Photography · head to head
Lensa vs Photopea
Lensa
Photography
AI photo editing and avatar generation app from Prisma Labs, known for its viral Magic Avatars feature
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Lensa the underlying Stable Diffusion model was trained on images scraped from the internet, including copyrighted artwork, without direct consent from the original artists, and Lensa avatar outputs have been criticised for replicating identifiable artist styles without attribution or compensation.; Photopea performance becomes sluggish and prone to crashes with high-resolution images or multi-layered files
- They diverge on capability: Lensa covers Magic Avatars, Photopea covers Photo editing.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Lensa and Photopea actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Lensa
- Magic Avatars
- Photo retouching
- Sky and background replacement
- Portrait enhancement
- Multiple avatar style packs
- Selfie upload and processing
Only in Photopea
- Photo editing
- PSD compatibility
- Layer support
- Selection tools
- Filters and effects
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- Adobe fonts
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Lensa
- Someone wanting to generate stylised AI avatars from their own selfies, understanding those selfies are uploaded for AI processingnot Photopea
- A user comfortable with the documented training-data provenance concerns around the underlying Stable Diffusion model choosing to proceed anywaynot Photopea
- Someone wanting general photo retouching tools separate from the avatar featurenot Photopea
- A user comfortable cancelling a free trial through phone app store settings before it converts to a paid chargenot Photopea
Photopea
- Quick photo editsnot Lensa
- PSD file editingnot Lensa
- Web designnot Lensa
- Social media graphicsnot Lensa
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Lensa
- The underlying Stable Diffusion model was trained on images scraped from the internet, including copyrighted artwork, without direct consent from the original artists, and Lensa avatar outputs have been criticised for replicating identifiable artist styles without attribution or compensation.
- Users and journalists reported the Magic Avatars feature generating sexualised images from ordinary selfies, including reported cases involving photos of minors, without the user requesting that style, raising documented concerns about model behaviour and safeguards.
- Magic Avatars typically requires a separate one-time purchase on top of any Pro subscription, so the total cost of trying the feature is not covered by a single subscription fee alone.
- The free trial converts automatically into a paid recurring subscription unless cancelled beforehand, following the same pattern of complaints about unexpected charges seen across comparable apps in this category.
- Generating avatars requires uploading a set of personal selfies for AI processing; Prisma Labs states these are deleted after processing and not used for further model training, but this relies on the company's own stated policy rather than independently verifiable proof.
Photopea
- Performance becomes sluggish and prone to crashes with high-resolution images or multi-layered files
- Risk of losing work due to browser crashes or save failures
- Aggressive advertising that can slow down the entire computer
- No local installation option, always requires browser access
- Basic file organization and version tracking compared to professional tools
Pricing, plan by plan
Lensa
Free- FreeFree
- Very limited basic editing tools
- Trial access to Pro features for a short period
- Magic Avatars sold separately per pack in most cases
- Lensa Pro$35.99/year
- Access to enhancement and retouching tools
- Auto-renews annually unless cancelled before the trial or renewal date
- Magic Avatars typically purchased as a separate one-time pack fee on top
Photopea
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Photopea review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Lensa if
- You need magic avatars.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android.
- You also want photo retouching.
Choose Photopea if
- You need photo editing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want psd compatibility.
Questions people ask
- Is Lensa or Photopea better?
- Neither clearly leads. Lensa starts at Free and Photopea at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Lensa or Photopea?
- Lensa starts at Free and Photopea at Free.
- Does Lensa or Photopea run on more platforms?
- Lensa runs on iOS, Android. Photopea runs on Web.
- Can I use Lensa for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Lensa best used for?
- Lensa is most often used for someone wanting to generate stylised ai avatars from their own selfies, understanding those selfies are uploaded for ai processing, a user comfortable with the documented training-data provenance concerns around the underlying stable diffusion model choosing to proceed anyway, someone wanting general photo retouching tools separate from the avatar feature, a user comfortable cancelling a free trial through phone app store settings before it converts to a paid charge. Of those, someone wanting to generate stylised ai avatars from their own selfies, understanding those selfies are uploaded for ai processing and a user comfortable with the documented training-data provenance concerns around the underlying stable diffusion model choosing to proceed anyway are not what Photopea is typically brought in for.
- What can Lensa do that Photopea cannot?
- Lensa covers Magic Avatars, Photo retouching, Sky and background replacement, Portrait enhancement. Photopea covers Photo editing, PSD compatibility, Layer support, Selection tools.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Lensa: Is Lensa Magic Avatars feature the same as photo editing?
No, Magic Avatars is a separate AI portrait generation feature using the Stable Diffusion model, distinct from the app's standard photo retouching tools.
Photopea: Is Photopea free to use?
Yes, Photopea is completely free and supported by ads displayed within the browser. No subscription or payment is required to use the full feature set.
SourceLensa: Did Lensa face criticism over its AI avatars?
Yes, documented criticism covered the underlying model training data being scraped without artist consent, and reports of the feature generating sexualised images from ordinary selfies without the user requesting that style.
Photopea: Does Photopea support Photoshop PSD files?
Yes, Photopea fully supports Photoshop PSD files including layers, masks, text, and effects. It can read and export files back to PSD, PNG, JPG, PDF, SVG, or GIF format.
SourceLensa: What happens to my selfies after generating an avatar?
Prisma Labs states uploaded selfies are deleted after processing and not used to further train the underlying model, though this relies on the company's own disclosed policy.
Photopea: What platforms does Photopea run on?
Photopea is a web-based editor accessible through any modern browser including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. It can be added to desktop as a shortcut or Chrome extension.
SourcePhotopea: Does Photopea upload my files to servers?
No. Photopea processes images entirely within your browser and does not upload files to external servers, keeping your work private and secure.
SourceRelated pages
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