Stable Diffusion 3.5 Review·Image Model
Stable Diffusion 3.5
Stability's open-weights flagship — still the dev's choice.
4.0/ 5
The Spinoza Journal verdict
Reviewed by Kamran Arshad. See how we evaluate · Updated 2026-06-05.
Open weightsSelf-hostControlNet
- Type
- Image Model
- Category
- image generation
- Starts at
- Free
- Platforms
- Web
- Launched
- Oct 2024
- Last reviewed
- 2026-06-05
Verdict
The open option that's still good enough to win on price.
SD 3.5 isn't Flux-level on aesthetics, but it's open weights, ComfyUI-native, and the entire ControlNet/LoRA ecosystem is built around it. For a workflow-driven studio, that ecosystem advantage still wins.
The product, in motion
What Stable Diffusion 3.5 actually looks like
Scroll inside the panel to see the full homepage. Live screenshot — updates as the product evolves.
stability.ai/news/introducing-stable-diffusion-3-5
Who it's for
Best for
- Self-hosters
- ControlNet + LoRA pipelines
- Anyone on a budget
Not for
- Casual users wanting one-click magic
The scorecard
Stack score
Composite of editorial review, hands-on testing, and reader-reported value. Each sub-score is rated 0–5 against The Spinoza Journal's published criteria.
- Overall
- 4.0/5
- Output quality
- 4.0/5
- Utility & features
- 4.0/5
- Usability & UX
- 4.0/5
- Performance & reliability
- 4.0/5
- Cost vs. value
- 4.0/5
Pricing
Model
freemium
Free tier · Paid from
$20/mo
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