Question 1

Is PlateAI free to use?

Accepted Answer

Designing and previewing is free with no sign-up. You pay a one-time $19 fee only when you download your finished menu without the watermark.

Question 2

What does the $19 unlock?

Accepted Answer

A single one-time payment (no subscription) removes the watermark and unlocks downloads: high-resolution images, a print-ready PDF menu, and the full ZIP pack.

Question 3

Do I need design skills?

Accepted Answer

No. Paste your menu as plain text and PlateAI writes descriptions and lays it out using nine print templates and menu-engineering principles.

Question 4

How are the food photos made?

Accepted Answer

PlateAI uses Google Gemini image models to generate realistic restaurant-grade food photography from your dish descriptions, with selectable styling looks.

Question 5

Can I self-host PlateAI for free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. PlateAI is open source. Clone the repository, add your own Google Gemini API key, and run it yourself with no watermark and no fees.