I InvokeAI 5.6
Last verified:
| Type | Self-hosted AI image generation application |
|---|---|
| Key features |
|
| Pricing model | Free |
| Entry price (USD) | — |
| Ads present | — |
| Interface languages | — |
| Age verification | — |
| Consent policy | — |
| Privacy policy | — |
| Takedown procedure | — |
| Valid HTTPS | Yes |
| Domain registered | 2017-12-16 |
| Last verified | 2026-09-15 |
Detailed scores
Credit model 6.0
InvokeAI is free, open-source software (Apache 2.0) with no credit-based purchasing system; users run it locally at zero cost, though no explicit unit pricing documentation exists.
Censorship transparency 2.0
No terms of service or content policy documentation was found for InvokeAI; as self-hosted open-source software, content limits remain undocumented and transparency is low.
Persistence 6.0
InvokeAI includes a model manager for checkpoints, LoRAs and Textual Inversions plus local canvas history, giving users persistent local control since it runs entirely on their own hardware.
Data retention 7.0
As a self-hosted app with no cloud dependency, all generated data and models stay on the user's own machine; no third-party retention policy applies, though no formal written policy was located.
Exit terms 7.0
InvokeAI is free, Apache 2.0-licensed open-source software with no subscription, so users can uninstall at any time and retain full local access to their generated files and models.
Pros
- Free and open-source under Apache 2.0 with no credit-purchasing system, allowing local use at zero cost (credits score 6.0)
- All generated data and models remain on the user's own machine with no third-party retention involved, since the app has no cloud dependency (data_retention score 7.0)
- No subscription model means users can uninstall at any time while keeping full local access to their files and models (exit_terms score 7.0)
- A model manager for checkpoints, LoRAs and Textual Inversions plus local canvas history gives users persistent control over their work (persistence score 6.0)
Cons
- No terms of service or content policy documentation was found, leaving content limits undocumented and transparency low (censorship score 2.0)
- No explicit unit-pricing documentation exists despite the free licensing model (credits justification)
- No formal written data retention policy was located, even though data stays local by design (data_retention justification)
- As self-hosted software, the platform requires users to run and manage the application on their own hardware rather than through a hosted service (platform_type: self-hosted)
Review
InvokeAI is a self-hosted AI image generation application built around a layer-based canvas editor and node-based workflows, letting users construct and reuse custom generation pipelines. It supports multiple model families — Flux, SDXL, and SD 1.5 — alongside a ControlNet implementation for guided image composition. A built-in model manager handles checkpoints, LoRAs, and Textual Inversions, while additional tools cover batch generation, prompt wildcards for varied outputs, and high-resolution upscaling. Because the application runs entirely on the user's own hardware, it is described as local and private, with no cloud processing involved. On pricing, InvokeAI is free, open-source software released under the Apache 2.0 license; there is no credit-based purchasing system, no subscription tier, and no entry price to unlock features, though the evaluation notes that no explicit unit-pricing documentation exists beyond the license terms. What distinguishes InvokeAI according to the scored data is its data handling: since it operates without any cloud dependency, all generated images and models remain on the user's own machine, with no third-party retention policy in effect. Exit terms are similarly favorable — as free, non-subscription software, users can uninstall at any time while keeping full local access to everything they created. Persistence is supported through the local model manager and canvas history, giving users durable control over checkpoints and past work. The one area with limited transparency is content moderation: no terms of service or content policy documentation was found, so the boundaries of acceptable use are not formally defined in the available materials.
Verdict: InvokeAI offers a full-featured, free, self-hosted image generation toolkit with strong marks for data control, persistence, and exit terms since everything runs locally under an open-source license. Its main weakness is the lack of documented content policies, which leaves censorship and usage boundaries largely undefined.
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TheDream.ai
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— | — | 0.7 |