Update 2026.03.12
I turned your answers into a full analytics post with summaries, free/paid comparison and funnel recommendations. Read it here: https://civitai.com/articles/27217
Hey everyone. I lied in the title, there will be five questions this time. And sorry for the clickbait title, you won’t find hate to Civitai here or alternatives. 😅
Just a little context: some time ago, 0dang wrote an article about his theory that Civitai doesn’t care about image posting. My guess was that most people pay for the generator, and like any business, Civitai follows paid users. However, the generator is not the reason I pay.
So I decided to check my guess by asking you. And to make it applicable for all users, not only paid, and make it potentially more useful for Civitai, I decided to make 5 standard questions:
How did you find Civitai?
What made you sign up?
Why Are You Still on Civitai (What is keeping you here)? - Please answer this question even if you decided to leave, but tell what WAS keeping you here.
If you ever paid, why?
If you want to leave, why? - Please answer this question if you really decide to leave, and not just hate Civitai for something.
And as usual, here are my answers first:
1. How did you find Civitai?
Let’s just say some time 2 years ago, I learned that AI can generate NSFW content 🌶️. So I’ve been looking for the places where I can watch it. This is not how I found Civitai (which is a shame, other places were awful with tons of advertisement and without good filters).
Next, I found somewhere in the comments that there is a website where you can generate NSFW content for free. And this is how I found Civitai.
I remember Civitai bragging that they spend zero on advertisements. I wonder why people share links to Civitai if NSFW generation is not free anymore.
2. What made you sign up?
I think it was about the time when you had to register to view NSFW content.
3. Why Are You Still on Civitai (What is keeping you here)?
Mostly the community and ability to post images, videos and articles - this is the primary reason.
I also learn a lot from other posts that have public metadata. Or if I rephrase - it shows the best ways to generate images - the best models, the best workflows.
The same, but from a different angle:
Locally, I can generate faster, more, and better (with complex workflows) than with the Civitai generator. So if Civitai disappeared tomorrow, I’d have two big problems:
• How should I even know something worthwhile was released? New models are tested with the community, and we can see the results in Civitai posts.
• I continue to post on Civitai because of the support I feel from the community. Taking my stuff elsewhere means risking anti-AI hate. Not sure I’ll do it.
So, just to sum up - I came here because of the Civitai generator, but the generator doesn’t keep me here anymore, instead it’s a community and the ability to post.
4. If you ever paid, why?
I bought a 1 year subscription as a gesture of support, several days before Visa first time made payments with credit cards impossible. I’m planning to continue supporting Civitai, even though I admit paying with crypto may become a challenge.
5. If you want to leave, why?
I’m not planning to leave as I don’t see any good alternatives.
That’s my side. Now it’s your turn! Answer as many (or as few) of the questions as you want in the comments. I’m genuinely curious, and I think the team might find it helpful too. Drop your thoughts — even if it’s just a quick reply. 😊