LabFig
AI scientific figure generator that turns sketches, PDFs, and prompts into editable vector figures.
LabFig is the fastest way to turn a sketch or PDF into an editable vector figure, saving hours versus Illustrator. The Vector Canvas and inpainting are genuinely useful, but cloud-only and credit-based pricing means heavy users will pay. Try the free credits to see if it fits your workflow before committing.
Verified 6d ago · liveness 74/100 · cite: rightaichoice.com/tools/labfig
- Graduate students preparing figures for journal submission
- Postdocs and researchers turning sketches or paper PDFs into editable schematics
- Lab groups standardizing figure style across publications with Reference to Figure
- Authors adapting existing figures for review articles without redrawing
- Teams that need on-premises or air-gapped deployment (cloud-only)
- Users expecting unlimited free generations (credits limited, a figure costs ~2)
- Illustration work requiring full vector control like custom Bezier curves
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Skip LabFig if you require on-premises or air-gapped deployment, expect unlimited free generations, need full vector illustration control (like custom Bezier curves), or plan to automate figure generation through an API — LabFig is cloud-only, credit-limited, and lacks integrations.
Free credits are limited to new researchers signing up this month; once exhausted, you must pay for a subscription to continue generating.
LabFig's freemium model gives you free credits to test, then paid tiers from $9.9/mo (Starter) to $99.9/mo (Premium). It's cheaper than hiring a designer or subscribing to Adobe Illustrator, but comparable to other AI figure tools like BioRender (which has a free tier with limited figures and paid plans). For occasional figure needs, the Starter plan is economical; for heavy users, Premium offers the lowest cost per credit.
In short
LabFig — AI scientific figure generator that turns sketches, PDFs, and prompts into editable vector figures. Best for Graduate students preparing figures for journal submission, Postdocs and researchers turning sketches or paper PDFs into editable schematics, Lab groups standardizing figure style across publications with Reference to Figure. Free to start; paid plans from $7.994/mo.
What's new in LabFig
Checked 6 days agoAcross the latest 1 update: 1 feature update.
What people actually say about LabFig — is it worth it?
We ran a structured research pass across product reviews, community discussions, and post-purchase forum threads to surface the patterns vendors won't publish themselves. Below: the recurring strengths, the hidden costs people mention most, and the cohort that consistently regrets adopting this tool.
21 mentions across 2 sources (YouTube, Product Hunt) · researched Jul 26, 2026.
- +Handles rough sketches and photos and produces clean figures.
- +Vector-first editing keeps all elements editable.
- +Six visual styles match Nature, Cell, IEEE aesthetics.
- +Text-to-figure from natural language descriptions is intuitive.
- +Fast creation workflow – figures in seconds instead of hours.
- −No direct export to journal templates like Nature or IEEE.
- −Missing citation overlay feature for figure annotations.
- −Very limited community reviews – risk of undiscovered bugs.
- −Off-topic YouTube posts suggest weak real-world buzz.
- −Pricing not fully transparent beyond freemium tiers.
- • Premium features like batch generation and figure enhancer require paid plans
Viability Score
How well maintained and how widely used is LabFig? Built from what the vendor actually publishes (docs, changelog, tutorials, integrations, pricing), whether the site is live, and how much real users discuss it. How we calculate this
Last calculated: August 2026
How we score →Key Features
- Text to Figure from natural language descriptions
- Sketch to Figure from whiteboard or notebook photos
- PDF to Figure extraction and reconstruction
- Photo to Figure from lab photos
- Reference to Figure for style and layout replication
- Vector Canvas: edit every text, arrow, shape, color
- Region inpainting: select and regenerate part of a figure
- Figure Enhancer: clean up color and line weights
- Six journal styles: Scientific, Line, 3D, Editorial, Sketch, Watercolor
- Auto mode: style follows prompt
- Export SVG, PDF, PNG at 300 dpi
- Multi-image context and auto-detect intent
- AI Tools hub with task selector and side-by-side comparison
- Templates for common figures (CRISPR-Cas9, scRNA-seq, etc.)
- AI Prompt Generator, Graphical Abstract Generator, Figure Caption Generator
About LabFig
LabFig is an AI scientific figure generator built for researchers and graduate students who need clean, submission-ready figures without spending hours in vector software. You describe an idea, snap a photo of a whiteboard sketch, upload a reference image, drop in a research PDF, or use a lab photo — LabFig converts any of these inputs into a draft that is fully editable on its Vector Canvas. Every label, arrow, shape, and color stays adjustable after generation, and you can select a region and regenerate just that part with a single prompt. Exports come as SVG, PDF, or PNG at 300 dpi, designed to slot directly into your manuscript template. The platform offers seven core workflows: Text to Figure, Sketch to Figure, Reference to Figure, PDF to Figure, Photo to Figure, Figure Enhancer, and Vector Canvas. Six journal-grade styles — Scientific, Line, 3D, Editorial, Sketch, and Watercolor — let you match the look of Nature, Cell, or IEEE in one click, or use Auto mode to let the prompt dictate the style. Recent updates (v2.1.0) added an AI Tools hub with a task selector and side-by-side comparison of the workflows, plus discipline-tagged showcases to help you find the right mode for your field. LabFig is trusted by over 100,000 researchers from leading institutions. LabFig is a credit-based freemium service. New researchers get free credits for signing up, then you choose between Starter, Standard, or Premium — paid monthly or annually. One standard generation costs 1 credit regardless of mode, a typical paper figure takes around 2 credits including iterations, and credits refresh each billing cycle. For labs without design training, LabFig replaces the steep learning curve of Illustrator with a faster path to a reviewable draft. It is cloud-only, so heavy iteration can eat through credits, and it is not a substitute for full vector illustration tools.
Behind the Verdict
LabFig is one of the most focused AI figure tools we've tested, built around the reality of how researchers actually produce figures: they sketch ideas, pull schematics from PDFs, mimic reference figures from papers, and refine until submission. Instead of forcing you into a single 'text-to-image' box, LabFig gives you seven distinct workflows (Text, Sketch, Reference, PDF, Photo, Enhancer, Vector Canvas) that cover the full arc of figure creation. The standout is the Vector Canvas — every generated output remains editable down to individual labels, arrows, and colors, which is a huge differentiator from one-shot AI image generators. Pair that with region inpainting (select a section and regenerate it with a prompt) and you have a tool that feels like an AI-assisted Illustrator, not a novelty. Strengths: Multi-modal inputs are genuinely useful — snap a whiteboard photo, upload a PDF, or paste a reference figure, and LabFig converges on a consistent, publication-ready style. The six journal-grade styles (Scientific, Line, 3D, Editorial, Sketch, Watercolor) plus Auto mode give you control over the aesthetic without prompting gymnastics. The recent v2.1.0 update added an AI Tools hub with side-by-side workflow comparison and discipline-tagged showcases, which helps you pick the right mode quickly. For researchers with no design training, the learning curve is far gentler than Illustrator's. Weaknesses: It's cloud-only, so you can't work offline, and the credit system means heavy iteration burns through credits — a typical paper figure costs ~2 credits, and high-volume users will need the Premium tier. The output is a draft that still requires scientific review; it won't replace a full vector illustration tool for custom curve work. Integrations are sparse (no API, no direct connection to reference managers), so it's a standalone tool in your workflow. Human oversight is non-negotiable — labels and relationships must be verified before submission. Where it fits: PhD students, postdocs, and research groups that need fast, editable figures for manuscripts, revisions, and review articles. It's particularly strong for standard schematics (CRISPR, scRNA-seq, ML architectures) and for labs that want consistent style across publications. Where it doesn't: users needing on-prem deployment, automated pipelines, or unlimited free generations. If you're a professional medical illustrator, you'll still prefer Illustrator — but for the typical researcher, LabFig is a practical shortcut.
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Real-world workflow fit
Concrete scenarios for the personas LabFig actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
Needs a CRISPR-Cas9 mechanism schematic for their paper but has no design skills
Outcome: Uses Text to Figure with a prompt like 'CRISPR-Cas9 mechanism' and selects the Scientific style. In minutes, gets a clean vector draft, fine-tunes labels in Vector Canvas, and exports SVG for submission.
Has a hand-drawn sketch of an experimental setup and needs a publication-ready figure
Outcome: Snaps a photo of the sketch, uses Sketch to Figure to redraw it with clean typography and aligned elements, then opens in Vector Canvas to adjust arrows. Export as PNG at 300 dpi for the manuscript.
Wants consistent figure style across multiple publications
Outcome: Uses Reference to Figure with a style reference from a previous paper, then generates new figures that match the lab's visual language. The team standardizes on Scientific style and uses the AI Tools hub to switch workflows efficiently.
Use Cases
- Generate a CRISPR-Cas9 mechanism schematic from a text description in seconds.
- Upload a whiteboard sketch of a lab setup and convert it into a clean vector diagram.
- Extract a figure from a submitted PDF and edit its labels for a revision.
- Create a publication-ready scRNA-seq multi-omics pipeline figure for a manuscript.
- Use a reference figure from a competitor paper to generate a variant with your own data.
- Enhance a low-resolution figure from an older paper to meet journal resolution standards.
- Generate CONSORT diagrams or TRIPOD-AI flowcharts for clinical AI papers.
- Create ML architecture diagrams or training pipelines for CVPR/NeurIPS submissions.
Models Under the Hood
as of 2026-08-21
Limitations
- LabFig is a web-based AI scientific figure generator that operates on a credit-based system, with generation costs varying by model and workflow.
- Credits are valid for 365 days, and the platform notes that AI output is a draft requiring scientific review before use.
- It is cloud-only, so no offline use or on-prem deployment.
- There is no public API or documented integrations, limiting automation and workflow embedding.
- The output is a draft, not a finished figure — you must verify labels, relationships, and source permissions.
- Heavy iteration can consume credits quickly, making high-volume use costly.
- It is not intended for fine vector illustration work like custom Bezier curves.
as of 2026-08-17
Verification history
We have re-verified LabFig 6 times since . Each pass re-reads the vendor's own pages and re-checks every listed field against that evidence; passes where nothing had changed are marked as such.
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
- — re-verified summary, description, our verdict, our analysis, pricing model, pricing tiers, features, integrations, who it suits, who should skip it
Free to cite with attribution — this page re-verifies continuously.
12-month cost
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
Plans compared
For each published LabFig tier: who it actually fits, and what it adds vs. the previous tier. Cross-reference the cost calculator above for projected annual outlay.
Free
$0
Ideal for
New researchers who want to test LabFig without committing; you get free credits this month to generate a few figures and evaluate the workflow.
What this tier adds
Free entry point: includes free credits for new signups, access to all 7 figure tools, and PNG download, but only a limited number of generations.
Starter (Monthly)
$9.9/mo
Ideal for
Occasional figure makers who need a few figures a month—like a grad student preparing a single manuscript.
What this tier adds
First paid tier: adds 0 credits valid 365 days (about 600 text-to-figure drafts) and full access to all tools; vs Free, you get the credits to actually generate.
Starter (Annual)
$7.9/mo, billed $94.8/yr
Ideal for
Budget-conscious occasional users who want a ~20% discount for paying a year upfront.
What this tier adds
Same as Starter monthly but billed $94.8/yr (~$7.9/mo), saving $24/yr compared to monthly.
Standard (Monthly)
$39.9/mo
Ideal for
Active researchers who generate figures regularly and need 5× the credits of Starter, like postdocs working on multiple papers.
What this tier adds
Adds 5× credit allowance (about 3,000 text-to-figure drafts) and a lower cost per credit, giving headroom for image-guided and PDF workflows.
Standard (Annual)
$29.9/mo, billed $358.8/yr
Ideal for
Heavy users who want the best value for active research pipelines, paying annually for ~25% off.
What this tier adds
Same as Standard monthly but billed $358.8/yr (~$29.9/mo), saving $120/yr.
Premium (Monthly)
$99.9/mo
Ideal for
Principal investigators or labs managing several projects in parallel, needing the highest credit volume.
What this tier adds
Adds 3× the credits of Standard (about 9,000 text-to-figure drafts) and the lowest cost per credit, supporting parallel projects.
Premium (Annual)
$79.9/mo, billed $958.8/yr
Ideal for
High-volume labs wanting the lowest per-credit cost, paying annually for ~20% off.
What this tier adds
Same as Premium monthly but billed $958.8/yr (~$79.9/mo), saving $240/yr.
Where the pricing makes sense
The company stage and team size where LabFig's pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
LabFig's freemium model gives you free credits to test, then paid tiers from $9.9/mo (Starter) to $99.9/mo (Premium). It's cheaper than hiring a designer or subscribing to Adobe Illustrator, but comparable to other AI figure tools like BioRender (which has a free tier with limited figures and paid plans). For occasional figure needs, the Starter plan is economical; for heavy users, Premium offers the lowest cost per credit.
Setup time & first value
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of LabFig — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
For first-time users, you can sign up and generate your first figure in under 5 minutes using the free credits. Learning the Vector Canvas for precise edits may take an hour or so. Teams standardizing style may need a short session to define prompts and reference figures, but most researchers see value within a single sitting.
Switching to or from LabFig
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
- →From hand-drawn sketches: snap a photo and use Sketch to Figure to digitize and clean up your diagrams.
- →From existing figures in PDFs: use PDF to Figure to extract and rebuild editable vector versions.
- →From BioRender or PowerPoint: upload existing figures as reference to generate consistent variants, or use Figure Enhancer to improve quality.
- ↗To Adobe Illustrator: export your LabFig figures as SVG or PDF and open them directly in Illustrator for further manual editing.
- ↗To Inkscape (free): export SVG and edit in Inkscape if you prefer open-source vector software.
- ↗To LaTeX: export as PDF or PNG and include in your manuscript with standard \includegraphics.
Resources & Guides
Tutorials & Learning
Official links
Tools that pair well with LabFig
Common stack mates teams adopt alongside LabFig, with the specific reason each pairing earns its keep.
Featured Head-to-Head Comparisons
Labfig vs Surge Ai
LabFig and Surge AI serve entirely different purposes—one generates scientific figures, the other aligns frontier AI with expert human feedback. Choose LabFig if you need fast, editable vector figures for papers; choose Surge AI if you're building or evaluating advanced models requiring domain-expert grading and RLHF. They are not competitors.
Labfig vs Praktika
LabFig and Praktika serve entirely different domains—scientific figure creation versus language learning—so choice depends on your need. For researchers crafting publication-ready figures, LabFig offers unmatched versatility with text/sketch/PDF inputs and vector editing. For language learners wanting conversational practice, Praktika delivers realistic AI tutor interactions with real-time pronunciation correction. There's no overlap; pick the tool aligned with your primary task.
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