Key Takeaways
- Version v3.0.16 is the latest tagged release (March 31, 2026); the repository was last updated on October 15, 2026, so the project is active
- License is custom: MIT-style permissions plus use-based restrictions from CreativeML Open RAIL-M — read it before commercial use
- Windows installs from a double-click
.exe; macOS and Linux use a zip and./start.sh - Runs on an NVIDIA or AMD GPU with at least 2 GB of memory, on Apple Silicon, or on the CPU alone, with 8 GB system RAM and 25 GB of disk
- Flux, Z-Image and other newer models need the opt-in
v4engine setting
📍 In One Sentence
Easy Diffusion is a free installer plus browser UI that brings Stable Diffusion to all three major desktop systems with a task queue, inpainting and ControlNet, trading the node-level control of ComfyUI for a gentler start.
💬 In Plain Terms
You download one file, run it, and open a page in your browser to type a prompt and get an image. Everything is generated on your own computer. Windows is the smoothest path; Mac and Linux need one terminal command.
📌Note: Easy Diffusion sits in the same sub-segment as ComfyUI, Fooocus, AUTOMATIC1111 and DiffusionBee. See the Local LLM Software Directory for how it fits among other local image-generation tools.
What Is Easy Diffusion?
Easy Diffusion (project site: easydiffusion.github.io) is an installer and web interface for Stable Diffusion. The installer creates its own self-contained environment, downloads what it needs, and starts a local server whose interface you open in your browser. The README groups the feature set into user experience, image generation, advanced features, and performance and security.
- Task queue: line up prompts without waiting for the current image to finish, plus live preview while the image is drawn
- Generation modes: text-to-image, image-to-image and inpainting, with ControlNet, negative prompts, weighted prompts, a prompt matrix and 16 samplers
- Models: Stable Diffusion 1.x, 2.1 and XL; your own
.ckptor.safetensorsfiles; custom VAEs, textual-inversion embeddings and model merging - Finishing tools: face correction (GFPGAN), upscaling (RealESRGAN), a simple drawing tool and one-click "make similar images"
- Extensibility: community UI plugins listed on the project wiki, or your own
- Safety: the README lists a picklescan check for malicious model files and safetensors support
- v4 engine: an opt-in backend that adds Flux 1 and 2, Z-Image, Lumina and quantized models; the v3.0.16 release notes also report better AMD and Intel GPU support
License and Cost
Easy Diffusion is free to download and use, with no account and no paid tier found on the official site. Its license is not a plain MIT or GPL text, which matters if you plan to use the output commercially or redistribute the software.
- Section I of the LICENSE file is an MIT-style grant: use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute and sublicense, with the copyright notice kept
- Section II attaches the use-based restrictions of the CreativeML Open RAIL-M license; GitHub therefore labels the license "Other"
- The README summarizes the restrictions as a ban on sharing content that violates laws, harms people, spreads personal information meant for harm, spreads misinformation or targets vulnerable groups
- The authors state they are not responsible for content generated with the interface
Download Easy Diffusion
Windows is the one-click path. Links below point to the latest GitHub release and match the buttons on the official project site. Always confirm you are on the official domain or the easydiffusion/easydiffusion repository before running an installer.
Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Windows | Easy-Diffusion-Windows.exe — run it, then start Easy Diffusion from the Start Menu |
| macOS | Easy-Diffusion-Mac.zip — unzip, then run ./start.sh in a terminal |
| Linux | Easy-Diffusion-Linux.zip — unzip, then run ./start.sh in a terminal |
| Website | easydiffusion.github.io — installation guide, wiki and blog |
| Privacy policy | PRIVACY.md — the project's own short privacy summary |
Current release: v3.0.16, published March 31, 2026; the repository itself was last updated on October 15, 2026. If Windows SmartScreen blocks the installer, the README says to click More info, then Run anyway. On Windows 10 the README advises installing at the top level of a drive, for example C:\EasyDiffusion, to avoid path-length problems. A terminal and developer environment are not required on Windows; macOS and Linux users need only the single start command.
Platform Support and Hardware Requirements
Easy Diffusion runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, on a GPU or on the CPU alone. The README asks for at least 8 GB of system RAM and 25 GB of free disk space on every platform.
Windows
- Graphics:
- NVIDIA or AMD GPU, or CPU
- Notes:
- GPU needs at least 2 GB of memory; NVIDIA needs CUDA compute capability 3.7 or higher
Linux
- Graphics:
- NVIDIA or AMD GPU, or CPU
- Notes:
- AMD cards need ROCm 5.2 or newer
macOS
- Graphics:
- Apple M1–M4, AMD GPU (Intel Mac), or CPU
- Notes:
- Apple Silicon and Intel Macs are both listed
The README claims a 512x512 image in about 5 seconds with the euler_a sampler on an NVIDIA RTX 3060 12 GB, and 512x512 images with under 2 GB of GPU memory. Those figures come from the project, not from testing by PromptQuorum; speed depends on model, resolution and sampler.
Who Should Use Easy Diffusion?
Easy Diffusion suits people who want local Stable Diffusion with a working browser UI and room to grow. It fits less well if you want the newest model families without changing settings, or a native Mac app.
Use Easy Diffusion if
- You are on Windows and want an installer instead of a Python setup
- You want a task queue, live preview and prompt tools in one UI
- You want to start simple and add ControlNet, custom models or plugins later
- You have no compatible GPU and want a CPU mode to try Stable Diffusion at all
Look elsewhere if
- You want reusable node workflows — that is ComfyUI's design
- You want the largest extension ecosystem — AUTOMATIC1111 has the longest-running one
- You want a packaged native Mac app with no terminal — see DiffusionBee
- You need current Flux-class models by default — they require switching to the v4 engine first
Competitors and Alternatives
Easy Diffusion competes with four other Stable Diffusion front-ends this site has reviewed. All run diffusion models locally; they differ in platform support, interface style and how much setup they ask for.
Tool | Platforms | Interface | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy Diffusion | Win/Mac/Linux | Browser UI + installer | Beginners who want a queue and plugins |
| ComfyUI | Mac/Win/Linux | Node-graph editor | Reusable, shareable pipelines |
| Fooocus | Mac/Win/Linux | Simplified web UI | Simple prompts, minimal settings |
| AUTOMATIC1111 | Mac/Win/Linux | Tab-based web UI | Largest extension ecosystem |
| DiffusionBee | macOS only | Packaged GUI app | Mac users who want zero setup |
Easy Diffusion's distinguishing trait among these is the combination of a Windows installer, a built-in task queue and a CPU fallback; it is not the node editor that ComfyUI is, nor the Mac-native app that DiffusionBee is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Easy Diffusion work without a GPU?
Yes. The README lists a "Use CPU" setting for computers without a compatible graphics card, which generates images on the processor instead of a GPU.
How do I enable the v4 engine?
Open the Settings tab, choose "v4 engine" under Backend, press Save and restart Easy Diffusion. The v3.0.16 release notes say this unlocks Flux 2 Klein, Z-Image, Qwen and quantized GGUF models.
How do I uninstall it?
Delete the EasyDiffusion folder. The README says this removes all the downloaded packages.
Can I use my own models?
Yes. Put a .ckpt or .safetensors file in the models/stable-diffusion folder. The README says safetensors loading and a picklescan check for malicious models are built in.
What does it download after installing?
Per the project's privacy summary, it fetches code updates from GitHub at startup, models from huggingface.co and GitHub when they are missing, and Python packages from pypi.org. The same document says prompts and usage are not sent anywhere.
Where do I get help?
The README points to a Discord server for support questions, a Troubleshooting guide and a user guide on the project wiki.