Skip to content
effecthub

PixCosmos vs Pixlr

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Entry price
PixCosmos from $4.99 once, Pixlr from $2.49/mo — different billing units, so no direct winner
Free plan
Both have one
Higher Trust score
Pixlr — 98 vs 75 for PixCosmos
Best fit
PixCosmos: Users who want several different image/video edit types without juggling separate tools · Pixlr: Marketers and small shops doing quick product cutouts and social crops
Platforms
PixCosmos: Web · Pixlr: Web, iOS, Android

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

Side by side

FactPixCosmosPixlr
CategoryImage Editing & RetouchingImage Editing & Retouching
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$4.99 once$2.49/mo
Trust score75 / 10098 / 100
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
CompanyPixCosmosPixlr Pte Ltd
Launched—2008
Last verifiedOct 15, 2026Oct 16, 2026

What our research says

PixCosmos

PixCosmos's value is breadth: instead of picking a single-purpose tool for face swap, background removal, or try-on separately, it puts several of them behind one credit-based account. That convenience comes with a tradeoff, since it depends on several third-party models rather than one consistent engine, so quality and style likely vary by feature.

Pros

  • Covers image generation, video creation, background removal, try-on, face swap, lip-sync, translation, and relighting in one account
  • One-time $4.99 starter pack with no forced subscription
  • Uses named underlying models, like GPT Image, Gemini, and Nano Banana, rather than an unlabeled black box

Cons

  • Relying on multiple third-party models means quality and style likely vary between features
  • No company name, address, or jurisdiction is disclosed in the terms of service
  • Credit-based pricing makes total cost hard to predict for heavy use

Pixlr

The cheapest way to get real layer editing plus generative fill without an Adobe subscription: under $3 a month removes the ads and adds AI credits. Pixlr now routes generation through third-party image and video models, but the full model menu starts on the $9.99 Premium tier, and the free tier is ad-heavy enough to be irritating.

Pros

  • Entry paid tier at $1.99-$2.49 is one of the lowest in the category
  • Two apps in one: Pixlr E for pixel work, Pixlr X for fast template edits
  • Free tier is genuinely usable for basic edits, just ad-supported
  • Seventeen-plus years of continuity behind it, unusual for a browser editor

Cons

  • The 80 monthly credits on Plus cover about 80 fast images or 16 higher-quality ones
  • Concurrency is throttled per tier, with 1 generation at a time on Plus
  • Prices display in local currency, so the USD figure shifts by region
  • No public API or scripting found, so batch work has to be done by hand

Which one fits

Choose PixCosmos if you need

  • Users who want several different image/video edit types without juggling separate tools
  • Casual users trying a one-time $4.99 credit pack before committing further
  • Anyone wanting virtual try-on or face-swap alongside more standard editing

Choose Pixlr if you need

  • Marketers and small shops doing quick product cutouts and social crops
  • Chromebook and locked-down-laptop users who cannot install desktop software
  • Anyone who wants Photoshop-style layers and masks without a Creative Cloud bill
  • Schools — Pixlr is free for education

PixCosmos vs Pixlr: the questions people ask

Is PixCosmos cheaper than Pixlr?

They charge in different units, so there is no like-for-like answer: PixCosmos starts at $4.99 once, Pixlr at $2.49/mo. Entry price is the lowest paid plan as we last verified it.

Does PixCosmos or Pixlr have a free tier?

Both: PixCosmos has a free tier, and Pixlr has a free tier.

Browse all Image Editing & Retouching →