Retro Diffusion

What Retro Diffusion is

Retro Diffusion creates 2D pixel art for characters, portraits, scenes, tilesets, UI kits, item sheets, visual effects, and animation. Its output is designed around low-resolution grids, deliberate palettes, and single-pixel outlines. An editor provides inpainting, canvas expansion, background removal, palette remapping, and texture tiling. Users can build custom styles from reference images without extra fees or training queues. Supported true pixel resolutions range from 16×16 to 384×384 depending on style, and downloads can be enlarged using lossless nearest-neighbor scaling. The product is available on the web and through an API with models, styles, animation, editing tools, cost checks, and asynchronous jobs. A hosted MCP server is described for Claude, Cursor, and other AI assistants. Plans charge per image or clip: RD Fast is $0.03, paid once, RD Plus $0.06, paid once, Animations $0.07, paid once, and RD Pro $0.18, paid once. New accounts receive a free starter balance; the maker says generated art can be used in personal and commercial projects.

Who it suits

It suits pixel-art creators who need game assets, textures, or animation, and developers who want API access. The maker also describes exports for Godot, Unity, Unreal, Blender, Blockbench, and Minecraft.

Limits

The free starter balance covers dozens of RD Fast generations. Paid usage is billed per image or clip, with RD Fast at $0.03, paid once, RD Plus at $0.06, paid once, Animations at $0.07, paid once, and RD Pro at $0.18, paid once.

Getting started

1. Open the Retro Diffusion website or use its API
2. Create an account to receive the free starter balance
3. Choose RD Fast, RD Plus, Animations, or RD Pro billing
4. Generate an asset or submit an asynchronous API job
5. Use the editor for inpainting, canvas expansion, background removal, palette remapping, or tiling
6. Export artwork as PNG or GIF, or use described engine export options

Verdict

Retro Diffusion combines pixel-art generation with editing tools, custom styles, and an API. Its free starter balance offers a way to begin, while continued use is priced per image or clip.