The Civitai Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Civitai in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Civitai
The Insider’s Guide
Community hub for AI image models, with an on-site generator
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI image and video generators, read from Civitai’s own pages.
Made by Civitai · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Civitai’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Civitai’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 16 of the 89 other AI image and video generators we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Civitai, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Three colours of Buzz, each with its own earning and spending rules, take time to understand.
- 1
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.
- 2
Paid plans start at $10 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $10 per month (Bronze membership).
- 3
There is a free plan
Free accounts can upload, download, generate and earn Buzz; new accounts get 100 Blue Buzz.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Model and LoRA library
Creators upload checkpoints and LoRAs, and others download them or run them in the on-site generator.
- 6
On-site image generator
Images are priced in Buzz on a sliding scale based on step count and model architecture.
- 7
LoRA training
The on-site LoRA trainer lets members train their own models on Civitai's servers, paid for with Buzz.
- 8
A 2.0 GPA, above 16 of 89
That is against the other AI image and video generators we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
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.
Civitai at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $10 per month (Bronze membership)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Civitai
- Category
- AI Image & Video Generators
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Bronze is $10 a month, the middle of image-tool prices. Each paid tier gives Green Buzz, which covers only PG and PG-13 content. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free accounts upload, download, generate and earn Buzz, with 100 Blue Buzz on sign-up and daily claims. Buzz limits how much you can generate. |
| Features | C | A 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. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. Three colours of Buzz, each with its own earning and spending rules, take time to understand. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only, with Civitai Link as the one integration. No desktop or phone app is listed. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
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 it 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
Good to know
Good for
- Finding community-made image models and LoRAs
- Generating images without owning a GPU, paid with earned Buzz
- Creators who want to publish and monetize their own models
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$10
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Civitai has a free plan. Paid plans start at $10 per month (Bronze membership).
Free
$0
Upload, download, generate and earn Buzz by taking part; 100 Blue Buzz on sign-up, claimable daily from the generator.
Bronze
$10
per month
10,000 Green Buzz a month, 5% bonus on Buzz purchases, 3 private models, 8 images per job, priority support.
Silver
$25
per month
25,000 Green Buzz a month, 10% purchase bonus, 10 private models, 10 images per job, premium support.
Gold
$50
per month
50,000 Green Buzz a month, 20% purchase bonus, 100 private models, 12 images per job, VIP support.
The free plan
Free accounts can upload, download, generate and earn Buzz; new accounts get 100 Blue Buzz.
Read from education.civitai.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Community hub for AI image models, with an on-site generator. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, community, image generation.
A model and LoRA library, an on-site generator, LoRA training, video and audio engines and creator earnings.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Civitai Link
Civitai is made by Civitai.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
16/89
Other AI image and video generators it is graded above
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
- CFree plan and trialAbove 28 of 89
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 89
- CEase of useAbove 7 of 89
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 89
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 67 AI image and video generators. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Civitai is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
OpenArt, Leonardo.Ai and NightCafe
The 3 tools Civitai is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
OpenArt
Free trial · from $13/mo
AI image and video studio with characters and multi-scene stories.
- Civitai has a free plan. OpenArt does not, though it has a free trial.
- Civitai also covers community.
- OpenArt also covers video editing and video generation.
- 3.0GPA
Leonardo.Ai
Free plan · from $12/mo
Image, video and 3D generator with its own and partner models.
- Only Leonardo.Ai lists iOS and Android apps.
- Civitai also covers community.
- Leonardo.Ai also covers video generation.
- 2.4GPA
NightCafe
Free plan · from $7.49/mo
Community AI art generator with many models and daily free credits.
- Civitai also covers community.
- NightCafe also covers templates and video generation.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Civitai free?
Civitai has a free plan. Free accounts can upload, download, generate and earn Buzz; new accounts get 100 Blue Buzz.
How much does Civitai cost?
Civitai lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Civitai work on?
Civitai is available on Web.
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.
What does Civitai integrate with?
Civitai's listing names Civitai Link. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Civitai?
Civitai is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Civitai?
The closest alternatives to Civitai in our directory are OpenArt, Leonardo.Ai and NightCafe.
How does Civitai compare with other 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.
Is Civitai good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Civitai C for value for money. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4.
Could I make my own version of Civitai?
To replace Civitai you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Civitai’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. 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.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Civitai. Prices change, so check civitai.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Civitai, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/civitai
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Civitai: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/civitai
Know someone choosing between AI image and video generators?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/civitai/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI image and video generators after Civitai, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Image & Video Generators Insider's GuideEvery one of the 90 AI image and video generators we grade, compared
- Pixlr Insider's GuideBrowser photo editors with AI image, video and audio tools3.2 GPA
- Adobe Firefly Insider's GuideAdobe's image, video and audio generator, with partner models3.0 GPA
- ComfyUI Insider's GuideOpen-source node editor for image and video AI workflows, plus a cloud3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Civitai’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Civitai is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Civitai. Prices and plans change: check civitai.com before you buy.