InvokeAI

InvokeAI, also called Invoke, is a self-hosted AI image generation and editing workspace for Linux. It combines a browser-based studio, a layer-based canvas, and a node editor for reusable workflows. You can generate an image from a prompt, refine part of an existing picture, and keep the results together as a project. Its strongest fit is iterative visual work where the composition matters as much as the first result.

Create and refine on a canvas

Invoke's Unified Canvas puts generation tools beside layers, brushes, masks, and reference images. You can paint or import an image, select an area to change, and use inpainting or outpainting to revise or extend it. Control layers and regional references help guide a result toward a pose, shape, or composition instead of relying on a prompt alone. Canvas projects can be saved and reopened with their layers, masks, references, and generation settings intact.

Turn repeated steps into workflows

The workflow editor connects nodes for prompts, models, image transformations, and other operations. It is useful when a task needs the same sequence of steps across multiple images or when someone wants to share a repeatable setup. Saved workflows can expose selected inputs through a simpler form, so using one does not always mean editing its graph. Compatible workflows can also take a canvas layer as input and return results to the canvas for review.

Manage models and results

Invoke's Model Manager handles locally installed models and related assets such as LoRAs and ControlNets. Support spans several image model families, but a model's format, hardware needs, and license still need checking before use. The gallery organizes generated images and imported assets into boards. Generation metadata, including the prompt and model, helps you revisit a result and adjust its settings rather than trying to reconstruct them from memory.

Using InvokeAI on Linux

The official Invoke Launcher is distributed as an AppImage for Linux and manages installation and updates. Docker and manual installation are available for more customized setups. Invoke runs a local server with a web interface. With a local model, generation runs on your own hardware; optional external model integrations send requests to a provider's API and may incur provider charges.

Linux hardware support includes NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel Arc paths, with different driver requirements. The amount of GPU memory needed varies substantially by model and output size. A GPU that runs a smaller Stable Diffusion model may still lack the memory for a larger one. Low-VRAM settings can help, but they cannot make every model fit.

Strengths and things to consider

Invoke brings canvas editing, organized assets, and configurable generation into one workspace. That makes it a good match for artists and small teams refining images through several passes, while the node editor leaves room for more structured production tasks. It takes time to learn the model choices and workflow controls, and local generation depends heavily on suitable GPU hardware. Model licenses can also impose restrictions beyond Invoke's own Apache 2.0 license.

If building the generation graph is your main task, ComfyUI puts nodes at the center of the experience. If you already paint in Krita, Krita AI Diffusion brings generative tools into that editor. Invoke is the stronger fit when you want a dedicated canvas studio and reusable workflows in the same self-hosted application.