Draw Things vs Invoke
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
AI tool · Free
A free app for running open image and video models entirely on Apple devices.
AI tool · Open source
A professional canvas for generating and editing images with open models, available locally or for teams in the cloud.
Our verdict
Draw Things is a free app for running open image and video models entirely on Apple devices, with strong local performance on Apple silicon but a dense interface for beginners. Invoke is an open-source professional canvas for generating and editing images with open models, available locally or for teams in the cloud, and it is more artist-friendly than node-based tools but needs a decent GPU for local use. Choose based on your hardware and workflow: Draw Things suits Mac and iPhone users who want private offline generation, while Invoke suits artists and studios who want layered canvas control across platforms.
Pick Draw Things if you use a Mac or iPhone and want free, private image generation that runs offline on your device.
Pick Invoke if you want a layered canvas for editing images and work on Windows, Linux, or a team setup.
| Key difference | Draw Things | Invoke |
|---|---|---|
| Best at | Offline generation on Apple devices, with many open models and LoRAs | Layered canvas editing, regional prompting, and model training |
| Price | Free | Open-source community edition; team cloud use is offered as a paid option |
| Platforms | macOS and iOS only | Windows, macOS, Linux, and web |
| Learning curve | Interface is dense and can be hard for beginners | Described as more artist-friendly than node-based tools |
| Hardware | Runs locally with strong performance on Apple silicon | Local use needs a decent GPU |
Written with AI from both products' catalogue entries · updated 2026-10-29
Who each one is for
Choose Draw Things if you need…
- Mac and iPhone users wanting offline generation
- Private local image generation
Choose Invoke if you need…
- Artists wanting canvas control
- Studios using open models
Side-by-side
| Draw Things | Invoke | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Image generation · Local & open tools | Image generation · Local & open tools |
| Price | Free | Open source |
| Platforms | macOS, iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, Web |
| Works with | — | — |
| Hands-on tested by us | Not yet | Not yet |
| Last checked | 2026-10-29 | 2026-10-29 |
What each one is
Draw Things
A free app for running open image and video models entirely on Apple devices. Impressive local performance on Apple silicon. The interface is dense for beginners.
Invoke
A professional canvas for generating and editing images with open models, available locally or for teams in the cloud. More artist-friendly than node tools. Local use needs a decent GPU.
Best for
Draw Things
- Mac and iPhone users wanting offline generation
- Private local image generation
Invoke
- Artists wanting canvas control
- Studios using open models
Strengths
Draw Things
- On-device generation
- Many open models and LoRAs
- Inpainting and control
- Free
Invoke
- Unified canvas with layers
- Regional prompting and control
- Model training
- Open-source community edition
Frequently asked questions
Should I use Draw Things or Invoke?
Draw Things is a free app for running open image and video models entirely on Apple devices, with strong local performance on Apple silicon but a dense interface for beginners. Invoke is an open-source professional canvas for generating and editing images with open models, available locally or for teams in the cloud, and it is more artist-friendly than node-based tools but needs a decent GPU for local use. Choose based on your hardware and workflow: Draw Things suits Mac and iPhone users who want private offline generation, while Invoke suits artists and studios who want layered canvas control across platforms. Pick Draw Things if you use a Mac or iPhone and want free, private image generation that runs offline on your device. Pick Invoke if you want a layered canvas for editing images and work on Windows, Linux, or a team setup.
What is the difference between Draw Things and Invoke?
Draw Things: A free app for running open image and video models entirely on Apple devices. Invoke: A professional canvas for generating and editing images with open models, available locally or for teams in the cloud. Draw Things suits mac and iphone users wanting offline generation, while Invoke suits artists wanting canvas control.
Are Draw Things and Invoke free?
Draw Things: Free. Invoke: Open source.
What are other alternatives to Draw Things and Invoke?
Other options people compare them with include ComfyUI.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.