# InvokeAI

> Self-hosted web UI and canvas for generating images with open diffusion models

- Category: Multimodal Generation / Image Generation
- Language: TypeScript
- Repository: https://github.com/invoke-ai/InvokeAI
- Website: https://invoke.ai
- Canonical page: https://ai-tldr.dev/tools/invokeai/

## In short

InvokeAI is a self-hosted creative tool for generating and editing images with open diffusion models. It runs a local web server with a React-based UI, so you work in your browser while everything stays on your own hardware. It sits in the Image Generation category of the Multimodal Generation tools and is open-source, written in TypeScript.

## Overview

InvokeAI is a self-hosted creative tool for generating and editing images with open diffusion models. It runs a local web server with a React-based UI, so you work in your browser while everything stays on your own hardware. The project also serves as the foundation for several commercial products.

It is aimed at artists, designers, and developers who want hands-on control over image generation rather than a hosted API. The Unified Canvas supports inpainting, outpainting, and brush tools, while the node-based workflow editor lets you build and share custom generation pipelines.

Within the image-generation category, InvokeAI sits alongside tools like AUTOMATIC1111 and ComfyUI. It pairs a polished UI with a node graph under the hood, and supports a wide range of models including SD 1.5, SDXL, SD 3.5, and the Flux family.

## What it does

- Locally hosted web server with a React UI for generating and refining images
- Unified Canvas with inpainting, outpainting, and brush tools for iterative editing
- Node-based workflow editor to build, save, and share custom generation pipelines
- Board and gallery management with rich image metadata for recalling prompts and settings
- Broad model support: SD 1.5, SD 2.0, SDXL, SD 3.5, CogView 4, and the Flux family
- Built-in model manager, upscaling tools, embeddings, and object segmentation (SAM / SAM2)

## Getting started

InvokeAI installs through its official Launcher, which handles setup and updates for you on compatible hardware.

1. Download the Launcher

   Grab the latest Launcher for your platform from the InvokeAI releases page on GitHub. It manages installation and updates.

```text
https://github.com/invoke-ai/launcher/releases/latest
```

2. Install and launch Invoke

   Run the Launcher and follow the prompts to install Invoke on your machine. When it finishes, it starts the local web server.

3. Open the web UI

   Once Invoke is running, open the locally hosted web UI in your browser to import models and start generating images. See the docs for model setup and tutorials.

## When to use it

- Generating and iterating on images locally without sending prompts to a hosted service
- Editing existing artwork, sketches, or photos with inpainting and outpainting on the Unified Canvas
- Building repeatable, shareable generation pipelines with node-based workflows for production work
- Managing and experimenting with multiple open diffusion models from one interface