SHSelfHostIndex

Fooocus-API vs Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted ai image generation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FO Fooocus-API Self-hosted REST API for the Fooocus image generator VS ST Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge Optimized fork of the Stable Diffusion WebUI
FeatureFooocus-APIStable Diffusion WebUI Forge
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupRead-the-docs project
Health score60 · Good37 · At risk
CategoryAI Image GenerationAI Image Generation
LicenseGPL-3.0AGPL-3.0
LanguagePythonPython
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM8,192 MB8,192 MB
Deploymentdocker, sourcebare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 674★ 13,028
First released20232024
ReplacesDALL-E API, MidjourneyMidjourney

What are Fooocus-API and Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge?

Fooocus-API

Fooocus-API is an open-source project that wraps the Fooocus image generation engine in a REST API. It allows other applications to request Stable Diffusion image generation from a self-hosted backend.

  • REST API for image generation
  • Async job queue
  • OpenAPI documentation
  • Docker deployment

Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge

Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge is a platform built on the AUTOMATIC1111 interface that improves speed, memory usage, and adds support for newer models like Flux. It keeps the familiar UI while making development of features easier.

  • Faster inference
  • Lower VRAM usage
  • Flux model support
  • A1111-compatible extensions

Fooocus-API vs Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge: key differences

Both projects are written in Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Fooocus-API versus AGPL-3.0 for Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge. Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge has the considerably larger community, at 13,028 GitHub stars versus 674. Fooocus-API lists first-class Docker deployment; Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge does not.

Why pick each one

Choose Fooocus-API if…

  • Released under the GPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in Python
Fooocus-API details

Choose Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • Mature project with 13k GitHub stars
  • Written in Python
Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge details

Frequently asked questions

Is Fooocus-API or Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge better?

Neither is universally better. Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Fooocus-API and Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge free and open-source?

Yes. Fooocus-API is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Fooocus-API and Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge with Docker?

Fooocus-API: yes. Stable Diffusion WebUI Forge: check the project docs for container support.

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