What it is
Recraft is an image generator aimed at designers rather than artists. Its standout feature is true vector output: it draws SVG files with clean shapes and separate colours instead of tracing a finished bitmap. That suits logos, icons, illustrations and print work. It can also place readable text on posters, menus and packaging.
Recraft V4 came out in February 2026 in four versions (Standard, Pro, Vector and Pro Vector), with Pro rendering at 2048 by 2048 pixels. V4.1, released in May 2026, is now the default, and V4.1 Flash, added in September, makes a 1K raster image in about 1.3 seconds according to Recraft. The studio also runs outside models such as Nano Banana and GPT Image on paid plans, and exports PNG, JPG, SVG, PDF, TIFF and Lottie.
The free plan gives a small daily credit allowance, but Recraft owns those images, they appear in the public gallery and they cannot be used commercially. A separate API is billed per image in prepaid units.
Our review
If your output needs to end up in Illustrator, Figma or on a printed sign, Recraft is the strongest option in this category. Its V4 and V4.1 Vector models generate native SVG with layered shapes, and designers on Reddit consistently say the vectors are cleaner than auto-traced results from other tools. Style references and colour palettes keep a set of icons on-brand.
The API is the cleanest way to see what it really costs. According to Recraft's docs, a V4.1 raster image is $0.035, a V4 Vector $0.08, and Pro Vector at the highest quality $0.30. V4.1 Flash, at $0.007 an image, is the cheapest model it sells, but it only produces 1K raster images and supports no styles. Studio credit costs per model are not published on the pricing page, which makes plan comparisons harder than they should be.
Where it falls behind is photographic and artistic imagery, where Midjourney and GPT Image look better. Recraft partly covers this by letting you run outside models inside the studio, but they cost far more credits, so the 1,000 credits on Basic disappear fast. Exploration Mode, which returned eight variations per prompt, is listed as temporarily unavailable in the V4 docs.
Data terms differ by account type, and that matters for client work. Recraft's training documentation says Studio accounts, free and paid, contribute prompts and images to model training by default unless you opt out in settings; Teams accounts and the API are excluded. Recraft holds a SOC 2 Type II report, lists SSO on Teams plans, and sells audit logs through its enterprise offer. An agency on individual Pro seats should switch the opt-out on before uploading a client's brand assets.
Where it earns its place
A two-person branding studio
Produce logo concepts and icon sets clients can edit in Illustrator
Generate with a V4.1 Vector model and export SVG with separate shapes. Basic at $12 a month ($10 yearly) gives 1,000 credits and commercial rights; turn off training in account settings before uploading client material.
A developer building an icon generator into a no-code site builder
Return editable SVG icons from a text prompt at predictable cost
Call the API with V4 Vector at $0.08 per image, or V4.1 raster at $0.035 for previews. API units are prepaid, do not expire, and API inputs and outputs are not used for training. Rate limits are not published.
A ten-person in-house marketing team
Keep illustrations on-brand across campaigns
Teams at $22 a seat a month ($18 yearly) gives each seat 2,000 credits, a shared workspace for styles and assets, and pooled top-ups. Ten seats cost about $220 a month, and Teams content is excluded from training by default.
Before you commit
- Setup
- Sign up in the browser and generate straight away; the free plan suits evaluation only, because outputs are public.
- Integrations
- REST API covering generation, vectorisation, upscaling, background removal, inpainting and outpainting; also available through partners such as ComfyUI.
- Data and privacy
- SOC 2 Type II; Studio content from individual accounts trains Recraft's models by default with an opt-out, while Teams and API data are excluded.
- Cost at scale
- Generating 10,000 vector icons a month through the API costs about $800 on V4 Vector or $3,000 on Pro Vector; Studio Pro scales from $20 for 2,000 credits to $160 for 16,000.
- Limits
- Subscription credits reset each cycle and do not roll over; V4.1 Flash is raster-only at 1K with no style support.
What's good
- Native SVG output, not traced bitmaps
- Strong text rendering for posters and packaging
- Published per-image API prices, from $0.007 for V4.1 Flash
- Exports PDF, TIFF and Lottie as well as SVG
- SOC 2 Type II; Teams and API data excluded from training
What's not
- Weaker than Midjourney or GPT Image for photos and art
- Outside models consume credits quickly
- Studio accounts train Recraft's models by default unless opted out
- Free images are public and owned by Recraft
- Per-model credit costs are not on the pricing page
Best for
Designers and small brands making logos, icons, illustrations and print assets that need to scale.
Alternatives
Recraft: common questions
- Is Recraft worth it?
- Recraft is the AI tool that hands a designer a usable SVG instead of a traced bitmap, and that alone justifies it for logo and icon work. We rate it 4.3 out of 5.
- How much does Recraft cost?
- Free daily credits (public, no commercial use); Basic $12/month or $10 yearly (1,000 credits); Pro from $20/month (2,000 credits, up to 16,000 for $160); Teams $22/seat ($18 yearly). API per image, from $0.007.
- What are the downsides of Recraft?
- Weaker than Midjourney or GPT Image for photos and art; outside models consume credits quickly; studio accounts train Recraft's models by default unless opted out; free images are public and owned by Recraft; per-model credit costs are not on the pricing page.
- Who is Recraft best for?
- Designers and small brands making logos, icons, illustrations and print assets that need to scale.
- How much does Recraft cost for a team or in production?
- Generating 10,000 vector icons a month through the API costs about $800 on V4 Vector or $3,000 on Pro Vector; Studio Pro scales from $20 for 2,000 credits to $160 for 16,000.
- Is Recraft safe for company data?
- SOC 2 Type II; Studio content from individual accounts trains Recraft's models by default with an opt-out, while Teams and API data are excluded.
- What are the best Recraft alternatives?
- The closest alternatives we have reviewed are Ideogram, Adobe Firefly, Canva and Midjourney.
Answers checked Oct 23, 2026.
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