Freedom251 › AI image generators
Metastable
What Metastable is
Metastable is a free, open-source app for AI image generation, built on ComfyUI and licensed under AGPLv3. Its project-based interface organizes ideas and supports text-to-image, image-to-image, inpainting, image editing, and reference-image workflows. It can import prompts and settings from images created in other software. Supported models include Stable Diffusion 1.x, 2.x, 3.x, and XL, plus FLUX.1; listed model features include LoRAs and ControlNets. The maker says Metastable runs entirely on the user’s machine and does not add undocumented metadata or watermarks. Dependency installation is handled by the app, although the initial download may reach 5 GB. Windows, macOS, and Linux are supported. Windows requires version 10 or newer and does not support ARM CPUs. NVIDIA, AMD via ZLUDA, and AMD or Intel Arc via DirectML are listed, with CPU-only operation also possible. DirectML usually performs worse than other GPU methods, and FLUX setup may require manual installation. The listed plan costs nothing.
Who it suits
Metastable suits users wanting local, open-source image generation with project organization and broad model support. It can fit systems with supported GPUs or CPU-only setups, provided the Windows and installation requirements are acceptable.
What it does well
- Runs locally on Windows, macOS, and Linux
- Supports text-to-image and inpainting
- Works with Stable Diffusion and FLUX.1
- Open source under AGPLv3
- No undocumented metadata or watermarks
What to know first
- Initial dependency download may reach 5 GB
- Windows requires version 10 or newer
- ARM CPUs are unsupported on Windows
- FLUX installation may require manual steps
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Metastable | Completely open source · AGPLv3 | Free |
As metastable.studio lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Metastable offers a local, open-source image-generation workspace with multiple workflows and model families at no listed cost. Hardware compatibility, setup size, and possible manual FLUX installation are the main practical considerations.
Facts from Metastable's own pages
- FLUX installation
- The documentation says licensing restrictions prevent a fully automatic FLUX installation, though it can be installed manually. · docs.metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · metastable.studio, 20 Sept 2026
- Generation tools
- Its documentation lists text-to-image, image-to-image and inpainting workflows. · docs.metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- GPU support
- The guide lists NVIDIA, AMD via ZLUDA, and AMD or Intel Arc via DirectML, and says the app can run in CPU-only mode without a compatible GPU. · docs.metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Hardware limits
- The quick start says Metastable can run in CPU-only mode without a compatible GPU, while noting DirectML usually performs worse than other GPU methods. · docs.metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Image editing
- Yes · metastable.studio, 20 Sept 2026
- Image metadata
- The maker says Metastable does not add undocumented metadata or watermarks to images. · metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Import
- Metastable can import prompts and settings from images generated by other software. · metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The app handles dependency installation, and its initial dependency download may be up to 5 GB. · docs.metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- License
- Metastable is open source and licensed under AGPLv3. · metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Local processing
- The maker describes Metastable as an app for image generation that respects privacy and says it runs 100% on your machine. · metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Model features
- The maker lists LoRA and ControlNet support for Stable Diffusion 1.x/2.x/XL and FLUX. · docs.metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Models
- It supports Stable Diffusion 1.x, 2.x, 3.x and XL, as well as FLUX.1 models. · metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Model sources
- The documentation explains how to use CivitAI and HuggingFace API keys to download models. · docs.metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Model support
- The maker says Metastable supports Stable Diffusion 1, 2, 3, and XL models, FLUX.1 models, LoRAs, IP Adapters, and ControlNets. · metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Open source
- Metastable is open source and licensed under AGPLv3. · metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Product
- Metastable is a project-based interface for AI image generation, built on ComfyUI. · docs.metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Project organization
- Metastable organizes ideas into projects. · metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Projects
- Metastable organizes ideas into projects. · metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Metastable is an app for AI image generation. · metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Reference images
- Yes · metastable.studio, 20 Sept 2026
- Runs locally
- The maker describes Metastable as running 100% on your machine. · mat.dev, 12 Oct 2026
- Setup size
- Installing dependencies after the app may require a download of up to 5 GB. · docs.metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
- Support
- The documentation provides links to a Discord community and GitHub. · docs.metastable.studio, 12 Oct 2026
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