ILUS AI vs Recraft (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Recraft grades higher than ILUS AI: 2.6 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
Recraft grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ILUS AI
AI illustration generator with consistent, trainable styles
Recraft
Image and vector generator built for designers and brand work
Which one is for you
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
Pick Recraft if
- Fits if you need icons and logos as SVGs you can edit
- Works for Figma and Framer users who want it inside the design tool
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to sell what you make on the free plan, as free images are public, belong to Recraft and can't be used commercially
- Not for you if video's the point, since Basic covers images only and video starts at Pro for $16
- Tight if your team wants to pool credits, as Teams credits are per seat, with a 2-seat minimum
- Watch out: monthly credits don't roll over, and top-ups at $2 per 200 are sold only on paid plans
- Tight if you stay free: 3 uploads a day, 2 images per prompt and Recraft's own models only
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAILUS AIFair | 2.6GPARecraftGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | BBasic is $10 a month on yearly billing ($12 monthly) for 1,000 credits, level with this category's cheaper quarter of $9.99. That's about 500 Recraft V4.1 images, plus partner models, private images and commercial rights. Video needs Pro at $16. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree trial credits, no card needed, but the amount isn't stated and those images aren't kept private. | CDaily credits on Recraft's own models, vectors included, but only 3 uploads a day and 2 images per prompt. Free images are public, belong to Recraft and can't be used commercially. |
| Features | CConsistent styles, fine-tuning, PNG export and editing tools. SVG export covers only Flat, Ink Drawing, Doodle and custom styles. | BEditable SVG icons, logos and illustrations, raster-to-vector, custom styles and brand palettes, editing, mockups, an assistant mode, and video on Pro. It covers the job, with vectors as its focus. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You pick or train a style, then generate. | CNo App Store rating on record. Styles, palettes, mockups and a canvas give a designer plenty to set up before it pays off. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with a Figma plugin and an API. No desktop or phone app. | BWeb, iPhone, Android and a Chrome extension, with plugins for Figma, Framer, Google Docs and Google Slides and a separate API. No desktop app, which an A needs. |
| Best for | illustrations in one consistent style | icons and logos as editable vectors |
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: ILUS AI and Recraft. How we grade
Where they differ
- Recraft also covers video generation.
At a glance
| ILUS AI | Recraft | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $25 for 500 credits, one-time | $10 per month for 1,000 credits, billed annually ($12 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | Limited daily credits, 3 image uploads a day and up to 2 images per prompt, Recraft models only. Free images are public, owned by Recraft and not licensed for commercial use. |
| Free trial | Free trial credits, no credit card required; the amount is not stated. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Ilus AI | Recraft, Inc. |
| Price read from | ilus.ai | recraft.ai |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Recraft
- Free-plan images are public, belong to Recraft and cannot be used commercially.
- Video generation needs Pro or Teams; Basic covers images only.
- Monthly credits do not roll over. Top-ups cost $2 per 200 credits, never expire and are sold only on paid plans.
- Teams credits are assigned per seat and cannot be shared between members.
Key features
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.
Recraft
- Vector generation
- Generates editable SVG icons, logos and illustrations, and converts raster images to vectors. Vector tools are on every plan, including Free.
- Custom styles and palettes
- Pick from a style library or create your own style from reference images, and set brand color palettes to keep a set of images consistent.
- Editing tools
- Edit with plain-language instructions, erase or modify areas, extend images, remove or replace backgrounds and upscale.
- Mockups
- Generate a product mockup and apply your own design to it inside Recraft Studio, at 2 credits per mockup.
- Agentic and manual modes
- Chat with an assistant that sets up generations over several turns, or control model, style, aspect ratio and artistic level by hand.
- Plugins and API
- Plugins for Figma, Framer, Google Docs, Google Slides and Chrome use your plan's credits; a separate API is billed in prepaid units.
Plans
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.
Recraft
Free$0
Daily credits for Recraft's own models, vector generation and basic editing; personal use only.
Basic$10
per month for 1,000 credits, billed annually ($12 billed monthly)
Partner image models, private images with commercial rights, credit top-ups. About 500 Recraft V4.1 images a month.
Pro$16
per month for 2,000 credits, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
Adds video models such as Kling and Veo and priority generation. Price rises with credits: $128 a month yearly at 16,000.
Teams$18
per seat / month for 2,000 credits, billed annually ($22 monthly)
Shared workspace and custom styles, central billing, SSO and 24/7 support. Credits are per seat. Minimum 2 seats.
Ways to pay less
ILUS AI
No public discounts listed.
Recraft
- Annual discount
Save up to 20% with annual billing
Annual billing brings Basic from $12 to $10 a month, Pro from $20 to $16 and Teams from $22 to $18 per seat.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ILUS AI or Recraft?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ILUS AI starts at $25 for 500 credits, one-time, and Recraft starts at $10 per month for 1,000 credits, billed annually ($12 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, ILUS AI or Recraft?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Recraft has a free plan. ILUS AI does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do ILUS AI and Recraft run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Recraft lists iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. 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.