--- title: "custom-diffusion vs stable-diffusion" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/adobe-research-custom-diffusion-vs-compvis-stable-diffusion" tools: ["adobe-research-custom-diffusion", "compvis-stable-diffusion"] --- # custom-diffusion vs stable-diffusion *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick custom-diffusion when custom-diffusion is primarily Python; stable-diffusion is Jupyter Notebook; pick stable-diffusion when stable-diffusion is primarily Jupyter Notebook; custom-diffusion is Python. [custom-diffusion](https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~custom-diffusion) reports 2.0k GitHub stars, 141 forks, and 52 open issues, last pushed May 24, 2026. [stable-diffusion](https://ommer-lab.com/research/latent-diffusion-models/) has 73k stars, 11k forks, and 617 open issues, last pushed Jun 18, 2024. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [custom-diffusion's repository](https://github.com/adobe-research/custom-diffusion) and [stable-diffusion's repository](https://github.com/CompVis/stable-diffusion). | | [custom-diffusion](/tools/adobe-research-custom-diffusion.md) | [stable-diffusion](/tools/compvis-stable-diffusion.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Custom Diffusion: Multi-Concept Customization of Text-to-Image Diffusion (CVPR 2023) | A latent text-to-image diffusion model | | Stars | 1,975 | 73,179 | | Forks | 141 | 10,584 | | Open issues | 52 | 617 | | Language | Python | Jupyter Notebook | | Adopt for | - | - | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Other | Other | | Categories | Model Training, Computer Vision | Model Training, Computer Vision | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [custom-diffusion](/tools/adobe-research-custom-diffusion.md) | [stable-diffusion](/tools/compvis-stable-diffusion.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Steady (60%) | Dormant (18%) | | Days since push | 47d | 753d | | Open issues (now) | 52 | 617 | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/adobe-research-custom-diffusion/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/compvis-stable-diffusion/trust.md) | ## Choose when ### Choose custom-diffusion if… - custom-diffusion is primarily Python; stable-diffusion is Jupyter Notebook. - Tags unique to custom-diffusion: text-to-image-generation, customization, fine-tuning, few-shot. - More recently updated (last pushed May 24, 2026). ### Choose stable-diffusion if… - stable-diffusion is primarily Jupyter Notebook; custom-diffusion is Python. - Tags unique to stable-diffusion: jupyter notebook. - More GitHub stars (73k vs 2.0k) - visibility, not fit. ## When NOT to use custom-diffusion - Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. ## When NOT to use stable-diffusion - Last GitHub push was 754 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jun 18, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on stable-diffusion. - Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between custom-diffusion and stable-diffusion? custom-diffusion: Custom Diffusion: Multi-Concept Customization of Text-to-Image Diffusion (CVPR 2023). stable-diffusion: A latent text-to-image diffusion model. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose custom-diffusion over stable-diffusion? Choose custom-diffusion over stable-diffusion when custom-diffusion is primarily Python; stable-diffusion is Jupyter Notebook; Tags unique to custom-diffusion: text-to-image-generation, customization, fine-tuning, few-shot; More recently updated (last pushed May 24, 2026). ### When should I choose stable-diffusion over custom-diffusion? Choose stable-diffusion over custom-diffusion when stable-diffusion is primarily Jupyter Notebook; custom-diffusion is Python; Tags unique to stable-diffusion: jupyter notebook; More GitHub stars (73k vs 2.0k) - visibility, not fit. ### When should I avoid custom-diffusion? Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. ### When should I avoid stable-diffusion? Last GitHub push was 754 days ago (dormant maintenance, Jun 18, 2024). Validate activity before betting a new project on stable-diffusion. Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. ### Is custom-diffusion or stable-diffusion more popular on GitHub? stable-diffusion has more GitHub stars (73,179 vs 1,975). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are custom-diffusion and stable-diffusion open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (custom-diffusion: Other, stable-diffusion: Other). ### Where can I find alternatives to custom-diffusion or stable-diffusion? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [custom-diffusion alternatives](/tools/adobe-research-custom-diffusion/alternatives) and [stable-diffusion alternatives](/tools/compvis-stable-diffusion/alternatives) ([custom-diffusion markdown twin](/tools/adobe-research-custom-diffusion/alternatives.md), [stable-diffusion markdown twin](/tools/compvis-stable-diffusion/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/adobe-research-custom-diffusion-vs-compvis-stable-diffusion.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, custom-diffusion or stable-diffusion? custom-diffusion: Steady. stable-diffusion: Dormant. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for custom-diffusion and stable-diffusion? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [custom-diffusion trust report](/tools/adobe-research-custom-diffusion/trust); [stable-diffusion trust report](/tools/compvis-stable-diffusion/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=adobe-research-custom-diffusion`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=adobe-research-custom-diffusion) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_