Hotpot AI vs Pixlr (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Pixlr grades higher than Hotpot AI: 3.2 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Pixlr grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Hotpot AI
AI images, short videos, headshots and photo fixes paid with credits
Pixlr
Browser photo editors with AI image, video and audio tools
Which one is for you
Pick Hotpot AI if
- Fits if you want a few AI tools and templates without a subscription
- Works for people who need an occasional photo fix, such as restoring or colorizing
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want apps on your phone or desktop, as everything runs in the browser
- Tight if you stay free, because the amount of free AI use isn't stated and video needs credits
- Watch out: monthly plans have a two-payment minimum
- Watch out: headshot packs are separate, for example $8 for 20 portraits
Pick Pixlr if
- Fits if you want a free browser editor
- Works for quick edits on a phone
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want ad-free for free, since Plus is the first ad-free tier
- Tight if you use AI heavily, as Plus gives 80 credits
- Watch out: unlimited fast generation is Ultra with fair use
- Watch out: unused monthly credits expire after a month
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAHotpot AIFair | 3.2GPAPixlrVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C1,000 credits is $12 once or $10 a month, which is the category's middle price. Headshot packs are priced on top. | APlus is $1.99 a month billed yearly and the editors are free, under 60% of the category's cheapest quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe image generator works without an account and templates are free to edit, but the amount of free AI use isn't stated. | BThe editors are free in the browser with ads, and paid plans add credits and remove ads. |
| Features | CImages, video, headshot packs, photo repair, templates and a canvas. Wide, but each AI job spends credits and the video tool always needs an account. | BTwo editors, generative edits, AI image and video, and credits. Nothing in the core job is missing. |
| Ease of use | BOpen the site and generate. Nothing to install or set up. | BOpen a browser editor and start. Nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | CBrowser only: no mobile or desktop app is listed, and no integrations. | BWeb, iOS and Android. No desktop app or integrations. |
| Best for | a browser kit for images and photo fixes | free browser photo editors with AI add-ons |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Hotpot AI and Pixlr. How we grade
Price against what you get
Hotpot AI starts at $10 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Pixlr starts at $1.99 a month and scores 3.0.
Pixlr scores higher and starts $8.01 a month lower. Of the other AI image and video generators on the chart, 14 score higher than Hotpot AI for less, and none scores higher than Pixlr for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Hotpot AI also covers templates.
At a glance
| Hotpot AI | Pixlr | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $10 per month for 1,000 credits, or $12 one-time for 1,000 credits | $1.99 per month for 80 AI credits, billed yearly ($2.49 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | The image generator can be tried with no account, AI editors include some free usage (amount not stated), and design templates are free to edit, commercial use included. | The editors are free in the browser, with ads; the paid Plus plan is the first ad-free tier. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Panabee, LLC | Pixlr |
| Price read from | hotpot.ai | pixlr.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Hotpot AI
- The amount of free AI usage is not stated; video generation always needs an account and credits.
- Monthly subscriptions have a two-payment minimum, and yearly plans add credits month by month.
- Headshot packs are priced separately, for example $8 for 20 Professional portraits, or paid from a credit balance.
- The site lists no desktop or mobile apps; every tool runs in the browser.
Pixlr
- Unused monthly credits expire after one month on monthly billing; yearly credits last a year.
- Unlimited fast image generation is tied to Ultra and subject to fair use.
- The FAQ names Plus and Premium as the plans sold in the mobile apps; it does not mention Ultra there.
- The models for video and some image tools are third-party and may vary with demand.
Key features
Hotpot AI
- AI image and art generator
- Turn a prompt into a photo, painting, anime or 3D image using style presets, or add your own style reference or written style in the Library.
- AI video generator
- Animate an image or a written scene into a 4, 6 or 8-second clip in portrait or landscape, with a chosen style, music and camera movement.
- Headshot and portrait packs
- Themed portrait sets made from one photo of you, such as professional, corporate, travel and fantasy looks. The Professional pack is 20 portraits for $8.
- Photo repair and editing
- Upscaler, colorizer, restorer, face enhancer and background remover. Background removal costs 10 credits an image on Standard or 22 on Premium.
- Design templates
- Editable App Store and Google Play screenshots, LinkedIn banners, YouTube thumbnails and social posts, free to edit yourself with no watermark.
- Hotpot Canvas
- Draw a rough sketch on a canvas and have AI turn it into a finished painting, or remix several images together.
Pixlr
- Two editors
- Pixlr Express handles quick edits, templates and collages; Pixlr Editor is the layered editor for detailed work.
- Generative editing
- Generative fill, an image extender, an instruction-based editor and a background remover change a photo from a description.
- AI image and video generation
- Generate images and short video in the browser; the site says it uses models from Flux, Kling and Recraft among others.
- AI credits
- Monthly credits cover generation and edits; yearly plans grant 12 months of credits upfront, and a credit pack can top up.
- One account everywhere
- A paid plan works on the web, desktop and mobile apps through the same Pixlr account.
Plans
Hotpot AI
Free$0
Try the image generator without an account and edit classic templates with no watermark; sharing an image once a month earns 500 credits.
Monthly subscription$10
per month for 1,000 credits, billed monthly
Larger steps run to 2,500 credits for $25, 5,000 for $50, 10,000 for $100 and 20,000 for $200 a month. Two-payment minimum.
Pay once$12
one-time, for 1,000 credits
Packs of 2,500 credits for $30, 5,000 for $60, 10,000 for $120 and 20,000 for $240. The 5,000 pack adds 2 free AI headshot packs.
Pixlr
Plus$1.99
per month for 80 AI credits, billed yearly ($2.49 billed monthly)
Ad-free, unlimited saves, 1 concurrent AI generation; about 80 fast AI images a month.
Premium$7.99
per month for 1,000 AI credits, billed yearly ($9.99 billed monthly)
All image, video and audio models, 4 concurrent generations, private mode, fonts and templates.
Ultra$19.99
per month from 5,000 AI credits, billed yearly ($24.99 billed monthly)
Unlimited fast image generations, 8 concurrent ones, priority queue and extended high-res exports.
Ultra Max$39.99
per month for 10,000 AI credits, billed yearly ($49.99 billed monthly)
Ultra with double the monthly credits: 10,000 instead of 5,000.
Ways to pay less
Hotpot AI
- Annual discount
Save 25% with a yearly subscription
A yearly plan of 1,000 credits a month costs $108 a year, which the pricing page labels a 25% saving; monthly billing is labelled a 17% saving over one-time packs.
- Other savings
500 credits for sharing an image each month
Once a month, sharing a favorite Hotpot image of your own or from its gallery earns 500 AI credits.
Pixlr
- Annual discount
Save 20% with yearly billing
Pixlr's pricing page shows every paid plan about 20% cheaper per month when billed yearly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hotpot AI or Pixlr?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Pixlr is cheaper to start with: $1.99 a month, against $10 a month for Hotpot AI. Hotpot AI starts at $10 per month for 1,000 credits, or $12 one-time for 1,000 credits, and Pixlr starts at $1.99 per month for 80 AI credits, billed yearly ($2.49 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Hotpot AI or Pixlr?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Hotpot AI and Pixlr have a free plan.
Which platforms do Hotpot AI and Pixlr run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Pixlr lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.