What Is NovelAI?
NovelAI is an AI-driven anime image generator and storytelling tool from Anlatan Inc. It uses proprietary models for anime-inspired art and long-form co-writing, with natural-language prompting, tagging, character consistency, inpainting, and Director Tools. New users get 30 free image generations and 50 free text generations — no commitment required. Community: Reddit · Twitter/X.
Feature Comparison
Dessi AI
- Photo-based AI editing and generation
- Clothes remover, face swap, and more
- Built-in AI Chat assistant
- Web app + Telegram access
- Simple interface, free tier with ads
NovelAI
- Anime image generation (Diffusion V5)
- AI storytelling / text generation
- Character consistency, tags, inpainting
- Director Tools and canvas edits
- Privacy-first; commercial use allowed
Price Comparison
Both offer a free start, then monthly subscriptions. NovelAI also sells Anlas (image credits) for pay-as-you-go image generation; text generation is included with any paid plan.
Dessi AI Pricing
- Free: Free with ads — limited daily generations, watermarks, standard queue
- Premium: $9.99/month — unlimited generations, priority processing, no watermarks
- VIP Enterprise: Custom pricing for high-volume use (100,000+ generations/month)
- Payments: card, PayPal, crypto
- Best for: unlimited monthly access without buying credits each time
NovelAI Pricing
- Free trial: 30 free images + 50 free text generations
- Tablet: $10/mo — image + text, ~8,192 tokens memory, 1,000 bonus Anlas, 20% Anlas discount
- Scroll: $15/mo — larger memory (~12,288 tokens), 1,000 bonus Anlas, 20% discount
- Opus: $25/mo — unlimited* image gen (up to 1024×1024, 28 steps), ~28,672 tokens, 10,000 bonus Anlas
- Pay-as-you-go Anlas available without a subscription
- Best for: anime art + storytelling in one subscription
Quick Cost Takeaway
- Lowest monthly plan: Dessi Premium $9.99 vs NovelAI Tablet $10
- Free start: Dessi Free with ads vs NovelAI 30 images + 50 text gens
- Unlimited images: Dessi Premium; NovelAI Opus (with resolution/step limits on V5)
- Occasional use: NovelAI Anlas top-ups; Dessi free tier may be enough
Key Differences
Dessi AI Advantages
- All-in-one photo tools (undress, face swap, chat)
- True ongoing free plan with ads
- Web + Telegram workflows
- Simpler for photo-to-photo editing
- Lower premium price for unlimited use
NovelAI Advantages
- Specialized anime art quality and control
- Built-in storytelling / long-context text models
- Strong privacy (encrypted prompts, no stored images by default)
- Commercial use without extra tiers
- Inpainting, Director Tools, character consistency
Which One to Choose?
Choose Dessi AI if you need:
- Photo-based AI editing and undress tools
- A free tier you can keep using with ads
- Face swap, chat, and multi-tool web access
- Simple unlimited premium around $10/month
Choose NovelAI if you need:
- AI anime art with precise prompt/tag control
- Storytelling and text generation alongside images
- Privacy-focused sessions and commercial rights
- Advanced editing (inpainting, Director Tools)