Imaginode vs InvokeAI: your own machine, or generation paid per run
An alternative to InvokeAI with no GPU to own: Imaginode charges per generation, with video and voice too. InvokeAI stays free software for your machine.
Competitor data verified on September 8, 2026
Frank HoubreFounder of Imaginode
InvokeAI is one of the major open source image generation interfaces, alongside ComfyUI and Automatic1111. The repository is very much alive: over 28,000 stars and a last push on 6 September 2026. You install it at home, you supply the GPU, and nothing is billed.
One thing to know before comparing prices: the commercial domain invoke.com displays "Invoke.com is for sale", checked on 8 September 2026. There is therefore no official hosted offer left to put opposite. The honest comparison is not price against price, it is your machine against generation paid per run.
Imaginode is not installed. 1 credit is $0.012, the exact price appears before the click, an image starts at 1 credit with Flux Schnell, a 5 second Kling 2.5 Turbo video costs 26 credits, and a failed generation is refunded.
What you pay for
InvokeAI
Nothing for the software: your GPU, your electricity, your setup time
Imaginode
The generation alone, exact price shown before the click
Hardware
InvokeAI
A capable graphics card, at your place
Imaginode
None: everything runs in the browser
Licence
InvokeAI
Open source, active repository, over 28,000 stars
Imaginode
Hosted service, code not public
Official hosted offer
InvokeAI
Gone: invoke.com is listed for sale as of 8 September 2026
Imaginode
That is the product itself
Models
InvokeAI
Whatever you download, your own weights included
Imaginode
100+ catalogue models, no importing weights
Video
InvokeAI
Image oriented, video depends on extensions
Imaginode
Image, video, text and voice on the same canvas
Privacy
InvokeAI
Everything stays on your machine
Imaginode
Generations pass through our servers
Facts checked on 8 September 2026: GitHub repository active, invoke.com listed for sale. Verify before quoting.
When to choose InvokeAI
- You already have a good GPU and you prefer nothing leaving your machine.
- You want your own weights, your LoRAs, your models trained at home.
- You care about open source and accept installing and maintaining it.
When to choose Imaginode
- You have no graphics card, or you would rather not run it for this.
- You want video, text and voice on the same canvas, not images alone.
- You want the exact price of a step before running it, without counting electricity.
- You want to budget your month before paying, with the calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Has InvokeAI been abandoned?
No. The open source software is active: over 28,000 stars and a repository pushed on 6 September 2026. It is the commercial domain invoke.com that is listed for sale, checked on 8 September 2026.
InvokeAI is free, why pay elsewhere?
Because the software is free, the compute is not. You need a capable GPU, you install it, maintain it and pay for the electricity. Imaginode charges for the generation and spares you the machine.
Can I use my own models on Imaginode?
No, the catalogue is closed. For your own weights and LoRAs, InvokeAI running locally remains the right tool.
Is Imaginode a good alternative to InvokeAI?
If you have no graphics card, want video, text and voice next to your images, and a price per step instead of an electricity bill, yes. If you own a good GPU, want your own weights and LoRAs, or care about open source, InvokeAI is the better choice.
Sources
More verified comparisons
Same rules: pricing grids recorded on a given date, source cited, updated as soon as a price changes.
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Judge for yourself
Try Imaginode