Civitai review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Community hub for AI image models, with an on-site generator
Black Friday: is there a Civitai sale?
Civitai report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for community AI models and an image generator
Civitai is a community hub where people share image models and LoRAs, with an on-site generator paid for in Buzz. Free accounts can generate and earn Buzz, but buying Buzz by card is no longer offered on civitai.com, and the content rules differ between sites.
Who Civitai is for
- Fits if you want to find and download community image models and LoRAs
- Works for creators who would train a LoRA or earn from their models
Who Civitai is not for
- Not for you if you want to pay by card for extra Buzz, as that is no longer offered on civitai.com
- Watch out: Yellow Buzz is bought with cryptocurrency, and unrestricted content lives on civitai.red
- Watch out: the monthly Buzz on Bronze to Gold is Green Buzz, for PG and PG-13 content only
- Watch out: prices come from Civitai's own guide, which says tiers change over time
Why Civitai gets a 2.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyBronze is $10 a month, the middle of image-tool prices. Each paid tier gives Green Buzz, which covers only PG and PG-13 content.
- CFree plan and trialFree accounts upload, download, generate and earn Buzz, with 100 Blue Buzz on sign-up and daily claims. Buzz limits how much you can generate.
- CFeaturesA model and LoRA library, an on-site generator, LoRA training, video and audio engines and creator earnings. Card payments for Buzz are gone, and content rules split across two sites.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. Three colours of Buzz, each with its own earning and spending rules, take time to understand.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWeb only, with Civitai Link as the one integration. No desktop or phone app is listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Civitai's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/civitai#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/civitai.svg" alt="Civitai: 2.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Civitai stands among AI image and video generators
Civitai's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 16 of the 89 other AI image and video generators we grade, and level with 13.
Its paid plans start at $10 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 30 of the 65 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 26 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 90 AI image and video generators we grade, cut by the letter each got. Civitai’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 6 of 89, level with 56
- CFree plan and trialAbove 28 of 89, level with 46
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 89, level with 39
- CEase of useAbove 7 of 89, level with 50
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 89, level with 36
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 67 AI image and video generators. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Civitai, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Civitai you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 60 of the 89 other AI image and video generators grade higher. It costs $120 a year.
What you could not
- An image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
- A members' space with posts, chat and events that people keep coming back to.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Civitai’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Civitai?
Civitai is a community site where creators share AI image models and LoRAs, and members generate images and train models on its servers. Generation is paid for in an on-site currency called Buzz, which free accounts can earn and memberships top up each month.
Worth knowing
- Per the education guide, buying Buzz by card is no longer available on civitai.com; Yellow Buzz is bought with cryptocurrency.
- Unrestricted content creation now lives on civitai.red, which uses Yellow Buzz, according to the membership guide.
- The monthly grant from Bronze to Gold is Green Buzz, which is for PG and PG-13 content.
- Prices come from Civitai's own education guide; the guide says the membership page is the source of truth and tiers change over time.
Key features
- Model and LoRA library
- Creators upload checkpoints and LoRAs, and others download them or run them in the on-site generator.
- On-site image generator
- Images are priced in Buzz on a sliding scale based on step count and model architecture.
- LoRA training
- The on-site LoRA trainer lets members train their own models on Civitai's servers, paid for with Buzz.
- Buzz currency
- Buzz comes in Blue, Yellow and Green colors with different rules for earning and spending, and reactions and daily rewards earn free Blue Buzz.
- Creator earnings
- Creators can price model versions or earn a cut when their resources are used in the generator; the Creator Program needs an active membership.
- Video and audio generation
- Civitai's education pages describe video and audio engines in the generator, each priced in Buzz.
Civitai pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Civitai has a free plan, and paid plans start at $10 per month (Bronze membership).
- Starts at
- $10 per month (Bronze membership)
- Free plan
- Free accounts can upload, download, generate and earn Buzz; new accounts get 100 Blue Buzz.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Upload, download, generate and earn Buzz by taking part; 100 Blue Buzz on sign-up, claimable daily from the generator. |
| Bronze | $10per month | 10,000 Green Buzz a month, 5% bonus on Buzz purchases, 3 private models, 8 images per job, priority support. |
| Silver | $25per month | 25,000 Green Buzz a month, 10% purchase bonus, 10 private models, 10 images per job, premium support. |
| Gold | $50per month | 50,000 Green Buzz a month, 20% purchase bonus, 100 private models, 12 images per job, VIP support. |
Read from education.civitai.com on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Civitai before you buy.
Works with
- Civitai Link
Civitai alternatives
- Civitai vs OpenArt
Free trial · from $13/mo
- Civitai vs Leonardo.Ai
Free plan · from $12/mo
- Civitai vs NightCafe
Free plan · from $7.49/mo
Common questions
Does Civitai have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Civitai is listed for Web.
Does Civitai have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Civitai is listed for Web.
Is Civitai open source?
Civitai is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.