AI Images: Local or Online? A Complete Comparison

Updated September 2026 · Services, versions and prices change often: always check the official pages. This is part of our AI and ComfyUI tutorials.

You want to create images with artificial intelligence: is an online service like ChatGPT, Gemini or Midjourney better, or a model installed on your computer with ComfyUI? Before the technical comparison, here's our take, after years of using both.

Our experience: why we (almost always) work locally

We've been using generative AI since 2024, for our video design work and for the tutorials on this site. We started with Stable Diffusion (MaiaGaia, the host of our installation video, was born that way) and today we work with ComfyUI on a perfectly ordinary 12 GB RTX 3060. We know online services well and still use them when we need to. But for real work we've almost always gone back to local, for three very practical reasons.

1. Creative freedom, without censorship

Anyone who makes art knows it: the artistic nude, anatomical studies, the human body, a raw historical scene or a horror atmosphere have been legitimate subjects for centuries. Online services almost always block them, and often they also block completely harmless requests, because one word in the prompt triggers an automatic filter. It's frustrating, especially when you're working on a project and can't even figure out what you did wrong.

Locally, you decide: there's no filter imposed by a company. There is one important detail, though: you need to choose the right models. Some official models are trained on filtered data and simply can't depict certain subjects; many community models, for example lots of SDXL derivatives or Chroma, can. You'll find them described, with their licenses, in our handbook of image models.

Freedom doesn't mean no rules: the law still applies (never realistic images of real people without their consent, no content involving minors, and in Italy the unlawful distribution of deepfakes is a crime) and so do the model licenses, which often list prohibited uses. Within these boundaries, though, your creativity doesn't need to ask any algorithm for permission.

2. Total privacy

When you work locally, nothing leaves your computer: not the images, not the prompts, not the photos you upload as references. For us it's decisive when we work on client material, unreleased products or personal photos. ComfyUI also works completely offline: just don't use the paid nodes that connect to online services (you can even disable them entirely with the --disable-api-nodes launch option).

3. You pay nothing except electricity

No subscriptions, no credits running out just as you're about to get the right image. Once you have the computer, generating costs nothing but electricity: with a mid-range PC and the average Italian electricity price we're talking about 10 cents for an hour of work, meaning fractions of a cent per image (you'll find the full math further down). And you can do as many tests as you like, which is exactly how real work gets done.

That said, online has real advantages, and in some cases it's the better choice. Here's the full comparison between the two routes on quality, costs, privacy, control and usage rights, so you can pick the right one for you (or, like us, use both).

In short

The best online AI for images

In 2026 online generators have specialized: there's no single one that's best at everything, each excels at something.

• ChatGPT (GPT Image 2) — the generator built into ChatGPT, currently near the top of the preference rankings. It's super convenient because you work through conversation: "make the sky darker", "add the logo at the bottom". Free version with limits, subscription to use it more.
• Gemini (Nano Banana) — Google's model, very strong at precise photo editing and at keeping faces and objects consistent from one image to the next. The base version is free in the Gemini app; the Pro version comes with paid plans.
• Midjourney (V8.1) — the benchmark for aesthetics and artistic images. It has no free plan: subscriptions range from 10 to 120 dollars a month, and private mode (images don't end up in the public gallery) is only included in the more expensive plans.
• Ideogram — the best for text in images: logos, posters, covers, T-shirts.
• Seedream (ByteDance) — great for restyling, infographics and high-resolution images.
• Adobe Firefly — built into Photoshop and other Adobe programs, designed for professional use: Adobe says it was trained on licensed content, and it's the safest choice if you work with clients and agencies.

For a broader overview of online platforms, also read our list of AI tools for generating images and the guide on which AI to use in 2026.

Pros and cons of online services

• ✅ Zero setup: they work on any computer, even from your phone.
• ✅ Top-tier quality and models always up to date without you doing anything.
• ✅ You use them by talking: editing with words is immediate even if you don't know graphics.
• ❌ Recurring costs and limits: credits that run out, waiting, the best features only on paid plans.
• ❌ Content filters that are sometimes excessive, blocking even harmless requests.
• ❌ Privacy: images and prompts go through the company's servers; on free plans they may be used to improve the models.
• ❌ Dependence: if the service changes prices, model or shuts down, your way of working changes with it. The shutdown of Sora, OpenAI's video generator, in 2026 is the most recent example.

AI images locally

Locally you use a free program like ComfyUI and a model downloaded to your PC. Today's open models (Z-Image, Flux, Qwen-Image, ERNIE-Image, Krea 2…) come very close to the quality of the best online services. You'll find them all, with their licenses explained, in our handbook of image models in ComfyUI.

Pros and cons of local

• ✅ No limits: you can generate thousands of images without credits or subscriptions.
• ✅ Creative freedom: artistic nudes, anatomy, strong themes or simply prompts that would be blocked online; with the right models no filter decides for you.
• ✅ Total privacy: client photos, unreleased products and confidential projects never leave your computer.
• ✅ Full control: you choose the model, train your own LoRA (your style, your product, your character), control pose and composition with ControlNet, build automated workflows.
• ✅ No surprises: the model you downloaded will work the same a year from now.
• ❌ You need a suitable PC, above all a graphics card with plenty of memory (see the guide to graphics cards for AI).
• ❌ There's a learning curve: installation, models, nodes. At first it's slower than typing a prompt in a chat.
• ❌ You have to read the licenses: some models can't be used for work, and some exclude Europe.

What it really costs: local vs cloud, with Italian electricity bills

Let's run the numbers with real figures, for images and video. For electricity we use the reference price set by ARERA for the typical household in the third quarter of 2026: about €0.32 per kWh, taxes and charges included. Check your bill: your price may be a bit different.

Local consumption. A PC with a mid-range graphics card, like an RTX 5060 Ti, draws about 300 watts in total while generating. In one hour it uses 0.3 kWh, which is about 10 cents. In our calculations we stay on the generous side.

The honest math: there's also the hardware. Electricity is only part of the cost. A 16 GB card costs roughly €600–800: if you use it for three years that's about €17–22 a month, more or less the same as a subscription. The difference is that the card has no limits, stays yours, also works with Blender, Premiere and DaVinci Resolve, and can be resold at the end of its life. And if you already have a gaming or 3D PC with a good NVIDIA card, you don't have this cost at all.

The two cards we recommend to get started

The RTX 3060 12 GB is the card we use every day for the tutorials and workflows on this site: with SDXL an image arrives in a few seconds, and with the reduced versions Flux runs well too. It's the cheapest way to get 12 GB of video memory. If you can spend more, the RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB gives you more headroom for recent models and your first videos.

In practice: for a few images a month online is the better deal, and the free version is often enough. If you generate every day, and especially if you work with video, where every online attempt is paid by the second, local costs a fraction. Renting a GPU in the cloud is the middle ground for anyone who doesn't want to buy hardware but needs power for a few projects.

Indicative prices updated September 2026: online service and energy rates change often.

Rights and commercial use: what changes

Online, the platform's terms of service apply: generally, images created with a paid plan can be used for work, but the rules vary (for example on the public visibility of images or on the use of your content). Locally, the model's license applies: from completely free ones (Apache 2.0, MIT) to non-commercial ones or ones with revenue thresholds. In both cases copyright law and laws on people's likeness still apply, and in Italy so do the new deepfake rules in force since September 30, 2026.

Which route to choose

Want to figure out whether it's worth buying a PC or paying for a subscription? Go back over the math with Italian electricity bills above.

How to get started locally

1. Install ComfyUI (there's also the Desktop app, the easiest option).
2. Choose a model suited to your graphics card from the models handbook.
3. Download our free workflows and start from the beginner's guide to ComfyUI; all the tutorials are on the AI and ComfyUI page.

Frequently asked questions

Are local AI tools as good as online ones?

Today they're very close. Online services are still a step ahead in ease of use and in flagship models, but for realistic photos, illustrations and text, open models like Z-Image, Flux and Qwen-Image deliver professional results, plus total control and no limits.

Can you create artistic nudes with AI?

With online services almost never: their filters block nudity even when it's artistic. Locally yes, by choosing a model that wasn't trained on filtered data (many community models allow it) and by respecting the law: no real people without consent and no content involving minors. Always check the model's license too.

What's the best free online image generator?

To get started, Gemini and ChatGPT: both have a good free version, with daily limits. Midjourney, on the other hand, has no free plan.

Can I use AI images for work?

Yes, if the online service's terms or the license of the model you use locally allow it. Always check: some licenses are non-commercial and some exclude Europe. And state that the image is AI-generated when it could mislead, especially if it depicts real people.