Civitai
Harness AI to create, share, and innovate in multimedia content generation.. [Free]
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What is Civitai?
Civitai is an online platform and marketplace for generative AI content, primarily focused on AI-generated images, models (especially Stable Diffusion and Flux), and AI-generated videos. Founded in 2022 by Justin Maier and headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Civitai allows users to share, download, and monetize AI models including checkpoints, LoRAs, textual inversions, hypernetworks, VAEs, and embeddings.
Key features include an on-site Image Generator that uses Buzz (virtual currency) for image creation, an on-site LoRA Trainer for training custom models, a vast library of thousands of free AI models sortable by rankings/downloads/likes, a community feed for showcasing AI art, direct messaging between users, and the Civitai Vault for cloud storage of resources. The platform also offers Civitai Link for sharing generation metadata and supports open-source development.
Civitai is designed for AI artists, developers, filmmakers, educators, and generative AI enthusiasts who want to create, share, and discover AI-generated content. With 5 million monthly active members, it is the world's largest community for generative AI creators, offering tools for everyone from beginners to professionals.
The platform uses a Buzz currency system that can be earned through community engagement (reacting to images, posting content, collecting images) or purchased. Free users receive daily free Buzz just for logging in and viewing ads. Higher membership tiers earn more Buzz and receive bonuses on purchases.
Civitai pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Civitai offers four membership tiers: Free (no cost), Bronze ($10/month), Silver ($25/month), and Gold ($50/month). The Free tier includes full access to upload/download resources, earn Buzz, train LoRAs, and generate images with daily free Buzz. Paid tiers provide more Buzz per month (lump-sum at period start), bonus Buzz on purchases with tier multipliers, up to 300% more Buzz from rewards at Gold tier, private model storage, more images per job, more queued jobs, Civitai Vault storage (GBs), faster support priority, animated supporter badges, access to Civitai Link, exclusive Discord channels, and early access to beta features. Original $5 supporters are grandfathered with same benefits plus 5% multiplier. Buzz can also be purchased separately and does not expire.
Civitai pros
- Largest collection of free Stable Diffusion and Flux models online
- On-site Image Generator with no daily generation limits
- On-site LoRA Trainer for training custom models without local hardware
- Buzz currency system lets free users earn credits for generations
- Strong, active community with 5 million monthly active members
- Models sortable by highest ranked, liked, and downloaded
- Open-source platform encouraging transparency and user contributions
- Extensive educational resources including tutorials and guides for beginners
- Civitai Vault cloud storage for backing up favorite resources
- Direct messaging system for community interaction
- Draft Mode in generator for 1/4 the cost with faster testing
- Content Classification System with 5 levels (PG to XXX) for filtering
- Creators Program lets artists monetize their AI models and content
- Early access to beta features for paid membership tiers
- Grandfathered benefits for original $5 tier supporters
- Buzz does not expire and rolls over between months
- ADetailer, Hires fix, upscaling, and regional prompting available
Civitai cons
- No dedicated mobile Android or iOS app - only web access
- Free tier users receive no direct response to general support tickets
- Image Generator now costs Buzz instead of being completely free
- Initial complexity can overwhelm new users due to many features
- Limited direct customer support - mostly community-driven
- Content moderation concerns including inappropriate images and bots
- Celebrity/real-person likenesses blocked from on-site Image Generator
- Cannot interrupt or stop LoRA training once started
- Safety scanners may pause training for up to 48 hours for review
- Higher costs when using multiple additional resources in generation
Frequently asked questions about Civitai
Why does the Image Generator now cost Buzz?
The Generator costs a lot of money to run, and servicing the growing popular user base is increasingly expensive. Linking generations to Buzz removes all generation limits in exchange for community content or revenue. This also enables features like ADetailer, Hires fix, upscaling, regional prompting, and img2img that were too expensive to add previously, while encouraging higher quality images over sheer quantity.
How can I use the Image Generator without buying Buzz?
All users receive free Blue Buzz every 24 hours just for logging in and opening the Generator. Users can also earn Buzz by reacting to images, posting content, having people like and collect posts, and engaging with site content. Browsing with ads enabled earns Blue Buzz at 0.25-0.5 per ad viewed, capped at 400 Buzz per day.
Why did my LoRA fail to train on Civitai?
Civitai has checks to detect failures and re-submit failed processes, but sometimes training processes don't complete. If training fails, contact Community Managers via Discord or [email protected] - failed runs can often be re-queued. A 'Paused' status means safety scanners flagged data for human moderator review, which takes up to 48 hours before training resumes.
Are the models I train on the Civitai LoRA Trainer private?
They are private in that they won't be exposed to other users unless you specify to upload the finished LoRA. However, files may be seen by developers in execution of their duties. Full details are in the Civitai Data Storage Policy at civitai.com/content/training/data-policy.
Can I use a Celebrity LoRA on the Civitai Image Generator?
Currently no - you cannot generate likenesses of real-world people on the Civitai Image Generator. Models marked as producing real-person likenesses won't show in the generator, and prompting for celebrity names should be avoided. This restriction does not apply to the on-site LoRA trainer - you can still train celebrity likenesses after attesting you have permission.
Does Buzz expire or roll over if I become a Supporter?
No, Buzz does not expire. Yes, if you pay to become a Civitai Supporter/member, your Buzz rolls over from one month to the next without losing anything. All purchased or earned Buzz is retained indefinitely.
Is there a Civitai mobile app?
There is not currently a dedicated mobile Android or iOS app for Civitai. The platform is only available online at Civitai.com through web browsers.
How do I get Buzz and can I buy it?
Buzz is the Civitai.com on-site currency. You earn it by reacting to images (up to 100 daily), posting content (25 Buzz per image post daily), collecting images, having others react to your content (up to 50,000 monthly for model users), and viewing ads (up to 400 daily). Buzz can also be purchased directly through Civitai's membership system or Buzz purchases.
Can I interrupt or stop LoRA training once started?
No - once you've started training with the Civitai on-site LoRA trainer you cannot interrupt processing. The trash can icon can only be used to remove trained models from your account after training completes.
What is the best way to tag/caption images when training a LoRA?
The Civitai on-site LoRA Trainer has a built-in image captioning tool. After uploading images, run the auto-captioner to produce Danbooru-style tags or natural language captions (labels) for your images. More information is available in the on-site LoRA Trainer Guide on the Civitai Education Hub.