IOPaint
Erase objects, watermarks and people with AI inpainting (formerly Lama Cleaner).
- Stars
- 23.3K
- Forks
- 2.5K
- Open issues
- 76
- Last commit
- 2025-04-29
Live from the GitHub API · updated 2026-10-15
What is IOPaint?
IOPaint is a self-hosted web app for inpainting and outpainting. Brush over what you want gone and LaMa, MAT or a diffusion model fills it in. Plugins add background removal, face restoration and upscaling.
Key features
- Object removal with LaMa, MAT and other models
- Diffusion-based inpainting and outpainting
- Plugins: background removal, GFPGAN, RealESRGAN
- Batch processing from the CLI
System requirements
- Platforms
- Windows · macOS · Linux
- GPU
- Optional — LaMa runs well on CPU; diffusion models need a GPU
- Python
- 3.10+
How to install IOPaint
Summarized from the project’s README. Projects change quickly — check the GitHub page for the latest instructions.
pip
- 1Install the package.
pip3 install iopaint - 2Start the web UI and open http://localhost:8080.
iopaint start --model=lama --device=cpu --port=8080
Strengths
- Great object removal on CPU
- Simple browser UI
Limitations
- Diffusion models need a capable GPU
IOPaint alternatives compared
| Software | Stars | License | Platforms | VRAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IOPaint Erase objects, watermarks and people with AI inpainting (formerly Lama Cleaner). | 23.3K | Apache-2.0 | — | |
| Krita AI Diffusion Generate and inpaint inside the Krita painting app. | 10.7K | GPL-3.0 | — | |
| InvokeAI Professional creative engine with a unified canvas for Stable Diffusion and FLUX. | 28.6K | Apache-2.0 | 4 GB for SD1.5, 8 GB for SDXL, 10 GB+ for FLUX | |
| rembg Remove image backgrounds from the command line, Python or an HTTP server. | 25.1K | MIT | — | |
| Upscayl Free desktop app that upscales images with AI. | 50.6K | AGPL-3.0 | — | |
| Real-ESRGAN Practical image and video super-resolution models. | 37.1K | BSD-3-Clause | — |
FAQ
Is IOPaint free?
Yes — IOPaint is open-source software released under the Apache-2.0 license. Check the license (and any model weight licenses) before commercial use.
Does IOPaint run on Windows, Mac and Linux?
IOPaint supports: Windows, macOS, Linux.
What hardware do I need for IOPaint?
Optional — LaMa runs well on CPU; diffusion models need a GPU
How do I install IOPaint?
1. Install the package. 2. Start the web UI and open http://localhost:8080.
What are the best IOPaint alternatives?
Popular alternatives include Krita AI Diffusion, InvokeAI, rembg, Upscayl. See the comparison table on this page.
Can I use IOPaint online without installing it?
If you just want results, AiLoft runs top image models such as GPT Image 2.5 and Nano Banana Pro in the browser — no GPU or setup required.
Skip the install — generate images in your browser
No GPU, drivers or Python needed. Use GPT Image 2.5 and Nano Banana Pro online and compare them side by side.