Civitai: explore hundreds of models under Stable Diffusion

Civitai, what is it

Civitai is a free platform to exchange and discover resources (mainly models) to make images using artificial intelligence. The site is free and everyone has the possibility to upload and share their models. You can also perform custom searches and download models designed by other users. These model can later be used in image generators like Stable Diffusion.

The concept of “model” on Civitai

The term “model” actually refers to a machine learning algorithm (or series of algorithms) trained to create images in a specific style. This can be images, music, video or other illustrations intended for adults.

How do you create a model?

To create a model, we start by gathering lots of example images in the style we want. Then, we use these examples to teach the AI to copy the style of these images. Finally, the model creates new works inspired by these examples. The illustration created is not really a copy of these examples, but a new creation influenced by their style. So, it’s a bit complex but the Civitai site is, fortunately, much easier to use.

What kind of alternative designs are possible?

An AI can easily be trained to generate a wide range of styles, from photorealistic images to more abstract designs. There is a wide variety of choices on the Civitai site, and manga style has a good place. Not surprisingly, some people have decided to use it to make erotic, sexy, etc.

Here is the list of models styles:

Civitai is free and open source

The Civitai community regularly shares new models for free, offering ever more impressive content. Exploring the different models is easy thanks to a series of thematic “tags”.

In short, if you have a good (recent) computer and a powerful graphics card, Civitai is the site not to be missed! It is also an excellent alternative to popular sites like Midjourney or DALL-E 2.

Bonus: If, despite the impressive choice available on the site, you still can’t find what you’re looking for, then try one of these alternatives: Hugging Face, PromptHero Models or Rentry SD Model