The DiffusionBee Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about DiffusionBee 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.
DiffusionBee
The Insider’s Guide
Free Stable Diffusion app that runs locally on a Mac
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI image and video generators, read from DiffusionBee’s own pages.
Made by DiffusionBee · 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 DiffusionBee’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on DiffusionBee’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
2.8
GPA, above 74 of the 89 other AI image and video generators we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about DiffusionBee, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You download it and start generating, with nothing to set up, though Intel Macs are very slow.
- 1
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.
- 2
It is free
DiffusionBee has no paid plan at all. The site's meta description calls the app completely free of charge; no paid plans are shown.
- 3
It runs on macOS
macOS.
- 4
Text to image and image to image
Generate images from prompts or transform an existing image with a prompt.
- 5
Generative fill
Add or remove objects in a selected region of an image.
- 6
Upscaler and variants
Sharpen and enlarge images, or generate several variants of one image.
- 7
A 2.8 GPA, above 74 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.
- 8
Keep it
DiffusionBee is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
DiffusionBee at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS
- Made by
- DiffusionBee
- Category
- AI Image & Video Generators
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | The whole app is free and runs locally on your Mac, which counts as free and substantial. No paid plans are listed on the site. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free outright, with no paid plan listed and no cap beyond how fast your Mac is. |
| Features | C | Text 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. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record. You download it and start generating, with nothing to set up, though Intel Macs are very slow. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | macOS only, version 13.1 or later. No Windows, Linux, phone, web or API 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 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 it 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
Good to know
Good for
- Mac owners who want image generation with no subscription
- Keeping prompts and images on the machine
- Trying Stable Diffusion without installing Python tooling
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
DiffusionBee is free to use.
The whole app is free and runs locally on your Mac, which counts as free and substantial.
Free
$0
The whole app, run locally on your Mac. No paid plans are listed on the site.
The free plan
The site's meta description calls the app completely free of charge; no paid plans are shown.
Read from diffusionbee.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: macOS
Free Stable Diffusion app that runs locally on a Mac. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: works offline, local-first, image generation, video generation.
Text to image, image to image, generative fill, upscaler, variants, local training and video tools.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
DiffusionBee is made by DiffusionBee.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
74/89
Other AI image and video generators it is graded above
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
- AFree plan and trialAbove 86 of 89
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 89
- BEase of useAbove 58 of 89
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 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. DiffusionBee 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
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Draw Things, ComfyUI, Dezgo, Mage Space and Stability AI
The 5 tools DiffusionBee is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
Draw Things
Free plan · from $8.99/mo
Image generation that runs on your own iPhone, iPad or Mac.
- Only Draw Things lists an iOS app.
- 3.0GPA
ComfyUI
Free plan · from $16/mo
Open-source node editor for image and video AI workflows, plus a cloud.
- Only ComfyUI lists a web app.
- Only ComfyUI lists Windows and Linux apps.
- ComfyUI is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.2GPA
Dezgo
Free plan · from $10
Pay-as-you-go AI image and video generator with many models.
- Only DiffusionBee lists a macOS app.
- Only Dezgo lists a web app.
- 2.4GPA
Mage Space
Free plan · from $10/mo
Browser-based image, video and audio generator with many models.
- Only DiffusionBee lists a macOS app.
- Only Mage Space lists a web app.
- 1.8GPA
Stability AI
Free plan
Stable Diffusion image models to self-host or call through an API.
- Only DiffusionBee lists a macOS app.
- Only Stability AI lists a web app.
- Stability AI is self-hostable, according to its own site.
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 DiffusionBee free?
Yes. DiffusionBee is free to use.
How much does DiffusionBee cost?
DiffusionBee lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does DiffusionBee work on?
DiffusionBee is available on macOS.
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.
Who makes DiffusionBee?
DiffusionBee is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to DiffusionBee?
The closest alternatives to DiffusionBee in our directory are Draw Things, ComfyUI, Dezgo, Mage Space and Stability AI.
How does DiffusionBee compare with other 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.
Is DiffusionBee good value for money?
ToolGPA grades DiffusionBee A for value for money. DiffusionBee has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of DiffusionBee?
DiffusionBee is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from DiffusionBee’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 DiffusionBee'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 DiffusionBee. Prices change, so check diffusionbee.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
- DiffusionBee, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/diffusionbee
- 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, "DiffusionBee: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/diffusionbee
Know someone choosing between AI image and video generators?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/diffusionbee/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI image and video generators after DiffusionBee, 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 DiffusionBee’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. DiffusionBee is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by DiffusionBee. Prices and plans change: check diffusionbee.com before you buy.