Mage vs Krea
The best Krea alternative for unlimited AI image and video generation
Krea is a polished creative suite with a real-time canvas and deep LoRA training, but its monthly compute units run out, and its unlimited generation is relaxed-speed and limited to its own image models. Mage is the Krea alternative for creators who want unlimited generation on many image and video models from one prompt box.
No installation. No credit card. Private by default.
The short answer
Is Mage a good Krea alternative?
Choose Mage for plans with unlimited image and video generation, Characters you reuse by @handle, and an API and MCP server paid with the same Gems as the app. Choose Krea if you live in its real-time canvas, build node workflows, or want plugins inside Photoshop and other creative apps.
Krea is best for: designers who want real-time sketch-to-image, node workflows, custom LoRA training and plugins for their existing creative apps
Krea is an AI creative suite for generating, editing, enhancing and animating images and videos, offering models from Google, OpenAI, Runway and others alongside Krea's own models. It serves designers, filmmakers, brand teams and casual creators.
Why people switch
Why people switch from Krea to Mage
Unlimited plans
On Krea: Monthly compute units do not roll over, and once they run out, unlimited generation is relaxed-speed and limited to supported in-house image models.
On Mage: From $10 a month on Basic, 11 model versions generate unlimited at their default settings, and Max runs all 51.
Characters
On Krea: Elements save characters for its Seedance video mode for now; elsewhere, LoRA training is the route to a consistent subject.
On Mage: Save a character once, from one photo or a prompt, and mention it as an @handle on 13 model families. No training needed.
API, MCP, and SDKs
On Krea: The API is billed from a prepaid balance kept separate from plan compute units.
On Mage: A REST API, TypeScript and Python SDKs, ComfyUI nodes, and an MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor, all paid with the same Gems.
Side by side
Mage vs Krea at a glance
Mage's column is read from Mage's own catalog and plans. Krea's comes from its own pages, each with a link to the source.
| Feature | Mage | Krea |
|---|---|---|
| Paid plans from | $10 a month (Basic) | $9 a month (Basic) Source |
| Top plan | $200 a month (Max) | $105 a month (Max) Source |
| Free tier | 300 free Gems when you sign up, no credit card | 100 compute units a day that refill daily, no credit card; selected image models (for example about 50 Krea 2 Turbo or 18 Krea 1 images a day), real-time generation, LoRA training with up to 50 images and upscaling to 2K. Seedance video models need a paid plan, and the commercial license comes with paid plans. Source |
| How usage is billed | Unlimited plans: from Basic ($10 a month), 11 model versions run unlimited at default settings, and Max runs all 51. Gems pay for everything else, at 1,000 Gems for $1. | Compute units. Individual plans' monthly units do not roll over (Business and Enterprise units do); one-time compute packs are valid for 90 days. Every plan includes unlimited relaxed generations on supported in-house image models after compute units run out. A current promotion gives 14 days of unlimited Krea 3 Fast generations with a qualifying Pro or Max annual purchase. Source |
| Models | 28 model families and 51 versions, including Nano Banana 2, GPT Image 2, Grok Image, Flux 2, Mango, Guava, Cherry, Lemon, Plum, and Wan Video v2.2 | Krea 3, Krea 2 Turbo, Krea 1, Nano Banana Pro, Nano Banana 2, GPT Image 2.5 Flare, Flux 2 Pro, Seedream 5 Pro, Ideogram 4.5, Recraft V4, Seedance 2.5, Veo 3.1, Kling 3.0, Runway Gen-4.5, and Wan 3.0 Source |
| Privacy | Private by default: nothing is public unless you post it | Krea states that Free-plan generations are private and that there is no public feed. Its Terms say private mode availability depends on subscription tier. On Enterprise, Krea says it never trains on customer data. Source |
| Content policy | Fewer filters, with clear rules: nothing illegal and no misuse of real people | Terms of Use list prohibited content, including graphic content, hateful or discriminatory material, harmful stereotypes, misinformation, and impersonation of real people without consent (deepfakes); violations can end access to the service. Source |
| Consistent characters | Characters: save one from a photo or a prompt, then mention it as an @handle on 13 model families | Elements (in Seedance Studio video mode for now) save a character, location or object as up to 8 reference images plus written guidelines under an @tag; LoRA training on faces, products and styles keeps subjects consistent across image and video tools. Source |
| Developer API | REST API with TypeScript and Python SDKs and ComfyUI nodes, paid in Gems | Yes. REST API with SDKs (for example @krea-ai/sdk), async jobs and webhooks for the same image and video models. Billed from a prepaid US-dollar API balance separate from plan compute units ($5 minimum top-up), with a fixed per-generation price per model and settings; failed jobs are not billed. Source |
| MCP server | Official MCP server at https://mcp.mage.space/mcp for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and more | Yes. Hosted MCP server at https://api.krea.ai/mcp (Streamable HTTP). OAuth sessions bill the selected workspace's compute units; API-token sessions bill the API balance. A ChatGPT plugin and a CLI are also offered. Source |
| Platforms | Web, in desktop and phone browsers | Web and an iOS app for iPhone and iPad; plugins for Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve and Blender; ChatGPT plugin, a Slack agent, MCP and CLI. Source |
Pricing
Krea pricing vs Mage pricing
List prices in US dollars before tax. Mage's plans add monthly Gems and unlimited generation on the models they cover.
Krea plans
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed yearly, per month | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 100 compute units a day that refill daily, no credit card; selected image models (for example about 50 Krea 2 Turbo or 18 Krea 1 images a day), real-time generation, LoRA training with up to 50 images and upscaling to 2K. Seedance video models need a paid plan, and the commercial license comes with paid plans. |
| Basic | $9 | $5 | 5,000 compute units a month; 4 image and 2 video jobs at once; selected models (Seedance 2, Fast and Mini, not Seedance 2.5); commercial license |
| Pro | $35 | $21 | 20,000 compute units a month; 8 image and 4 video jobs at once; all models; commercial license |
| Max | $105 | $63 | 60,000 compute units a month (default tier; 40k to 100k options); unlimited image concurrency, 8 video jobs; LoRAs up to 2,000 images with unlimited trainings; Krea 3 Ultra mode |
Mage plans
| Plan | Per month | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 300 Gems when you sign up |
| Basic | $10 | 500 Gems a month, and 11 model versions unlimited at default settings |
| Pro | $30 | 1,500 Gems a month, and 36 model versions unlimited at default settings |
| Pro Plus | $60 | 3,500 Gems a month, and 46 model versions unlimited at default settings |
| Max | $200 | 15,000 Gems a month, and 51 model versions unlimited at default settings |
In fairness
Where Krea is stronger
No tool is best at everything. As of October 2026, this is where Krea has the edge.
Realtime canvas: the image updates instantly as you type, adjust sliders, move shapes or use a webcam, powered by Krea's own real-time model. Source
Krea Nodes, a visual node editor for chaining models into multi-step pipelines that can be published as shareable mini-apps with the App Builder. Source
Heavy LoRA training: the Max plan allows up to 2,000 images per LoRA with unlimited trainings, and trained models work across image and video tools. Source
Native plugins inside Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve and Blender, plus an iOS app. Source
Switching
How to switch from Krea to Mage in 3 steps
Create your free account
Sign up with Google, X, or email and get 300 free Gems. No credit card, nothing to install.
Bring your references
Download your favorite Krea creations and upload them to Mage as references, or save a face as a Character to keep it the same in every image and video.
Pick a model and create
Choose from 28 model families in one prompt box. When you want more, unlimited plans start at $10 a month.
A little more clarity
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Krea models on Mage?
Does Mage have a real-time canvas like Krea?
Is Mage cheaper than Krea?
Is Mage free to use?
Are my creations on Mage private?
Does Mage have an API or an MCP server?
How current is this comparison?
Switch to Mage for free
Free to start, private by default, with 28 model families in one place.
Start creating for freeModels to try on Mage
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Facts about Krea come from its own public pages, checked in October 2026, and link to their sources. Plans and prices change, so check Krea's site for the latest. Krea is a trademark of its owner, and Mage is not affiliated with it.