Table of Contents
AnimateDiff is the most-used open-source video model that pairs with Stable Diffusion. It adds motion modules to a frozen SD checkpoint, producing 16-32 frame animated clips at SD-comparable quality.
TL;DR
AnimateDiff with SDXL fits a 16 GB GPU comfortably. Generates a 16-frame 1024² clip in ~25 s on a 5090. Best paired with ComfyUI workflow.
What AnimateDiff is
- Motion modules trained to add temporal consistency to SD checkpoints
- Compatible with SD 1.5, SDXL, and most LoRA stacks
- 16-32 frame outputs typical
- Works with ControlNets for guided animation
Hardware
| GPU | Time per 16-frame 1024² clip |
|---|---|
| RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | ~50 s |
| RTX 5080 16 GB | ~32 s |
| RTX 4090 24 GB | ~30 s |
| RTX 5090 32 GB | ~25 s |
Setup
ComfyUI with the ComfyUI-AnimateDiff-Evolved custom node. Pre-installed on our AI video generation hosting servers.
Verdict
For stylised animation (anime, illustration, graphic art), AnimateDiff is still the strongest open option. For photorealistic video, Wan 2.1 or HunyuanVideo are stronger.
Bottom line
AnimateDiff for stylised animation, Wan 2.1 for photorealistic video. See video generation hosting.
