shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Stability AI?

Stability AI is the enterprise-ready creative partner for teams and creators, delivering professional-grade generative AI tools and solutions for content production at scale. - stability.ai

Depends. Enterprises in media, gaming, or e-commerce with real budgets get professional image/audio generation and enterprise trust materials. Hobbyists and cost-sensitive teams should skip it: API prices jumped ~5x and the company was 'cash-strapped' in 2024.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~40 public sources: G2/CNET/Trustpilot reviews, Reddit threads, Reuters/TechCrunch/Variety news, and official Stability AI pages. Some snippets truncated, so scores for ease of use and support are withheld.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of useNo usable evidence
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo usable evidence
  • Security posture

Pricing

Pay-per-credit

Developer Platform (API)

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
MembershipFree tier + paid plans
Brand StudioCustom / contact sales

Best for

  • Enterprise content and marketing teams
  • Media, gaming, and entertainment companies
  • Developers embedding image/audio APIs
  • Brands wanting licensed, commercially safe models

Not for

  • Hobbyists — community says Stability isn't aiming at them anymore
  • Cost-sensitive teams needing predictable API bills
  • Anyone wanting community-driven open-source development
  • Small teams needing occasional images — simpler tools start at $10/month

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

API repricing hit SDXL/SD 1.6 users with ~5x increases; budget for more hikes

high

2024 rescue funding and leadership churn mean vendor-lifetime risk for long contracts

medium

Brand Studio plans are custom-quoted after a sales evaluation — no transparent pricing

medium

Model licensing distinguishes Core Models from enterprise terms; read the license before commercial use

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Stable Diffusion is 'a household name in AI images' for a reason
  • $76M Series B backed by Universal, Warner, Sony, and Electronic Arts
  • Broad catalog: 11 image models plus audio APIs
  • Enterprise-grade security: Bugcrowd bug bounty, trust center, SOC 2/GDPR compliance
  • Enterprise reviewers frame it as professional-grade content production at scale

Cons

  • Reuters called the company 'cash-strapped' in 2024; new CEO installed
  • API costs for SDXL and SD 1.6 nearly quintupled
  • Community says the company is no longer aimed at individual creators
  • Getty Images copyright litigation creates legal and licensing uncertainty
  • Named in Tennessee lawsuit over explicit AI deepfakes of minors

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/20/2026 - 15 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed; Bugcrowd bug bounty, trust center, and SOC 2/GDPR materials exist, but copyright and deepfake lawsuits pose legal risk.

official x3review x6security x2news x4
  • Getty Images copyright litigation, Academic and public reporting reference Getty's copyright case against Stability AI over generative-AI training data.
  • Deepfakes lawsuit (Tennessee), Tennessee girls sued Stability AI and Grok over explicit AI deepfakes.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 2/5

    Rating

  • Pay-per-credit

    Starting price

  • 15

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 2/5. SDXL API prices nearly quintupled; some reviewers still say good value
  • Ease of use. No usable evidence
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Image, audio, and enterprise APIs across 11 models
  • Support quality. No usable evidence
  • Security posture: 3/5. Bug bounty and trust center; litigation risk remains
  • 4+/5 G2 rating 29 reviews on G2
  • $76M Latest funding 2026 Series B; UMG, Warner, Sony, EA backing
  • 2020 Founded London-based generative AI company
  • Yes Free tier Membership tiers; API is pay-per-credit

Pricing

Developer Platform (API)

Pay-per-credit

  • Text-to-image and audio generation
  • 11 image models available
  • Prices sharply raised in 2024 update

Membership

Free tier + paid plans

  • Credit-based generation
  • Commercial model access

Brand Studio

Not disclosed

  • Curated model selection by Stability team
  • Enterprise content production

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed; Bugcrowd bug bounty, trust center, and SOC 2/GDPR materials exist, but copyright and deepfake lawsuits pose legal risk.

  • Getty Images copyright litigationAcademic and public reporting reference Getty's copyright case against Stability AI over generative-AI training data.14
  • Deepfakes lawsuit (Tennessee)Tennessee girls sued Stability AI and Grok over explicit AI deepfakes.

What users say

Reviewers credit Stable Diffusion's image quality and breadth, but Reddit users gripe about API price hikes, membership changes, and the company's direction.

“Stable Diffusion Is a Household Name in AI Images for a Reason”
CNET review
“Stability Ai (almost) quintuples the API costs for SDXL and SD 1.6”
Reddit, r/StableDiffusion
“SAI is not aiming at you or me anymore”
Reddit, r/StableDiffusion

Alternatives

Compare Stability AI with each alternative.

  • Midjourney

    Stronger default image aesthetics; consumer plans start at $10/month.

    Stability AI vs Midjourney

  • Runway

    Better fit for generative video and creative studio workflows.

  • Amazon Bedrock

    Managed multi-model APIs with enterprise scale inside AWS.

Full analysis

Based on ~40 public sources: G2/CNET/Trustpilot reviews, Reddit threads, Reuters/TechCrunch/Variety news, and official Stability AI pages. Some snippets truncated, so scores for ease of use and support are withheld.

Legendary image-gen brand, shaky finances, 5x API price hikes. Enterprises: maybe. Hobbyists: look elsewhere.

Methodology

Based on ~40 public sources: G2/CNET/Trustpilot reviews, Reddit threads, Reuters/TechCrunch/Variety news, and official Stability AI pages. Some snippets truncated, so scores for ease of use and support are withheld.

Sources

  1. CNET: Stable Diffusion Is a Household Name in AI Images for a Reasoncnet.com
    review
  2. G2: Stability AI Products — 29 Reviewsg2.com
    review
  3. Reddit: API costs almost quintupled for SDXL and SD 1.6reddit.com
    review
  4. Reddit: Is Stability AI the next AI start-up to die?reddit.com
    review
  5. Reddit: Will Stability ever make a comeback?reddit.com
    review
  6. Reuters: Cash-strapped Stability AI raises $80 mln with new CEO and boardreuters.com
    news
  7. TechCrunch: Stability AI raises $76 million in fresh fundingtechcrunch.com
    news
  8. Variety: $76M round backed by UMG, Warner, Sony, EAvariety.com
    news
  9. Stability AI Brand Studio Plans (official pricing)stability.ai
    official
  10. Stability AI Developer Platform pricingplatform.stability.ai
    official
  11. Stability AI License termsstability.ai
    official
  12. Bugcrowd: Stability AI Vulnerability Disclosure Programbugcrowd.com
    security
  13. AIFOXX: SOC 2 / GDPR security & compliance profileaifoxx.com
    security
  14. ResearchGate: Getty Images and Stability AI copyright analysisresearchgate.net
    news
  15. Price Per Token: Stability AI API pricing comparison (11 models)pricepertoken.com
    review

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