We've talked about Midjourney, DALL-E, and other free alternatives for generating images with artificial intelligence, but if you want more flexibility and local execution, the best option remains Stable Diffusion. The latest models released by StabilityAI always appear online first, and that includes the new Stable Diffusion XL 0.9, which increases the number of parameters and prioritizes photorealistic results. Want to try it? All you need is a ClipDrop account and a lot of patience…
Generating images with artificial intelligence is becoming easier. We can use any of the free online services (from Bing Image Creator to BlueWillow), buy credits on Midjourney or DreamStudio, try the mobile offering using apps like monAI, or use the official online demos. Today we'll explore the fourth option, courtesy of StabilityAI and the new version 0.9 of its Stable Diffusion XL model.
The launch of the first beta last April was very well received by users, and 0.9 goes a step further. While the beta version is based on a total of 3.1 billion parameters applying a single model, Stable Diffusion XL 0.9 combines a base model of 3.5 billion parameters and a secondary one of 6.6 billion, maintaining (relative) compatibility with general consumer hardware. StabilityAI assures that an Nvidia RTX 20 or similar 8 GB VRAM graphics card runs Stable Diffusion XL 0.9 without problems, but if you don't have access to that, you can try the model in ClipDrop.
How to use Stable Diffusion XL 0.9 in ClipDrop
Creating a ClipDrop account is very simple, and we can also use alternative credentials like Google, Facebook, or Apple. Once inside, the rest is about preparing the prompt and selecting a style. ClipDrop does not support advanced parameters like the number of steps, seed, intensity, or negative prompts, but it's not the end of the world. The results of Stable Diffusion XL 0.9 are presented in blocks of four images, with the possibility of downloading HD copies or regenerating individual images.
A very positive aspect of Stable Diffusion XL 0.9 in ClipDrop is that its free profile has some flexibility. The maximum limit is 400 images per day, as long as we accept a watermark in the bottom right corner. The price of the professional plan varies by region, but it eliminates the waiting queue and the watermark, and increases the daily image limit to 1,500. This includes unlimited access to all ClipDrop features, with the only exception of Uncrop, which processes up to 1,000 images per day. Link below!
Editor's note: Aaaaaaaaaaand it's gone. With a waiting queue exceeding six thousand images and huge pressure, StabilityAI declared that its servers "weren't ready for so much love" and put the service on pause until next Monday the 26th. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Official site: Click here
