Stability AI

Image generation models offered as hosted API and open weights

AI Models & PlatformsFree planOverseasβ˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… 5.0

What is Stability AI?

Stability AI is the company behind the Stable Diffusion family, offering image models both as hosted API endpoints and as downloadable weights. The hosted side covers text-to-image, inpainting, erasing and replacing objects, upscaling and structure-guided generation, billed per image. The open side is what made the company well known: checkpoints you can download, run locally or fine-tune on your own hardware, subject to the licence attached to each model. Audio and video models round out the catalogue, though image work remains the core.

Last updated: 2026-09-20. This site only provides an index; for exact features, pricing, and licensing, see the official website.

Key features

  • Hosted API for image generation, editing and upscaling
  • Open model weights for running or fine-tuning locally
  • Structure and style conditioning for controlled composition
  • Editing endpoints for inpainting, erasing and replacing objects
  • Audio and video generation models alongside the image tools
  • Self-hosting on your own hardware or an external GPU cloud

Pros & cons

Strengths

  • Open weights can be run locally with no per-image fee
  • Editing and upscaling endpoints share one API surface
  • Fine-tuning on private images is genuinely possible

Watch out for

  • Hosted generation is billed per image, so volume costs
  • Self-hosting shifts GPU cost and setup onto you
  • Licence terms differ between models and account tiers

Best for & use cases

image generation, photo editing, local model fine-tuning and creative asset production

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FAQ

Can I run the models myself?

Yes for the open-weight releases, which is how most people meet the family. Self-hosting means you supply the GPU, manage the environment and accept the licence terms attached to that specific checkpoint, which differ between models.

What does the API cost?

The hosted service bills by generation, so a busy image pipeline costs more than an occasional one. Rates and included credits change, and there is no permanent free tier for production use, so estimate against your expected volume.

Can I use output commercially?

It depends on the licence of the model you used and your account tier. Some releases permit commercial use, others restrict it, and the hosted service has its own terms. Read both before shipping generated images in a product.