DiffusionBee review (2026): is it any good?
Free Stable Diffusion app that runs locally on a Mac
DiffusionBee report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for free Stable Diffusion on a Mac
DiffusionBee is a free Mac app that runs Stable Diffusion on your own machine, with image to image, generative fill, an upscaler, local model training and some video tools. It is Mac only and slow on Intel Macs, with about 30 seconds an image on an 8GB M1 Air.
Who DiffusionBee is for
- Fits if you have an Apple silicon Mac and want to make images free and offline
- Works for people who would train a small custom model on their own pictures
Who DiffusionBee is not for
- Skip it if you use Windows, Linux or a phone, since only macOS is offered
- Tight if you have an Intel Mac, which the FAQ calls very slow without a dedicated graphics chip
- Tight if you have an 8GB Mac, where one image takes about 30 seconds
- Watch out: generated images are tied to the CreativeML Open RAIL-M license
Why DiffusionBee gets a 2.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyThe whole app is free and runs locally on your Mac, which counts as free and substantial. No paid plans are listed on the site.
- AFree plan and trialFree outright, with no paid plan listed and no cap beyond how fast your Mac is.
- CFeaturesText to image, image to image, generative fill, upscaler, variants, local training and video tools. A local Stable Diffusion app, with output tied to the CreativeML Open RAIL-M license.
- BEase of useNo store rating on record. You download it and start generating, with nothing to set up, though Intel Macs are very slow.
- DPlatforms and integrationsmacOS only, version 13.1 or later. No Windows, Linux, phone, web or API is listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from DiffusionBee'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/diffusionbee#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/diffusionbee.svg" alt="DiffusionBee: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where DiffusionBee stands among AI image and video generators
DiffusionBee's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 74 of the 89 other AI image and video generators we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 86 of 89) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
DiffusionBee has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 90 AI image and video generators we grade, cut by the letter each got. DiffusionBee’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 80 of 89, level with 9
- AFree plan and trialAbove 86 of 89, level with 3
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 89, level with 39
- BEase of useAbove 58 of 89, level with 25
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 89, level with 1
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 DiffusionBee, or make your own?
Keep it
DiffusionBee is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 74 of the 89 other AI image and video generators we grade.
What you could not
- An image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
- A video model, which you can rent by the second but not make.
- A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. DiffusionBee’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 DiffusionBee?
DiffusionBee is a Mac app that runs Stable Diffusion on your own computer. It covers text-to-image, image-to-image, generative fill, upscaling, image variants, control images, video tools and training custom models. The site says images are generated locally and nothing is sent to the cloud.
Worth knowing
- Only a macOS download is offered; the FAQ says macOS 13.1 or later is required.
- Apple silicon is recommended; the FAQ says Intel Macs work but are very slow without a dedicated graphics chip.
- On an 8GB M1 MacBook Air the FAQ puts one image at around 30 seconds.
- Use of generated images is tied to the CreativeML Open RAIL-M license, per the FAQ.
Key features
- Text to image and image to image
- Generate images from prompts or transform an existing image with a prompt.
- Generative fill
- Add or remove objects in a selected region of an image.
- Upscaler and variants
- Sharpen and enlarge images, or generate several variants of one image.
- Model training
- Train a custom model on your own images, which the site says happens fully locally.
- Video tools
- A set of tools for generating animations and videos.
DiffusionBee pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, DiffusionBee is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- The site's meta description calls the app completely free of charge; no paid plans are shown.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | The whole app, run locally on your Mac. No paid plans are listed on the site. |
Read from diffusionbee.com on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with DiffusionBee before you buy.
DiffusionBee alternatives
- DiffusionBee vs Draw Things
Free plan · from $8.99/mo
- DiffusionBee vs ComfyUI
Free plan · from $16/mo
- DiffusionBee vs Dezgo
Free plan · from $10
- DiffusionBee vs Mage Space
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- DiffusionBee vs Stability AI
Free plan
Common questions
Does DiffusionBee have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. DiffusionBee is listed for macOS.
Does DiffusionBee have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. DiffusionBee is listed for macOS.
Is DiffusionBee open source?
DiffusionBee is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does DiffusionBee work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.