Automatic1111 is one of the best web interfaces for running Stable Diffusion. Not only is it simple and easy to use but it also lets you install extensions to add extra functionality to Stable Diffusion.
There are plenty of Automatic1111 extensions that can help you do a lot more and improve your image generation process in Stable Diffusion.
But it’s hard to find and discover extensions that might be helpful to you. That’s why, I’ve compiled all the best Automatic1111 extensions in this list.
I’ve covered extensions for Stable Diffusion that are a must-have and also extensions that could be a nice addition to your workflow.
Nevertheless, let’s dive straight in.
Table of Contents
Best Automatic1111 Extensions
Here’s a table listing all the best Automatic1111 extensions I’ve shared below. You can check out this table and read more about these extensions in detail below.
ControlNet
ControlNet by far is the most powerful Stable Diffusion extension that can do a lot of things to help you generate better images.
If you don’t know what ControlNet is, it’s a neural network model to control diffusion models. In other words, you can use ControlNet to add extra conditions to your Stable Diffusion model.
For example, you can use ControlNet to generate an image with a specific pose.
This is one of many different features available in ControlNet that can level up your Stable Diffusion game.
This extension by Mikubill lets you use ControlNet in Automatic1111 and comes with all the controls of ControlNet.
You’ll need to download the various models for it to work properly. You can download and place these models in the ControlNet folder in your model’s directory.
Once you’ve done that, you can then load these models and use ControlNet in Stable Diffusion.
If you’re running Stable Diffusion on a less powerful system, you might struggle to run ControlNet properly as it’s very resource-intensive, especially on Automatic1111.
Make sure to check the system requirements before running ControlNet to ensure it’ll run properly on your device.
Related: How To Fix Stable Diffusion Exit Code 9009
Civitai Helper
As a Stable Diffusion user, I’m sure you frequent around Civitai to find and explore new models. However, downloading these models and placing them in the right folders can be a time-consuming task.
That’s where the Civitai Helper extension comes into play. With this extension, you can download models from Civitai directly from your Automatic1111 interface.
This means you no longer have to browse models, download them, and place them manually in the folders.
Moreover, this model also downloads the cover images of the models installed in your Stable Diffusion directory.
So, whenever you’re using models in Automatic1111, you can see their images right away and recognize them.
Lastly, the Civitai Helper extension also allows you to update the models locally installed on your device.
Overall, I find this extension quite useful as it cuts down the time of manually downloading and moving models. Plus, the ability to see preview images of models is very useful especially when you have a ton of models installed.
Roop
If you use Stable Diffusion to swap faces, then you’ll love the Roop extension.
Typically, swapping faces in Stable Diffusion can be done using LoRA models or other methods. But with Roop, you can do it instantly without relying on any LoRA models.
While the original Roop project has been discontinued, this extension is still updated and allows you to do face swap on images.
Since Roop is quite powerful for face-swapping, it’s important to note that you shouldn’t use this extension for any unethical or illegal purposes.
You’ll be solely responsible if you use this extension to create any inappropriate or demeaning artwork.
Infinite Image Browser
As someone who’s generated more than hundreds of images using Stable Diffusion, it’s difficult to keep track of them and have them stored in an organized manner.
Browsing your Stable Diffusion images using the File Explorer or Finder is not always the best experience.
With the Infinite Image Browser extension, you can not only browse your images but also manage them in a better manner.
The extension has a precise image search where you can search images by the prompt, model, or other information used. You can tag images to organize them as well as favorite images you like.
You can also view the image-generation information, view two images side-by-side for comparison, and send images to Outpaint or ControlNet.
If you’re someone who has a lot of images generated in Stable Diffusion and struggles with managing them, this is the perfect extension for you.
CLIP Interrogator
CLIP Interrogator is a prompt engineering tool you can use to find a good prompt for a given image.
This is extremely useful when you find an image on the Internet and want to generate something similar to it but you don’t know what prompt to use.
With CLIP Interrogator, you can get a prompt for that image and then use it to generate your image.
This extension is simple but very useful if you take inspiration from real-life images for your image generations.
It can also help you a lot with prompt engineering as you’ll understand more about the prompts used for different kinds of images.
Canvas Zoom
One of the things I don’t like about Automatic1111 is that you can’t zoom in on the canvas during inpainting.
This bugs me a lot because sometimes, you need to paint over a very small area and it’s not possible without zooming in on the canvas.
The Canvas Zoom extension solves this exact problem and lets you zoom in and out of the Canvas during inpainting.
It also integrates well with ControlNet, Inpaint Anything, and other similar extensions.
Besides zooming in and out, the Canvas Zoom extension also lets you move the canvas, view the canvas in fullscreen mode, increase or decrease brush size, and undo the last action.
You can also do this all using the shortcut keys provided by the extension.
Overall, this extension is a must-have for anyone who uses Inpainting and wants more control over image masking.
AnimateDiff
AnimateDiff lets you generate short videos or GIFs using text-based prompts. This text-to-video extension is extremely powerful and you can generate some pretty cool GIFs using this.
With this extension, you just need to enter a text prompt and it’ll generate a sequence of images which is then compiled as a GIF or video by the extension.
The extension lets you choose the number of frames as well as the FPS. You can also set the output to loop making the last frame the same as the first frame.
Apart from this, there are a ton of features in the AnimateDiff extension for Stable Diffusion.
Since this is a text-to-video extension, it’s very resource-intensive. So, make sure you have enough VRAM and your GPU is powerful enough to run this extension properly.
Ultimate SD Upscale
While you can use the Extras tab to upscale images in Automatic1111, this extension is a bit different in the sense that it lets you use ControlNet to upscale your images.
This extension is very useful if you don’t have a powerful GPU or enough VRAM for upscaling images.
The upscaled results from this extension are also much better than the typical AI upscaling done in the Extras tab.
Tokenizer
This nifty little Automatic1111 extension lets you see how the CLIP model will tokenize your prompt.
When you enter text prompts in Automatic1111, you don’t typically know how the prompt will be tokenized or in simpler words broken down by the model.
With this extension, you can see that and understand more about how your prompts are being tokenized.
While it’s not a must-have extension, it’s still good to have if you want a deeper understanding of how prompts work in Stable Diffusion.
OpenPose Editor
If you use ControlNet’s OpenPose models a lot, you’ll love this extension.
The OpenPose Editor lets you edit and customize the pose of the character before generating your image.
You can edit and detect poses with the extension. Moreover, it also allows you to add a new person, add a background image, and save the pose as a PNG.
I haven’t used this extension much because I don’t use ControlNet a lot. But I can find this extension very useful for anyone who works with OpenPose a lot.
Aspect Ratio Selector
The Aspect Ratio Selector extension adds a few additional options for aspect ratio in the image generation settings.
With this extension, you’ll see buttons below the image dimensions settings that let you choose the aspect ratio of the image.
It also has an aspect ratio calculator that lets you calculate the aspect ratio of the dimensions you enter manually or the dimensions of the image generated.
If you’re someone who struggles with image size in Stable Diffusion, you’ll find this extension useful.
Deforum
Ever wonder how those AI-generated videos you see floating around social media are made?
Well, most of them are created using Deforum which is a software for making animations. The Deforum extension brings the features of Deforum in Automatic1111.
Once installed, this extension adds a new Defoum tab to your Automatic1111 interface. Here, you can add prompts and generate your video.
This extension is extremely powerful and hence is very resource-heavy as well. If you have a powerful GPU or enough VRAM, you’ll face no problems running this extension.
However, if your device doesn’t have enough resources, you might struggle to generate videos using this extension.
Style Selector for SDXL 1.0
If you use SDXL models for generating images in Stable Diffusion, you’ll find this extension very helpful.
This extension adds a style preset button that you can click to add style keywords to your prompts.
Applying various SDXL styles is very simple to do with this extension and you can save a ton of time writing prompts for styles manually.
Pixelization
Want to generate pixel art in Stable Diffusion? Instead of using prompts to make pixel art, just use this extension that will turn any image you generate in Automatic1111 into pixel art.
You’ll find the options for this extension in the Extras tab of Automatic1111. You’ll also need to download three checkpoint models for this to work.
I found this extension very good in generating pixel art in Stable Diffusion as you don’t have to rely on prompts for making pixelated images.
QR Code Generator
I’m sure you’ve seen some cool QR code images on social media. These images are generally made in Stable Diffusion using this extension.
With this extension, you can generate some pretty cool QR codes that support text, SMS, email, WiFi network, and more.
How To Install Extensions in Automatic1111
If you’ve never installed an extension in Automatic1111, you don’t need to worry. There are many methods to install extensions in Automatic1111 and here’s the easiest way to do it:
Click on the Extensions tab in your Automatic1111 interface.
On this page, click on the Install from URL tab and you’ll find a text field to enter the URL of the Git repository.
Here, enter the URL of the extension you want to install and click on the Install button.
Your extension will be installed and once you get a confirmation message, close and restart the Stable Diffusion Web UI.
That’s how easy it is to install extensions in Automatic1111.
Conclusion
So, that’s our list of the best Automatic1111 extensions you can use to improve your image generation skills.
We’ve covered some essential extensions and utility extensions that will improve your workflow.
If you have any questions regarding the extensions I’ve mentioned, feel free to drop questions below.
