Image & Design comparison · 2026

Palette vs Recraft

Compare Palette and Recraft as Image & Design tools on fit, pricing, and the capabilities that actually overlap in 2026. Pick Palette for teams colorizing inherited family photographs for genealogy records and printed albums and preparing archival stills for documentary and broadcast production. Pick Recraft for teams generating icon and logo sets as editable SVG rather than flattened raster art and keeping a consistent brand look across a campaign by reusing a custom Recraft style.

Updated Aug 22, 2026

Palette
palette.fm

AI colorization for black-and-white photos with 21+ filters and keyword-level color control

Starts at $0/month·Image & Design

Recraft
recraft.ai

AI image, vector, and mockup generation with a design-native studio

Starts at $0/month·Image & Design

At a glance

PaletteRecraft
CategoryImage & DesignImage & Design
PricingStarts at $0/monthStarts at $0/month
Free tierYesYes
PlatformsWebWeb
Suitable forTeams colorizing inherited family photographs for genealogy records and printed albums and preparing archival stills for documentary and broadcast productionTeams generating icon and logo sets as editable SVG rather than flattened raster art and keeping a consistent brand look across a campaign by reusing a custom Recraft style
Company—Recraft, Inc.
Founded—2022

How they differ

Shared Image & Design rubric, filled from each listing. Not a score.

Generate

PaletteRecraft
Text to imageNoYes
Image to imageYesYes
Inpaint / outpaintNoYes
UpscaleNot publishedYes
VariationsLimitedYes
Background removalNoYes

Control

PaletteRecraft
Style referenceLimitedYes
Character consistencyNot publishedNot published
Pose / structure controlNot publishedNot published
Negative promptsNot publishedNot published
Seed controlNot publishedNot published
Custom model trainingNot publishedNo

Design

PaletteRecraft
TemplatesYesNot published
Brand kitNot publishedNot published
Vector / SVGNoYes
LayersNot publishedNot published
TypographyNoYes
MockupsNoYes

Rights & output

PaletteRecraft
No watermark on paidYesNot published
Print resolutionYesNot published
Transparent PNGNot publishedNot published
Batch generateYesYes
Training opt-outNot publishedNot published
IP indemnityNot publishedNot published

Access

PaletteRecraft
Public APIYesYes
Official SDKNot publishedNot published
Self-serve signupYesYes
Free trialYesNot published
Team workspaceNot publishedNot published
SSO / SAMLNot publishedNot published
Mobile appsNoNo
Browser extensionNot publishedNot published
Self-host / on-premNot publishedNot published

Commercial

PaletteRecraft
Commercial licenseNot publishedNot published
Usage-based pricingYesNot published
Invoice / PONot publishedNot published
SOC 2Not publishedNot published
GDPR / DPANot publishedNot published
Audit logNot publishedNot published
Role-based accessNot publishedNot published

Features

These listings describe different capabilities. What each one ships:

Only Palette

  • AI colorization of black-and-white photos in seconds
  • 21+ ready-made color filters such as Light, Flowers, Interior, History, and Clothes
  • Keyword-based color adjustment: click the adjust icon, describe the colors, and re-colorize
  • Batch upload by dragging and dropping multiple images at once
  • Full-resolution, logo-free output up to 5000x5000 pixels on paid credits
  • Unlimited free color previews at 500x500 pixels with a Palette watermark
  • One free trial credit on sign-up for a clean full-resolution download
  • Pro filter workflow with auto-loading, pinning, organizing, and duplicating filters

Only Recraft

  • Text-to-image generation with Recraft V2, V3, V4, and V4.1 models
  • Vector generation that returns complex editable vector graphics
  • Design-ready typography with control over text position and element placement
  • Custom styles created by uploading reference images, with no model training step
  • Curated style library plus shareable custom styles
  • Recraft Studio infinite canvas with projects, frames, and selection tools
  • Inpainting and outpainting inside frames
  • Manual vector editor for adjusting generated paths

Use cases

These listings describe different use cases. What each one ships:

Only Palette

  • Colorizing inherited family photographs for genealogy records and printed albums
  • Preparing archival stills for documentary and broadcast production
  • Digitizing and colorizing local history or museum collections in batches
  • Giving photo restorers a first-pass color layer before manual retouching in Photoshop
  • Producing colorized historical imagery for social media, blogs, and YouTube channels
  • Embedding colorization into a third-party product through the Palette API
  • Reprinting colorized versions of wedding, military, or portrait photos as gifts

Only Recraft

  • Generating icon and logo sets as editable SVG rather than flattened raster art
  • Keeping a consistent brand look across a campaign by reusing a custom Recraft style
  • Producing product mockups for e-commerce listings and packaging concepts
  • Creating YouTube thumbnails, social visuals, and marketing banners with in-image text
  • Making game assets and illustration sets that share one visual language
  • Designing T-shirt and merchandise artwork with seamless patterns
  • Cleaning up existing artwork with background removal, upscaling, and the AI eraser
  • Wiring image generation into internal tools or customer-facing features through the Recraft API

Plans

Palette

  • Free $0/mo or $0/yr

    Unlimited color previews at no cost · Images resized to a maximum of 500x500 pixels, keeping their shape · Palette logo watermark in the bottom-right corner · Over 21 color filters · Keyword-based color customization via the adjust icon · Ads shown in the interface · One free trial credit on sign-up for a logo-free, full-resolution file

  • Subscribe (480 photos) $72/yr

    480 credits per year, one credit per image up to 5000x5000 pixels · Displayed as $6/month with annual billing, $72 per year, vendor states Save 28% · Credits refresh automatically each month or year · Unused credits roll over up to five times the monthly plan amount · Up to 10 times faster processing · Watermark-free previews and downloads · Pro filter workflow: auto-loading, pinning, organizing, and duplicating filters · No ads · Cancel anytime; credits valid while the subscription is active

  • Subscribe (2400 photos) Not published on the homepage

    2400-photo annual tier selectable on the Palette subscription widget · Price for the 2400-photo tier is not printed on the Palette homepage · Same watermark-free, full-resolution, faster-processing benefits as the 480-photo tier

  • Subscribe (6000 photos) Not published on the homepage

    6000-photo annual tier selectable on the Palette subscription widget · Price for the 6000-photo tier is not printed on the Palette homepage · Same watermark-free, full-resolution, faster-processing benefits as the 480-photo tier

  • Pay once (75 photos) $49

    75 credits for $49, listed at $0.65 per credit · One-time payment with no subscription · Logo-free colorization in full resolution up to 5000x5000 pixels · Vendor states one-off packs are available for years; terms state one-off credits expire 24 months after purchase · Pack sizes of 1, 10, 75, 200, and 500 photos offered · Limited ads · All free benefits included

Recraft

  • Free $0/mo or $0/yr

    Access to Recraft Studio generation and editing tools · Monthly subscription credits that reset each billing cycle and do not roll over · Images generated on the Free plan are owned by Recraft · Free plan images are publicly visible in the community gallery · No commercial license for Free plan images · Top-up credits are not available on the Free plan

  • Basic $20/yr

    Full ownership and commercial rights for images generated while subscribed · Images stay private and are not shown in the community gallery · Monthly subscription credits that reset each cycle without rollover · Top-up credits available, which never expire · Pay monthly or pay annually billing options

  • Pro $20/yr

    Larger monthly credit allowance than Basic · Full ownership and commercial rights for images generated while subscribed · Top-up credits available, which never expire · Access to Recraft V2, V3, V4, and V4.1 models plus external models in Recraft Studio

  • Teams $20/yr

    Shared Recraft Teams workspace with multiple seats · Top-up credits shared across all seats in the workspace · Teams workspace admin page for managing members · Full ownership and commercial rights for generated images

  • API Prepaid API Units purchased separately from subscription credits/mo or Prepaid API Units do not expire and are not sold on a yearly cycle/yr

    Programmatic image and vector generation · Editing, background removal, inpainting, and outpainting endpoints · Batch jobs and asynchronous processing · All Recraft V2, V3, V4, and V4.1 models available · Billed by API Units consumed per request · API Unit packages are non-cancellable and non-refundable except as required by law

Palette strengths

  • Palette sells genuine one-time credit packs, so buyers are not forced into a recurring plan
  • Palette allows unlimited free previews, so filter experimentation costs nothing before purchase
  • Palette's keyword adjustment box gives per-object color steering instead of a single fixed style
  • Palette outputs up to 5000x5000 pixels with no watermark once a paid credit is used
  • Palette's terms overview explicitly grants users ownership and unrestricted commercial use of generated images

Watch-outs

  • Palette plan limits come from the published pricing table.
  • Palette packaging is recorded from the vendor pages available at analysis time.

Recraft strengths

  • Recraft returns editable vector output, which most text-to-image services do not offer
  • Recraft custom styles are built from uploaded reference images instead of a training run
  • Recraft Studio combines generation, inpainting, vector editing, and mockups in one canvas
  • Recraft exposes four of its own model generations plus external frontier models in the same interface
  • Paid Recraft plans grant full commercial rights and keep images private, including after cancellation
  • Recraft top-up credits never expire and are shared across seats on a Teams workspace
  • The Recraft API covers generation, editing, background removal, batch jobs, and async processing

Watch-outs

  • Images generated on the Recraft Free plan are owned by Recraft, appear publicly in the community gallery, and carry no commercial license
  • Recraft subscription credits reset each billing cycle and unused credits do not roll over
  • Recraft top-up credits are only available on the Basic, Pro, and Teams plans, not on Free
  • Recraft agentic and iterative features deduct credits per chargeable operation, including each call to an external model, and Recraft does not quote the cost of a request in advance
  • Recraft API Units are prepaid, non-cancellable, and non-refundable except where law requires otherwise
  • Vendor contradiction: the Recraft pricing FAQ describes a discretionary refund within 30 days when fewer than 30 credits were used, while Recraft's Terms of Service state that on cancellation or termination you will not receive a refund or credit for amounts already billed or paid
  • Recraft states it regularly tests different prices, discounts, and credit allowances, so two users may see different offers for the same plan
  • Annual Recraft subscriptions carry a minimum term of twelve months from the date of purchase

Palette vs Recraft verdict

Who each product is for, then labeled AI takes. Not a generic winner.

Bottom line

Pick Palette for teams colorizing inherited family photographs for genealogy records and printed albums and preparing archival stills for documentary and broadcast production. Pick Recraft for teams generating icon and logo sets as editable SVG rather than flattened raster art and keeping a consistent brand look across a campaign by reusing a custom Recraft style.

Who Palette is for

Teams colorizing inherited family photographs for genealogy records and printed albums and preparing archival stills for documentary and broadcast production

AI colorization for black-and-white photos with 21+ filters and keyword-level color control

Who Recraft is for

Teams generating icon and logo sets as editable SVG rather than flattened raster art and keeping a consistent brand look across a campaign by reusing a custom Recraft style

AI image, vector, and mockup generation with a design-native studio

AI take on Palette

As of August 2026, the strongest argument for Palette is structural: real one-time credit packs, free unlimited previews, and clean commercial rights.

AI take on Recraft

As of August 2026, Recraft stands out by treating AI output as design material—editable, styled, and composable—not merely a finished image.

Palette vs Recraft FAQ

Common questions when choosing between Palette and Recraft.

Is Palette or Recraft the better Image & Design tool?

Pick Palette for teams colorizing inherited family photographs for genealogy records and printed albums and preparing archival stills for documentary and broadcast production. Pick Recraft for teams generating icon and logo sets as editable SVG rather than flattened raster art and keeping a consistent brand look across a campaign by reusing a custom Recraft style.

Which is cheaper, Palette or Recraft?

Palette starts at $0/month. Recraft starts at $0/month. Confirm current pricing on each vendor site.

Who should choose Palette?

Teams colorizing inherited family photographs for genealogy records and printed albums and preparing archival stills for documentary and broadcast production

Who should choose Recraft?

Teams generating icon and logo sets as editable SVG rather than flattened raster art and keeping a consistent brand look across a campaign by reusing a custom Recraft style

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