Last updated: 2026-11-04
NovelAI Diffusion V5 was trained in-house on 268,000 B200 GPU-hours and is more than twice the size of V4.5, according to Anlatan's release post. The service pairs that anime image model with Xialong, a 355-billion-parameter GLM-4.6 finetune for stories, in one browser app with a 28,672-token context.
About NovelAI
NovelAI is a browser-based AI storytelling and anime image generator made by Anlatan, which launched the service in June 2021. One subscription covers two jobs: drafting fiction with the Xialong text model, a 355-billion-parameter finetune of ZhipuAI's GLM-4.6, and painting anime-style art with NovelAI Diffusion V5, an image model the vendor says it trained in-house on 268,000 B200 GPU-hours.
The writing side is built around a story editor with lorebooks, a text adventure mode and a context window of 28,672 tokens on the top tier, plus an 8,192-token rollover window. That is roomier than most chat tools give a long manuscript, though a dedicated drafting product such as Sudowrite adds editing passes that NovelAI does not attempt. The image side takes both tags and plain-English prompts, and adds inpainting, Director Tools and a built-in canvas. Compared with Midjourney or Leonardo, it is narrower in style but far more controllable for anime characters.
Privacy is the vendor's main pitch. Its privacy policy says stories are end-to-end encrypted in the browser with a key derived from the user's password, and that generation prompts are processed and not stored. The cost of that design is stated plainly in the docs: a lost password means permanently lost stories. The homepage also markets the service as having no restrictions on what users create, so adult themes are possible, and this page covers only the safe-for-work facts.
There is no permanent free plan. A short Paper trial comes first, then paid tiers run from Tablet to Opus. Heavy image users should read the usage-limit rules on Opus before buying, because the newest image model draws from a rechargeable allowance rather than being unlimited. If you only need a general chat assistant for outlines, ChatGPT or Claude is cheaper per task; if you want one place to write and illustrate a serial, NovelAI is the closest fit. Its Xialong model builds on Z.ai's open GLM family, which is also tracked on Hokai.
Pricing
No permanent free plan. Paper trial: 30 images and 50 text generations, one-off. Tablet $10/mo with 1,000 Anlas, Scroll $15/mo with a larger story context, Opus $25/mo with 10,000 Anlas and the largest context.
Extra Anlas are sold separately. Checked on the vendor docs 2026-11-04.
| Tier | Monthly price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Paper (free trial) | Free | One-off trial: 30 images, 50 text generations, 100 text-to-speech generations. |
| Tablet | $10/mo | Unlimited text and text-to-speech, 1,000 subscription Anlas per month for images. |
| Scroll | $15/mo | Tablet benefits plus a larger story context size, 1,000 subscription Anlas per month. |
| Opus | $25/mo | 10,000 subscription Anlas per month, free standard-size images on older models, usage-limited on Diffusion V5. |
Key Features
- Xialong story model: A 355-billion-parameter finetune of GLM-4.6 that writes with a 28,672-token context plus an 8,192-token rollover window on the Opus tier.
- NovelAI Diffusion V5: In-house anime image model with a 32-channel VAE, native alpha transparency and prompts in English or Japanese.
- Lorebooks and text adventure mode: Stores characters and world facts for the story editor to reuse, and sends your inputs as instructions in adventure mode.
- Inpainting and Director Tools: Edit selected regions, change clothing, lighting or poses, and sketch on a built-in canvas to steer the generation.
- End-to-end encrypted stories: Stories are scrambled with a password-based key before they are saved, so the vendor says it cannot read them.
- Text-to-speech: Customizable voices are included, with 100 free generations in the Paper trial and unlimited use on paid tiers.
Pros
- Text and text-to-speech are unlimited on every paid tier, and even the entry plan includes a monthly Anlas allowance for images.
- Stories are end-to-end encrypted and generation prompts are not stored, per the vendor privacy policy.
- Anime character control is deep: separate character prompts, positioning and action tags keep up to several characters consistent in one scene.
Cons
- There is no permanent free plan, and the Paper trial is a one-off allowance with no refresh.
- A lost password means permanently lost stories, because the encryption key never leaves your device.
- On Opus, Diffusion V5 draws from a usage allowance that refills about 14% a day, so heavy image users can hit a ceiling.
Data Handling
- Training-data policy
- The vendor privacy policy says generation prompts are processed to produce output and are not stored, and that stories are end-to-end encrypted.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does NovelAI cost per month in 2026?
NovelAI has no permanent free plan. Tablet is $10 a month with 1,000 Anlas for images, Scroll is $15 and adds a larger story context, and Opus is $25 with 10,000 Anlas and free standard-size generations on older image models. Extra Anlas can be bought on top, and purchased Anlas do not expire.
Can you try NovelAI before paying?
Yes, through the Paper trial: 30 image generations up to 1024x1024 and 50 text generations once your email is verified, plus 100 text-to-speech generations. The trial counts are one-off and do not refresh. Stories and settings made during the trial carry over when you subscribe.
Which tools should you weigh NovelAI against?
Pick Sudowrite when the job is editing and revising a manuscript rather than drafting with an autocomplete-style writer. Pick Midjourney or Leonardo for painterly or photographic images across many styles. Pick ChatGPT when you need outlines, research and prose help in one chat window and do not need anime art.
How does NovelAI compare with Sudowrite for fiction?
NovelAI is closer to a co-writer that continues your text, with lorebooks and a text adventure mode, and it bundles anime image generation. Sudowrite is built around rewrite, expand and describe commands plus editorial passes on higher plans. Choose NovelAI if you also want art and encrypted stories, and Sudowrite if revision is the bottleneck.
How do you start with NovelAI and keep your stories safe?
Register with an email address and password, or a Google account plus a separate encryption password, then open the trial. Write down the password, because stories are encrypted with a key derived from it and the vendor cannot recover them. Download stories regularly, since image history lives only on your device.
Top Alternatives
- Sudowrite: Pick Sudowrite if revision and editing matter more to you than drafting with art on the side.
- Midjourney: Pick Midjourney if you need many visual styles instead of focused anime character control.
- Leonardo: Choose Leonardo when you want broad image styles and design tools beyond anime.
- ChatGPT: Choose ChatGPT for outlines, research and general writing help without anime art.