes. The free tier includes unlimited model browsing and downloads, community participation, and on-site image generation funded by Buzz you earn for free. Paid Bronze, Silver, and Gold memberships add a monthly Buzz allowance, private model slots, larger generation jobs, and more vault storage.
What is Buzz?
Buzz is Civitai's on-platform virtual currency. You earn it for free through engagement like reactions, comments, and uploads, or get it as a paid member's monthly allowance, and spend it on on-site image generation, LoRA training, and tipping other creators.
Can I still buy Buzz with a credit card?
No. Civitai dropped direct credit-card purchases of Buzz in May 2025 after Visa and Mastercard restricted funding for platforms hosting adult content. Buzz purchases now go through cryptocurrency instead.
What do the Civitai membership tiers cost?
Free, Bronze at $10/month, Silver at $25/month, and Gold at $50/month, based on Civitai's own pricing announcements. Each paid tier raises the monthly Buzz allowance, private model slots, images per generation job, and vault storage.
Does Civitai have an API?
Yes. Civitai exposes a public REST API for browsing models, model versions, images, and creators. Most read endpoints work without an API key; an optional key can be generated from account settings.
Can I make money on Civitai?
Yes, through the Creator Program. Uploaders with a high enough Creator Score and an active paid membership earn a share of the Buzz other users spend running their checkpoints or LoRAs in the generator, which can be banked and later withdrawn as cash.
Is Civitai still open for adult or NSFW content?
Partially. The main site is SFW-by-default with restrictions on real-person likeness and celebrity content, and unrestricted content creation has been moved to a separate property. This split followed sustained pressure from payment processors.