OpenArt vs PicLumen (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, OpenArt and PicLumen share a 2.4 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about the free plan, where OpenArt grades higher, or value for money, where PicLumen does.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
OpenArt
AI image and video studio with characters and multi-scene stories
PicLumen
AI image, video and music generation with many models
Which one is for you
Pick OpenArt if
- Fits if you make short story videos or ads with the same characters throughout
- Works for people who want 100+ models on one balance in the browser
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you'll use the work commercially on Starter, which has no commercial rights; that starts at Plus for $27
- Not for you if you want a phone app or a public API, as it runs in the browser only
- Tight if you might want a refund, as finished generations and active periods generally aren't refunded
- Watch out: monthly credits reset each cycle, and extra credits ($15 for 5,000) need Plus or above
- Skip it if you want a free plan: you get a one-off batch of sign-up credits and nothing after
Pick PicLumen if
- Fits if you want several image and video models behind one login
- Works for hobby creators who'll stay within 750 credits a month
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you plan to sell your images: Lite has a limited commercial licence and Basic has none
- Watch out: monthly credits reset and don't roll over, except through Lumen Vault on Elite
- Not for you if you want refunds, because subscriptions aren't refundable
- Pricey at the top: Elite is $269.99 a month, and the page doesn't say which sub-tier that price covers
- Watch out: bought Lumen packs expire a year after purchase
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAOpenArtFair | 2.4GPAPicLumenFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStarter is $13 a month on yearly billing ($14 monthly) for 4,000 credits, up to about 4,000 images or 50 videos. That's the middle of this category, but Starter has no commercial use rights, which start at Plus for $27. | BLite is $6.09 a month billed yearly, inside the cheaper quarter at $8.33. Standard, with a full commercial licence, is $19.99. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree credits when you sign up, with no card needed. It's a taste rather than a plan, as there's no free tier after that. | DNew accounts get a welcome offer, but the page doesn't say how big it is or whether it needs a card. |
| Features | B100+ image, video and audio models on one balance, consistent characters, Director for multi-scene films and ads, motion control, relighting, editing and upscaling. The whole job, with multi-scene stories as its focus. | BMany generation models, editing tools such as upscaling and object removal, a canvas, video and music. The listing names no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | CNo app-store rating on record. With 100+ models, characters, personal models and Director, there's a lot to learn before a multi-scene video comes out right. | CNo store rating on record. Credits, models and tiers add up to a bit of a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with no phone app, but it reaches Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor through MCP and a CLI, and After Effects through a plugin. No public API. | BWeb plus iOS and Android. No API or integrations are listed. |
| Best for | story videos with recurring characters | AI images, video and music from many models |
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: OpenArt and PicLumen. How we grade
Price against what you get
OpenArt starts at $13 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. PicLumen starts at $6.09 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and PicLumen starts $6.91 a month lower. Of the other AI image and video generators on the chart, 12 score higher than OpenArt for less, and 4 score higher than PicLumen 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
- OpenArt also covers video editing.
At a glance
| OpenArt | PicLumen | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $13 per seat / month for 4,000 credits, billed annually ($14 billed monthly) | $6.09 per month, billed yearly ($7.59 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free credits on sign-up to try it, with no credit card required | New accounts get a welcome offer; its size is not stated. |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | OpenArt | PicLumen |
| Price read from | openart.ai | piclumen.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
OpenArt
- Starter has no commercial use rights; commercial use starts at Plus.
- Monthly credits reset each billing cycle; extra credits ($15 a month for 5,000, Plus and up) need a subscription but roll over.
- There is no mobile app and no public API; OpenArt runs in desktop and mobile browsers.
- Refunds are generally not given for completed generations or active subscription periods.
PicLumen
- Subscription Lumens reset each month and do not roll over, except through Lumen Vault on Elite.
- Subscriptions are not refundable; cancelling stops the next period and benefits last until the period ends.
- The Basic tier has no commercial rights and Lite has a limited commercial license only.
- Purchased Lumen packs expire one year after purchase.
Key features
OpenArt
- 100+ models on one balance
- Image models such as GPT Image 2.5, Nano Banana 2 and Seedream sit beside video models such as Kling 3.0, Seedance 2.5 and Sora 2; each shows its credit cost first.
- Director
- Plans and generates multi-scene videos for short films, music videos, trailers, explainers and product or UGC-style ads.
- Consistent characters
- Build a character once and reuse it across scenes; plans allow from about 13 to 353 characters and personal models.
- Video tools
- Motion control from reference videos, video relighting, background replacement and effects sit alongside text and image to video.
- Image editing and upscaling
- An editing suite with camera-angle control, upscaling, unblurring and headshot tools, plus a 3D world maker.
- MCP, CLI and plugins
- Generate images and video from AI agents such as Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor, or inside Adobe After Effects with a plugin.
PicLumen
- Many generation models
- The site lists image models such as FLUX, Nano Banana and Seedream and video models such as Veo and Kling, with per-model Lumen costs.
- Image editing tools
- Background remover, image upscaler, colorizer, inpainting, object remover and an image extender are listed beside generation.
- Canvas projects
- Plans cap canvas projects and nodes per canvas, from 10 projects and 50 nodes on Lite up to 100 and 500 on Elite.
- Video and music
- Text-to-video, image-to-video and an AI music generator run on the same Lumen balance as images.
- Business tools
- Product photography, virtual try-on, logo, poster and banner generators are aimed at sellers and marketers.
Plans
OpenArt
Starter$13
per seat / month for 4,000 credits, billed annually ($14 monthly)
Up to about 4,000 images or 50 videos, Director and MCP access. No commercial use rights.
Plus$27
per seat / month for 12,000 credits, billed annually ($34 monthly)
Up to about 12,000 images or 150 videos, commercial use rights and extra credit add-ons.
Pro$44
per seat / month for 24,000 credits, billed annually ($56 monthly)
Up to about 24,000 images or 300 videos, about 80 consistent characters and 32 parallel jobs.
Wonder$175
per seat / month for 106,000 credits, billed annually ($240 monthly)
Up to about 1,300 videos, priority support and unlimited generation on selected models such as FLUX 3.
PicLumen
Lite$6.09
per month, billed yearly ($7.59 billed monthly)
750 Lumens a month (about 750 images or 30 videos), watermark-free output and a limited commercial license.
Standard$19.99
per month, billed yearly ($24.99 billed monthly)
2,500 Lumens a month, fast generation, 2 tasks at once and a full commercial license.
Pro$37.49
per month, billed yearly ($49.99 billed monthly)
6,000 Lumens a month, turbo generation, 5 tasks at once and a full commercial license.
Elite$269.99
per month, billed yearly ($359.99 billed monthly)
15,000 to 60,000 Lumens a month across four sub-tiers; the sub-tier this price belongs to is not shown.
EnterpriseCustom
Team Lumen allocation, central billing, content privacy and dedicated support; quoted by contacting the vendor.
Ways to pay less
OpenArt
- Annual discount
Save up to 27% with annual billing
Annual billing takes Starter from $14 to $13 a seat per month, Plus from $34 to $27, Pro from $56 to $44 and Wonder from $240 to $175.
PicLumen
- Annual discount
Yearly billing, up to 25% off
The pricing page marks yearly billing as up to 25% off monthly: 20% on Lite and Standard and 25% on Pro and Elite.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, OpenArt or PicLumen?
As of Nov 13, 2026, OpenArt starts at $13 per seat / month for 4,000 credits, billed annually ($14 billed monthly), and PicLumen starts at $6.09 per month, billed yearly ($7.59 billed monthly). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, OpenArt or PicLumen?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither OpenArt nor PicLumen has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do OpenArt and PicLumen run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only PicLumen 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.