Beginner's Guide

Stable Diffusion 3 Medium:The Beginner's Guide

This is the ultimate guide to Stable Diffusion 3 Medium in 2024. Learn everything you need to know about this powerful 2-billion parameter model designed for consumer devices.

Last updated: August 20, 2025

What You'll Learn

  • A 2 Billion Parameter Model and Key features of SD3 Medium
  • Stability and Optimization
  • Safety and Responsible Use
  • Open and Commercial Licensing
  • How to Get Started with Stable Diffusion 3 Medium
  • Looking Ahead: Future Plans and Innovations

Stable Diffusion 3 Medium (SD3 Medium) arrived as promised. Stability AI announced that SD3 Medium would be officially open-sourced, and this time, there were no delays—it's here and ready to impress.

A 2 Billion Parameter Model for Consumer Devices

According to the official blog by Stability AI, the SD3 Medium model consists of 2 billion parameters, capable of generating higher quality, more detailed images. Due to its relatively small size, SD3 Medium is especially suitable for running on consumer PCs, laptops, and enterprise GPUs.

This makes it a potential new standard for text-to-image models, bringing professional-quality AI art generation to everyday users.

Key Features of SD3 Medium

High-Quality Image Generation

SD3 Medium successfully overcomes common issues with hands and faces, providing high-quality images without complex workflows. Innovations such as the 16-channel VAE enable stunning image detail and realism.

Understanding Complex Prompts

The model can comprehend complex prompts involving spatial relationships, compositional elements, actions, and styles. This is particularly beneficial for artists and designers needing to convey intricate ideas through text prompts.

Text Generation Capabilities

SD3 Medium excels in text generation, producing text without spelling errors or awkward formatting. The Diffusion Transformer architecture ensures accurate and natural text generation.

Low VRAM Usage

SD3 Medium is ideal for standard consumer GPUs, without performance degradation. This makes it very user-friendly for hobbyists and small businesses.

Detail Absorption

The model can absorb nuanced details from small datasets, making it perfect for customization. This is a significant advantage for users aiming to create unique and personalized content.

Stability and Optimization

Stability AI invested significant effort into training SD3 Medium, utilizing synthetic data and curated public datasets. The pre-training involved a massive dataset of 1 billion images, while fine-tuning focused on 30 million high-quality aesthetic images and an additional 3 million preference-based images.

Moreover, Stability AI has collaborated with NVIDIA and AMD to optimize the model's performance. The TensorRT-optimized version of SD3 Medium, leveraging NVIDIA® RTX™ GPUs, promises up to a 50% performance increase.

AMD has optimized inference for SD3 Medium on various devices, including the latest APUs and MI-300X enterprise GPUs, making high-quality generative AI more accessible than ever.

Safety and Responsible Use

As with any powerful technology, the potential for misuse is a significant concern. Stability AI is keenly aware of this and has implemented stringent safety measures to prevent the generation of harmful or biased content. The company conducted extensive internal and external testing to ensure the model does not produce inappropriate content.

Open and Commercial Licensing

In line with their mission to democratize AI technology, Stability AI has released SD3 Medium under an open non-commercial license. Researchers, developers, and enthusiasts can freely explore and experiment with the model.

For commercial applications, Stability AI offers a low-cost Creator License, and large-scale commercial users can contact Stability AI directly to discuss enterprise licensing options.

How to Get Started

Try SD3 Medium Online

If you are looking for a free Stable Diffusion 3 Medium that can instantly transform your text prompts into stunning images online, try our online generator.

Try SD3 Medium Online

Download the Model Weights

Try SD3 Medium via API and Applications

API Access

Access SD3 Medium through the Stability AI API powered by Fireworks AI. Sign up for the API to integrate SD3 Medium into your applications and workflows.

Stable Assistant

Use the Stable Assistant chatbot for an interactive experience with SD3 Medium. Sign up for a free three-day trial to explore the model's capabilities.

Stable Artisan on Discord

Join the Stability AI Discord community and use Stable Artisan to test SD3 Medium. Engage with other users and share your creations within the community.

Looking Ahead: Future Plans and Innovations

Stability AI is not resting on its laurels with the release of SD3 Medium. The company has ambitious plans to continue improving the model based on user feedback and advancements in AI research.

Future updates are expected to enhance performance, introduce new features, and expand the model's capabilities, setting new standards for creativity in AI-generated art.

Conclusion

The launch of Stable Diffusion 3 Medium represents a significant advancement in the field of generative AI. With its impressive capabilities, accessibility, and commitment to safety, SD3 Medium is poised to become a vital tool for a wide range of users.

Whether you're an artist looking to push the boundaries of your creative projects, a developer exploring new AI applications, or a business seeking to leverage advanced AI technology, SD3 Medium offers unparalleled opportunities.

Ready to Try SD3 Medium?

Start creating stunning AI art with Stable Diffusion 3 Medium today. Perfect for consumer devices and beginner-friendly.

Try SD3 Medium Free