Ideogram vs ILUS AI (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Ideogram grades higher than ILUS AI: 2.8 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Ideogram grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. ILUS AI grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Ideogram
Image generator for designs with text, plus editing and video apps
ILUS AI
AI illustration generator with consistent, trainable styles
Which one is for you
Pick Ideogram if
- Fits if your images need words in them, like a logo, poster or ad
- Works for small teams who want credits per person on one bill, with a 2-user minimum
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want free images kept private, as free-plan work is always public and needs a Google, Apple or Microsoft sign-in
- Tight if you lean on partner models, edits, upscales and video, which always cost credits, even with the slower unlimited queue
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $20 for Plus against $15 yearly, and custom model training needs Pro at $42
- Watch out: plan credits don't roll over, and extra credits at one cent each expire after 365 days
- Not for you if you're on Android or want a desktop app, and credits can't be bought in the iPhone app
Pick ILUS AI if
- Fits if you need a set of illustrations that all match for a site or deck
- Works for people who'd rather buy credits once than keep a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want privacy on a trial, since images from free credits aren't kept private
- Tight if you want your own style: fine-tuning costs 150 of the 500 credits in the one pack
- Watch out: SVG export is only for Flat, Ink Drawing, Doodle and custom styles
- Watch out: the pricing section shows a single pack, so there's no bigger plan to move up to
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAIdeogramGood | 2.2GPAILUS AIFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPlus is $15 a month on yearly billing ($20 monthly) for 2,400 credits and private images, just past this category's dearer quarter of $14.50. When credits run out, Ideogram's own models keep working in a slower queue. | BOne $25 pack gets 500 credits that don't expire, well under a year of the $11.88 middle subscription. But it's a pack that runs out, and fine-tuning takes 150 credits. |
| Free plan and trial | C30 credits a week, but only if you sign in with Google, Apple or Microsoft, and everything you make is public. The Video app needs a paid plan or bought credits. | CFree trial credits, no card needed, but the amount isn't stated and those images aren't kept private. |
| Features | BSeveral in-house models, masking and inpainting, transparent backgrounds for stickers and icons, custom style models trained on 15 to 100 of your images, a video app and an API. That covers the whole job, with text in images as its focus. | CConsistent styles, fine-tuning, PNG export and editing tools. SVG export covers only Flat, Ink Drawing, Doodle and custom styles. |
| Ease of use | A4.8 from about 2,700 App Store ratings, the top band. You type a prompt that includes the words you want on the image. | CNo store rating on record. You pick or train a style, then generate. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and iPhone, with one API for the image and video models and an MCP server for Claude. No Android or desktop app, and credits can't be bought in the iPhone app. | CWeb only, with a Figma plugin and an API. No desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | images with readable words in them | illustrations in one consistent style |
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: Ideogram and ILUS AI. How we grade
Where they differ
- Ideogram also covers video generation.
At a glance
| Ideogram | ILUS AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $15 per month for 2,400 credits, billed annually ($20 billed monthly) | $25 for 500 credits, one-time |
| Free plan | 30 credits a week for accounts that sign in with Google, Apple or Microsoft. Everything made on the free plan is public, and the Video app needs a paid plan or bought credits. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial credits, no credit card required; the amount is not stated. |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Ideogram AI Inc | Ilus AI |
| Price read from | docs.ideogram.ai | ilus.ai |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Ideogram
- Free credits go only to accounts signed in with Google, Apple or Microsoft, and free-plan images are always public.
- Monthly plan credits do not roll over. Extra credits cost one US cent each and expire 365 days after purchase.
- Partner models, reference images, edits, upscales and video always cost credits, even on plans with a slower unlimited queue.
- Credits cannot be bought inside the iOS app, and custom model training works on desktop only.
ILUS AI
- Images made with free trial credits are not kept private; paid generations are.
- SVG export applies only to Flat, Ink Drawing, Doodle and custom styles.
- The pricing section lists one 500-credit pack at $25; no other packs were shown.
- Fine-tuning a style costs 150 credits, a large share of a 500-credit pack.
Key features
Ideogram
- Several image models
- Ideogram 4.5 edits and combines up to five reference images, 4.0 handles very wide formats, and 3.0 keeps style presets, palettes and negative prompts.
- Editing and inpainting
- Mask an area to change it, extend a scene, remove objects or backgrounds, and upscale results.
- Transparent backgrounds
- Dedicated models produce images with no background for stickers, print-on-demand designs, icons and clip art.
- Custom models
- Train a style model on 15 to 100 of your own images. Training needs Pro or Team and a standard run costs 4,000 credits.
- Video app
- Makes short clips from a prompt, from start and end frames, or from uploaded images, video and audio, using models such as Seedance.
- API and MCP server
- One API covers the image and video models, and an MCP server lets AI assistants such as Claude use Ideogram.
ILUS AI
- Consistent styles
- Ink drawing, doodle and flat styles keep a set of illustrations looking alike across a project.
- Fine-tuning
- Upload 10 to 20 example images to train a custom illustration style or a consistent character; training costs 150 credits.
- SVG and PNG export
- PNG export is free and SVG costs 4 credits; Flat, Ink Drawing, Doodle and custom styles can export SVG.
- Editing tools
- An eraser, background remover, upscaler and image edit tool cost 1 or 2 credits per use.
- Figma plugin and API
- A Figma plugin and an API are linked from the site.
Plans
Ideogram
Free$0
30 credits a week, all Ideogram image models, and public images only.
Plus$15
per month for 2,400 credits, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
Private generation and quality export; after credits run out, Ideogram models keep working in a slower queue.
Pro$42
per month for 7,500 credits, billed annually ($60 billed monthly)
Adds batch generation, a larger queue and custom model training.
Team$20
per user / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
3,600 credits per member each month, with central billing and admin. Minimum 2 users.
EnterpriseCustom
Terms, credits and features set by agreement, including a prepaid shared credit balance for organizations.
ILUS AI
Credit pack$25
one-time, for 500 credits
500 credits that do not expire: private images, editing, PNG and SVG export, fine-tuning and a CC0 license.
Ways to pay less
Ideogram
- Annual discount
Pay less with yearly billing
Yearly billing brings Plus from $20 to $15 a month, Pro from $60 to $42 and Team from $30 to $20 per user.
ILUS AI
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Ideogram or ILUS AI?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Ideogram starts at $15 per month for 2,400 credits, billed annually ($20 billed monthly), and ILUS AI starts at $25 for 500 credits, one-time.
Which has a free plan, Ideogram or ILUS AI?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Ideogram has a free plan. ILUS AI does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Ideogram and ILUS AI run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Ideogram lists an iOS app. 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.