Hotpot AI Photo Colorizer vs Palette
Hotpot AI Photo Colorizer
hotpot.ai
Palette
palette.fmSide by side
| Figure | Hotpot AI Photo Colorizer | Palette |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $6/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 8 | 3 |
| Spec score · AI Image Colorizers | 9.0 (#3) | 8.9 (#5) |
| Spec score · AI Photo Colorization Software | 8.9 (#6) | 8.9 (#7) |
| Data deletion | The privacy policy says users may request account or personal-data deletion by emailing Hotpot, although some information may be retained for legal, fraud, dispute, or enforcement reasons. | Uploaded files are securely processed and deleted shortly after results are provided. |
| Integrations | SoftwareFinder reports that Hotpot’s official site does not specify named third-party integrations. | Palette documents Google Drive and Dropbox bulk workflows, iPhone Photos integration, and a Windows desktop application from Covenant using its engine. |
| Purpose | The Photo Colorizer uses AI to give black-and-white photos a fresh color interpretation. | Palette colorizes photos with realistic colors after upload and filter selection. |
| Self-hosting | Hotpot offers Docker-based self-hosted containers using the same API specification as its SaaS service, with only the hostname changed. | Enterprise customers can run Palette on their own hardware, including a container and API-key workflow that keeps photographs inside their network. |
| Support | Hotpot’s help page provides troubleshooting for login, credits, cancellation, and contact support, including advice to use Chrome incognito and disable VPNs or ad blockers. | Enterprise customers are told they deal directly with Emil Wallner rather than a ticket queue, and data-processing agreements are available on request. |
| What it does | Hotpot Photo Colorizer uses AI to turn black-and-white pictures into color images. | Palette uses AI to turn black-and-white or grayscale photographs into color images. |
Plans
Hotpot AI Photo Colorizer
- Free accessFree
- 1,000 credits$12, paid once
- 2,500 credits$30, paid once
- 5,000 credits$60, paid once
- 10,000 credits$120, paid once
- 20,000 credits$240, paid once
- CreditsPrice not published
- Team, high-volume, or self-hostedPriced on request
In their own words
Hotpot AI Photo Colorizer
Hotpot AI Photo Colorizer uses AI to create a color interpretation of a black-and-white photograph. On the web, upload a JPG, JPEG, PNG, or WebP file, select a natural, cinematic, vintage, or Polaroid-inspired style, or describe a custom look. Review the generated image and download it. Batch processing is supported. Hotpot says the AI predicts plausible colors rather than recovering colors that cannot be known from the original monochrome image. It also cautions that results may be unreliable for group photos containing more than two people. For scratches or faded details, Hotpot recommends using Photo Restorer before colorizing. Free access is listed at free, while paid access starts at $0.02; commercial use and advanced settings require credits. One-time credits are available, and team, high-volume, or self-hosted pricing requires contacting Hotpot. The service is web-only.
Palette
Palette colorizes uploaded photos after a user chooses a filter. Its web app offers more than 21 color filters, with descriptions and keywords available to fine-tune colors. Palette supports batch processing, and says a simple script can colorize over 1 million images per day. Its API supports automated and custom prompts, reference images, and up to 120 prompts for one image. The documented image limit is 4K resolution and 10MB per file. A beta Video API handles video-frame colorization in SD, Full-HD, and 4K. Palette documents integrations with iPhone photos, Google Drive, Dropbox, and other photo apps, as well as a Windows desktop application from Covenant that uses its colorization engine. Its API platform has changed to RapidAPI. Uploaded files are processed securely and deleted shortly after results are provided. The terms say users retain ownership of images and videos they create and may use them commercially without restrictions. Palette has a free trial credit and plans costing $49 once or $72 per year.