Hula is the Prequel team’s spin on the consumer AI playground. Selfie in, anime portrait out. Two selfies in, a stylised reel out. The catalogue runs through avatars, animated videos for reels, sticker packs, anime and cartoon styles, time-travel looks. The output quality is generally good, the trends are current, and the team ships new styles often. The friction is the same one most consumer AI apps land on, the showcase styles sit behind the Pro subscription, the free credits expire fast, and the trial auto-renews at a higher price after the first week.
We tested 7 Hula alternatives that cover the same jobs, AI avatars, anime portraits, photo-to-video, sticker packs, with cleaner pricing or deeper tools. Each pick targets one of Hula’s strengths and matches or beats it.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free tier | Starting price | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lensa | AI avatar packs | Yes, limited | Premium around $7.99/mo | Android, iOS |
| Remini | Photo restore plus AI styles | Yes, daily credits | Pro around $9.99/mo | Android, iOS |
| Pixverse | AI video templates and reels | Yes, daily credits | Pro from around $10/mo | Android, iOS, web |
| ToonMe | Cartoon and anime portraits | Yes, ad-supported | VIP around $4.99/mo | Android, iOS |
| FaceApp | Face transforms and aging | Yes, with limits | Pro around $4.99/mo | Android, iOS |
| Pika | Text and image to video | Yes, limited credits | From around $10/mo | Web, Android, iOS |
| Voilà AI Artist | Cartoon, Renaissance, 3D styles | Yes, ad-supported | Premium around $4.99/mo | Android, iOS |
Why people leave Hula
Free credits are thin. The first two or three outputs are free. The fourth prompts Pro. Most casual users hit the paywall in a single session.
Trial auto-renews to weekly Pro. The trial expires fast, and the cancel path requires several taps. Many users notice only at the second charge.
Showcase styles are Pro-only. The styles in the marketing screenshots are not in the free pool. The free pool rotates and is shallower.
Render queues slow at peak. Trending styles queue. Premium speeds up the queue but does not eliminate it.
No desktop or web export. Hula is mobile only. Any cross-device workflow has to round-trip through email or cloud storage.
The best Hula alternatives
Lensa, best for AI avatar packs
Lensa built the Magic Avatar category and still ships the cleanest stylised portrait packs. Upload selfies, get back dozens of styled portraits, oil painting, anime, cyberpunk, professional headshot. The retouch tools handle day-to-day selfie edits.
Lensa vs Hula on avatar pack quality is a clear win for Lensa. Hula’s avatars are part of a broader bundle. Lensa’s are the main feature.
Where it falls short: Avatar packs are paid one-offs on top of the subscription. Retouch can over-smooth at default settings.
Pricing:
- Free: Limited daily uses
- Premium: around $7.99 a month
- vs Hula: Pricier upfront for packs, sharper output
Migrating from Hula: Upload a batch of selfies to Lensa for an avatar pack. Use the retouch tools for everyday selfie edits.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The avatar specialist.
Remini, best for photo restore plus AI styles
Remini is the leader for AI enhance and restore, and the secondary feature set covers stylised portrait generation, AI baby, and a small set of AI video options. For users whose Hula sessions include any restoration of older photos, Remini covers more ground.
Remini vs Hula on stylised outputs is broadly even. Remini wins on enhance and restore. Hula wins on volume of fresh trending styles.
Where it falls short: Pro is needed for daily heavy use and for video enhance. Free trial auto-converts.
Pricing:
- Free: Daily credits
- Pro: around $9.99 a month
- vs Hula: Comparable monthly price, broader photo toolset
Migrating from Hula: Send any photo to Remini Enhance for restoration. Use the AI portraits and AI Baby features for stylised outputs.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The right pick for users who restore old photos in addition to chasing trends.
Pixverse, best for AI video templates and reels
Pixverse focuses on the AI video side that Hula covers as a secondary feature. Trending templates, hug, dance, time-travel, ageing, AI try-on, all ship with a more refined model and better template variety than Hula’s video section.
Pixverse vs Hula on AI video output is a clear win for Pixverse. Pixverse is video-first. Hula is avatar-first with video bolted on.
Where it falls short: Templates change as trends move. Pro is needed for higher resolution.
Pricing:
- Free: Daily credits
- Pro: from around $10 a month
- vs Hula: Comparable monthly price, sharper video output
Migrating from Hula: Open Pixverse, find a template close to the Hula video style, upload photos. Output quality is usually higher.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The direct video-side replacement.
ToonMe, best for cartoon and anime portraits
ToonMe turns a selfie into a cartoon, anime, vector, or hand-drawn portrait. The style library covers most of what Hula’s anime and cartoon section ships, sharper, with consistent face geometry. Sticker packs export cleanly to messaging apps.
ToonMe vs Hula on cartoon and anime output is a clear win for ToonMe. ToonMe is the specialist.
Where it falls short: No video output. Some styles are VIP only.
Pricing:
- Free: Several styles, ad-supported
- VIP: around $4.99 a month
- vs Hula: Cheaper, sharper outputs
Migrating from Hula: Use ToonMe for cartoon and anime portraits. Keep Hula only for video or unique styles ToonMe lacks.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The cartoon and anime specialist.
FaceApp, best for face transforms and aging
FaceApp is the face-filter reference. Aging, gender swap, hairstyle, smile, and expression filters consistently produce the most natural outputs in the category. Hula’s time-travel feature is roughly what FaceApp does, done better.
FaceApp vs Hula on face filters specifically is a clear win for FaceApp. The model is more refined and the outputs more natural.
Where it falls short: Pro is needed for most filters at full quality. Some users have raised privacy concerns about cloud processing.
Pricing:
- Free: Limited filters
- Pro: around $4.99 a month
- vs Hula: Cheaper Pro tier, sharper face filters
Migrating from Hula: Open selfies in FaceApp for age, gender, hairstyle, and smile filters. Pair with ToonMe for cartoon outputs.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The right pick for face filters and time-travel looks.
Pika, best for text and image to video
Pika is a general-purpose AI video generator with a strong image-to-video mode and a text-to-video mode that handles short narrative prompts well. For users whose Hula sessions include creating video from prompts rather than from a template, Pika is a closer fit.
Pika vs Hula on prompt-driven video is decisive. Pika handles arbitrary prompts. Hula is template-driven.
Where it falls short: Mobile app is newer and less polished. Credits run out fast.
Pricing:
- Free: Limited monthly credits
- Standard: from around $10 a month
- vs Hula: Comparable monthly price, much wider output range
Migrating from Hula: Upload photos to Pika and prompt the motion you want. Templates can be reproduced with a careful prompt.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The right pick for general AI video, not just templated motion.
Voilà AI Artist, best for cartoon, Renaissance, and 3D styles
Voilà AI Artist focuses on a curated set of art styles, cartoon, Renaissance, 3D Pixar-style, caricature, and turns selfies into clean stylised portraits. The output is consistent across faces and the free tier covers most casual use.
Voilà vs Hula on the specific art-style category is a clear win for Voilà. The model is purpose-built for these styles.
Where it falls short: No AI video. No general editor. Some styles are Premium-only.
Pricing:
- Free: Most styles, ad-supported, watermark
- Premium: around $4.99 a month
- vs Hula: Cheaper, narrower scope, sharper art styles
Migrating from Hula: Open selfies in Voilà for art-style portraits. Pair with Pixverse or Pika for video.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The art-style specialist for cartoon, Renaissance, and 3D.
How to choose
Pick Lensa for AI avatar packs. Pick ToonMe for cartoon and anime portraits. Pick FaceApp for face filters, aging, and time-travel looks. Pick Voilà for the curated art-style set.
Pick Pixverse if AI video templates were the main draw. Pick Pika if you want general image-to-video, not just templates. Pick Remini if you also restore old photos.
Stay on Hula only if the Prequel team’s specific style mix is exactly what you want and you are happy on the subscription.
FAQ
Is Hula free?
Hula offers a short free trial that auto-converts to a paid subscription. The free pool of styles is shallow and rotates. Showcase styles are Pro-only.
What is the best free Hula alternative?
For free outputs, ToonMe and Voilà AI Artist both offer generous free tiers with the most popular styles unlocked. FaceApp’s free tier covers the basic face filters.
Which app has the best AI avatars?
Lensa is the most cited for avatar pack quality. ToonMe wins for cartoon and anime portraits specifically. Both produce sharper outputs than Hula’s general avatar feature.
Can I cancel a Hula subscription?
Yes, through Google Play subscriptions or Apple ID subscriptions, depending on the store you bought through. Cancel at least 24 hours before the next renewal to avoid the next charge.
What is the best AI app for anime portraits?
ToonMe wins for anime portraits in independent comparisons. Voilà AI Artist is a strong runner-up for the broader cartoon and Renaissance styles.
