Recraft

What it actually does

Recraft generates true vector graphics, SVG output you can open and edit, rather than flat raster images. That single difference is why designers use it. Icons, illustrations, logos and mockups come out as editable artwork, and the browser canvas works something like Figma, so you compose rather than just prompt and download.

Style consistency is the other real feature. You can train a style and apply it across a whole set so the images look related, and the Brand Kit holds your colors and style so output matches. There is an API. Credit cost varies by model, and heavier models cost more per generation (V4 Pro Vector runs 12 credits per generation).

What it costs

Free tier gives 50 credits a day with limited features, which is genuinely usable for testing. Pro is $12 a month, Pro Plus is $30.

The catch is the credit system itself, and it is a serious one. Plans are credit-metered, so a monthly fee does not buy unlimited generation, it buys an allowance that drains at different rates depending on the model you pick. Users report credits being consumed even when a generation is cancelled or the output is unusable, with support refusing to restore them. One Trustpilot reviewer wrote, "I stopped it immediately, got nothing from the generation, and still lost credits."

The API is billed separately from the paid subscription, which users say they only discover after paying. If you are budgeting for programmatic use, ask about that line item before you commit.

Where it falls down

Billing, and it is bad enough to lead with. Recraft's Trustpilot profile sits at 1.6 out of 5 across 32 reviews with 91% one-star, and the profile is unclaimed, so the company is not responding to consumer billing complaints there. 23 of those 32 reviews landed in the last 12 months.

The specifics users report: refunds refused on a technicality, with people told that spending more than 30 credits in their lifetime voids refund eligibility. Cancellations that do not take, including a user who says he cancelled, the cancellation "didn't happen at all", and his card was charged again. Charges people say they did not notice signing up for, with over $100 unrefunded. One reviewer wrote, "This outfit was charging me and I was not aware of it. I never used the product beyond the initial day of trying it out. When I asked to be refunded they were not cooperative."

Product complaints are milder. Fine detail comes out inconsistent, prompts take real trial and error, there are bugs and poor performance on mobile and weaker devices, and there are limits on layers and background isolation. The community is smaller than Leonardo's or Ideogram's, so there is less shared prompt knowledge to lean on.

The split in the evidence is stark. G2 shows 4.7 across 456 reviews with 81% five-star, and Product Hunt 4.8 across 37. People who use the tool rate it highly. People who try to stop paying for it rate it at one star. Our 3.0 is the average of a good product and a billing operation we would not extend credit to.

Who should buy it

Brand designers and illustrators who need editable SVG out of an AI tool, because the alternatives barely exist. Marketing teams producing icon sets or consistent illustration libraries will get value fast, and the free 50 credits a day is enough to confirm that before paying.

Pay monthly, on a card you can dispute, and prepay nothing you could not write off. Do not buy an annual plan. Do not assume you can get a refund, because on the reported evidence you cannot. If you only need raster images, use Midjourney, Leonardo or Ideogram and avoid this billing system entirely. If you are building on the API, get separate written confirmation of how it bills.