NovelAI review: Anime image generator and story-writing tool with inpainting and Director Tools

What NovelAI does

NovelAI is a web-based creative service from Anlatan Inc. with two main parts: an anime-style image generator and a story generator. The image side runs on the NovelAI Diffusion V5 model and works from natural-language prompts and tags. You can describe each character separately, which the vendor presents as a way to keep them consistent from scene to scene.

For changing results after generation, the site lists inpainting for altering selected areas, Director Tools for adjusting details, clothing, lighting and poses, and a built-in canvas for quick edits. The writing side is described as powered by GLM 4.6 and is meant to work alongside the author rather than replace them.

The vendor states that no installation is needed, that prompts are encrypted, and that generated images are not kept on its servers beyond your session unless you save them. It also says there are no limits on commercial use of the images.

The homepage mentions subscriptions, a trial period for new users with no length given, and an on-demand option for buying Anlas to generate images. Check the vendor's own site for current terms before deciding.

• Anime image generation with NovelAI Diffusion V5
• Story generation powered by GLM 4.6
• Separate character definitions for consistency
• Inpainting of selected image areas
• Director Tools for details, clothing, lighting and poses
• Built-in canvas for quick edits
• On-demand Anlas purchasing for image generation

Our take

NovelAI suits people who want one service for anime-style artwork and for writing fiction, and who care about keeping characters consistent and editing images after the first result. The privacy and commercial-use statements on the homepage may also matter to some creators. It is a narrow fit for anyone who needs other art styles or wants a tool with a clearly published price, because we could not locate a pricing page and the trial length is not stated. The homepage also does not mention an API or dedicated apps, so those are unconfirmed. Weigh these gaps before committing.