Stable Diffusion
Overview
Stable Diffusion is an open text-to-image model that runs on your own GPU. Nothing leaves your machine — no prompts, no images — which means no usage fees, no content filters and no rate limits. This page focuses on how to actually use Stable Diffusion as a tool (it is not an overview of the Stability AI company). In practice the frontend is what matters day-to-day, and in 2026 the three dominant options are AUTOMATIC1111 (A1111), ComfyUI and Forge.
Key Features
Local execution, full control
Models, LoRAs, ControlNets, VAEs and embeddings all sit on your disk. Prompts and outputs never reach the internet, and NSFW / trademark handling is entirely up to you.
Frontend choices
- AUTOMATIC1111 (A1111): classic form-based WebUI, beginner-friendly, serves at http://127.0.0.1:7860.
- ComfyUI: node-based visual workflow canvas. Pro users are migrating here. Serves at http://127.0.0.1:8188.
- Forge: A1111-compatible fork with automatic memory management, making SDXL feasible even on 6GB VRAM cards.
Huge extension ecosystem
Communities on Civitai and Hugging Face ship checkpoints, LoRAs, ControlNets and IP-Adapters you can mix and match for very fine control over characters, styles and composition.
Plans & Pricing
| Setup | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Local | Free (power only) | GPU required |
| Cloud GPU (e.g. RunPod) | Hourly | Use when VRAM is low |
| Models themselves | Free download | Respect each model's license |
8GB VRAM is recommended for SDXL. With --lowvram or Forge's memory manager, even 6GB cards can run it.
Typical Use Cases
- Training your own LoRA for a specific character or product
- Pose / composition lock-in with ControlNet
- Running private in-house models on internal data
- Batch generation and frames for animation/video pipelines
Strengths
- Fully local — prompts and images stay on your machine
- Zero usage fees, unlimited generations
- Surgical control via LoRA / ControlNet
- Massive community assets (Civitai etc.)
Weaknesses
- Requires a capable GPU
- Non-trivial initial setup
- On raw quality, latest Midjourney / Flux sometimes edge it out
Official Info
- Models: Hugging Face
- A1111: https://github.com/AUTOMATIC1111/stable-diffusion-webui
- ComfyUI: https://github.com/comfyanonymous/ComfyUI