Easy Diffusion vs InvokeAI
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted ai image generation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Easy Diffusion | InvokeAI |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | ≈5-minute setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 90 · Excellent | 97 · Excellent |
| Category | AI Image Generation | AI Image Generation |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 8,192 MB | 8,192 MB |
| Deployment | one-click, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,464 | ★ 28,280 |
| First released | 2022 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Midjourney, DALL-E | Midjourney, Adobe Firefly |
What are Easy Diffusion and InvokeAI?
Easy Diffusion
Easy Diffusion is a beginner-friendly tool for generating images with Stable Diffusion using a one-click installer. It hides technical complexity behind a simple browser interface for text-to-image creation.
- One-click install
- Simple browser UI
- Inpainting and upscaling
- No technical knowledge needed
InvokeAI
InvokeAI is a creative-focused generative AI platform built around Stable Diffusion models. It offers a unified canvas for inpainting and outpainting, workflow nodes, and a polished interface aimed at artists and studios.
- Unified editing canvas
- Workflow node editor
- Model management
- Multi-user board organization
Easy Diffusion vs InvokeAI: key differences
Easy Diffusion is written in JavaScript, while InvokeAI is built with Python. InvokeAI has the considerably larger community, at 28,280 GitHub stars versus 10,464. InvokeAI lists first-class Docker deployment; Easy Diffusion does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Easy Diffusion if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Mature project with 10.5k GitHub stars
Choose InvokeAI if…
- Unified canvas editing
- Node-based workflows
- Polished professional UI
Watch out for
- Needs ample VRAM
- Heavy installation
Frequently asked questions
Is Easy Diffusion or InvokeAI better?
Neither is universally better. InvokeAI has the larger community, while Easy Diffusion is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Easy Diffusion and InvokeAI free and open-source?
Yes. Easy Diffusion is licensed under Apache-2.0 and InvokeAI under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Easy Diffusion and InvokeAI with Docker?
Easy Diffusion: check the project docs for container support. InvokeAI: yes.