Layered Review (2026): Pricing, Features & Honest Verdict
TLDR
Layered (officially Layer) is an AI platform for creative teams, especially game studios, that brings leading generative models for image, video, 3D, and audio into one workspace. Layer is the most credible “AI for production art” platform in 2026, and the combination of multi-modal generation, custom model training, and a node-based builder is genuinely differentiated vs. Best for: game and creative studios producing high volumes of style-consistent assets across image, video, 3D, and audio. Price: $10/mo. Rating: 7.7/10.
What is Layered?
Layered (officially Layer) is an AI platform for creative teams, especially game studios, that brings leading generative models for image, video, 3D, and audio into one workspace. You can generate and edit assets with natural-language prompts, train custom models on your studio’s visual style, and chain operations on a node-based workflow canvas powered by LLMs and agents.
Layer is positioned as an operating system for production art rather than a single-purpose generator, with commercial licensing across all tiers, enterprise security, and a library of 40+ pre-built custom models inspired by successful game visual styles. Pricing is consumption-based with no per-seat fees, starting at $10/month for 300 Creative Units. The canonical URL is layer.ai (layered.ai redirects).
What Are Layered’s Key Features?
Multi-modal asset generation
Layer supports image generation, full-length video, 3D models, and audio (sound effects, character voiceovers, lipsync video) in a single workspace. You do not switch between Midjourney, Runway, and ElevenLabs to assemble a single scene; it is all one bill, one project, one set of credentials. This is a real workflow win for studios shipping coordinated assets.
Natural-language editing and retouching
Beyond first-pass generation, Layer lets you edit images and videos with text prompts: upscale, remove backgrounds, vectorize, change a character’s outfit, swap a sky. This is closer to how art directors give feedback in real production, vs. a strict prompt-and-pray flow.
Custom model training
Layer can train custom models on your studio’s unique visual style so that generations stay consistent and on-brand across hundreds of assets. This is the killer feature for game and film studios where consistency is the whole job. If you do not want to train, the platform ships 40+ pre-built models inspired by successful game visual styles.
Node-based workflow builder
Layer offers a node-based canvas where you chain operations (generate, upscale, mask, composite, export) into reusable pipelines powered by LLMs and agents. This is what cuts repetitive work and unifies production across an art team. It is conceptually similar to ComfyUI but cloud-hosted and team-aware.
Unlimited team seats with usage-based pricing
Layer charges only for Creative Units consumed, not per seat. A solo creator and a 50-person studio pay nothing different for invitation; only the underlying compute. This is dramatically friendlier than per-seat tools at scale, and 10% of unused credits roll over each billing period.
Enterprise security and compliance
The Enterprise tier adds SOC 2 Type II compliance, advanced SSO, custom data retention, dedicated support with SLA, flexible invoicing, and volume-based pricing. This is what gets Layer past procurement at AAA studios.
Layered Pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Studio | From $10/mo | 300 Creative Units, all model access, unlimited seats, commercial license, API + webhooks | Solo creators and teams of 1-10 |
| Mid-Sized Studio | Scales with usage | Higher CU allowances, same feature set as Small | Studios of 10-25 |
| Enterprise | Custom (annual) | Volume discounts, SOC 2 Type II, SSO, dedicated support, custom retention | AAA studios and high-volume production |
Subscriptions begin at $10/month for 300 Creative Units, increasing by $60 per 1,000 CUs. 10% of unused CUs roll over each billing period. There is no free tier; new users typically start on Small Studio.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Genuinely all-in-one for game art: image, video, 3D, audio in one workspace.
- Custom model training on your studio’s style is the killer feature for visual consistency.
- No per-seat fees means you can invite the whole team at no extra cost.
- Node-based workflow canvas is a real production tool, not a gimmick.
- Enterprise tier with SOC 2 Type II makes it viable for AAA studios.
Cons
- Specialized for game and creative studios; not a fit if you just want a casual image generator.
- Requires clear creative direction to get the most out of custom model training.
- $10/mo entry tier is misleading because 300 CUs disappear quickly on video or 3D workloads.
- Learning curve on the node-based builder for users without a workflow background.
- No free tier to evaluate, only paid Small Studio.
| Plan | Price | Plan Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Studio | From $10/mo | 300 Creative Units, all model access, unlimited seats, commercial license, API + webhooks | Solo creators and teams of 1-10 |
| Mid-Sized Studio | Scales with usage | Higher CU allowances, same feature set as Small | Studios of 10-25 |
| Enterprise | Custom (annual) | Volume discounts, SOC 2 Type II, SSO, dedicated support, custom retention | AAA studios and high-volume production |
Who is Layered Best For?
Use Layered if: game and creative studios producing high volumes of style-consistent assets across image, video, 3D, and audio.
Skip Layered if: the use case doesn’t match your day-to-day workflow.
Best Layered Alternatives
| Tool | What It Does | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Scenario | Game-focused AI art platform with custom model training, similar positioning to Layer. | From $39/mo |
| ComfyUI | Open-source node-based workflow builder for Stable Diffusion, free to self-host but no managed service. | Free self-hosted |
| Runway | AI video and image platform with strong creative tools but less studio-specific custom training. | From $15/mo |
Final Verdict: Is Layered Worth It?
Layer is the most credible “AI for production art” platform in 2026, and the combination of multi-modal generation, custom model training, and a node-based builder is genuinely differentiated vs. point tools. Studios reporting 240% productivity boosts in case studies match what we see in trial.
Buy Layer if you are running a game studio, animation studio, or in-house creative team that needs visual consistency across many assets, and you have a clear style to train against. Skip it if you just want a casual image generator (Midjourney, Imagen, ChatGPT image are all cheaper) or if you do not have the production volume to justify the subscription. Validate that 300 CUs covers a typical week of your work before stepping up to higher tiers.
FAQ
Is Layered AI free?
No. Layer (the canonical brand for layered.ai) starts at $10/month for the Small Studio tier with 300 Creative Units. There is no free tier, but unused credits roll over 10% each billing period.
What is a Creative Unit?
A Creative Unit (CU) is Layer’s consumption unit. Different operations cost different CUs depending on which model and modality they use, similar to credits in other AI tools. Subscriptions begin at 300 CUs/month and scale at $60 per additional 1,000 CUs.
Does Layer support video and 3D, not just images?
Yes. Layer is multi-modal across image, full-length video, 3D models, and audio (sound effects, voiceovers, lipsync video). All four modalities run in the same workspace with shared credits.
Can I train a custom model on my studio’s style?
Yes. Custom model training is one of Layer’s headline features and is what lets studios maintain visual consistency across hundreds of assets. The platform also ships 40+ pre-built custom models inspired by successful game visual styles if you do not want to train your own.
Is there a per-seat fee?
No. Layer charges only for Creative Units consumed; you can invite unlimited team members at no extra cost. This is unusual in the SaaS world and is one of Layer’s strongest commercial points.
Is Layer SOC 2 compliant?
Yes, on the Enterprise tier, which adds SOC 2 Type II, advanced SSO, custom data retention, and dedicated support with SLA. Smaller plans do not include SOC 2.
Layered Pros & Cons
What We Like
- Genuinely all-in-one for game art: image, video, 3D, audio in one workspace.
- Custom model training on your studio's style is the killer feature for visual consistency.
- No per-seat fees means you can invite the whole team at no extra cost.
- Node-based workflow canvas is a real production tool, not a gimmick.
- Enterprise tier with SOC 2 Type II makes it viable for AAA studios.
What Could Be Better
- Specialized for game and creative studios; not a fit if you just want a casual image generator.
- Requires clear creative direction to get the most out of custom model training.
- $10/mo entry tier is misleading because 300 CUs disappear quickly on video or 3D workloads.
- Learning curve on the node-based builder for users without a workflow background.
- No free tier to evaluate, only paid Small Studio.
Layered FAQ
Is Layered AI free?
No. Layer (the canonical brand for layered.ai) starts at $10/month for the Small Studio tier with 300 Creative Units. There is no free tier, but unused credits roll over 10% each billing period.
What is a Creative Unit?
A Creative Unit (CU) is Layer's consumption unit. Different operations cost different CUs depending on which model and modality they use, similar to credits in other AI tools. Subscriptions begin at 300 CUs/month and scale at $60 per additional 1,000 CUs.
Does Layer support video and 3D, not just images?
Yes. Layer is multi-modal across image, full-length video, 3D models, and audio (sound effects, voiceovers, lipsync video). All four modalities run in the same workspace with shared credits.
Can I train a custom model on my studio's style?
Yes. Custom model training is one of Layer's headline features and is what lets studios maintain visual consistency across hundreds of assets. The platform also ships 40+ pre-built custom models inspired by successful game visual styles if you do not want to train your own.
Is there a per-seat fee?
No. Layer charges only for Creative Units consumed; you can invite unlimited team members at no extra cost. This is unusual in the SaaS world and is one of Layer's strongest commercial points.
Is Layer SOC 2 compliant?
Yes, on the Enterprise tier, which adds SOC 2 Type II, advanced SSO, custom data retention, and dedicated support with SLA. Smaller plans do not include SOC 2.
