Leonardo AI
Powerful image generation with fine-tuned control
Overview
Leonardo AI sits between the ease of DALL·E and the artistic ceiling of Midjourney, offering more technical control without requiring Midjourney's learning curve.
The standout feature is Model Fine-Tuning — train Leonardo on your own images to create a custom AI model that generates consistent output in your specific visual style.
The free tier is notably generous — 150 daily tokens allows meaningful exploration before any payment is required.
Leonardo AI hits the sweet spot between quality, control and affordability. The free tier alone makes it worth exploring.
Scores
Leonardo AI category scores
How it compares overall
Key features
Model Fine-Tuning
Train custom AI models on your own images — consistent on-brand imagery at scale.
Advanced Controls
Precise control over guidance scale, steps, dimensions and samplers.
Character Consistency
Maintain the same character across multiple generations.
Image-to-Image
Use existing images as a starting point and generate variations.
Generous Free Tier
150 daily tokens — enough to generate 30-50 images per day for free.
Motion (Video)
Animate static images into short video clips.
Pricing
Free
- 150 tokens/day
- Public models
- Watermark on some
- Basic generation
Apprentice
- 8,500 tokens/month
- Fine-tuning
- Remove watermarks
- Priority queue
Artisan
- 25,000 tokens/month
- More fine-tuning
- Private generations
- Faster queue
Pros & cons
What works
- Most generous free tier of any serious image tool
- Model fine-tuning for custom branded imagery
- Strong character consistency
- Image-to-image and canvas editing
- Active development — new features regularly
- Good for beginners and advanced users
What to watch
- Quality ceiling below Midjourney for artistic work
- Token system can be confusing
- Fine-tuning requires quality training images
- Interface can feel complex for simple tasks
How Leonardo AI compares
| Feature | Leonardo AI | Midjourney | DALL·E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Tier Quality | Excellent | Good | Basic |
| Fine-Tuning | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Artistic Quality | Very Good | Best-in-class | Good |
| Ease of Use | Good | Moderate | Easiest |
| Video Generation | Basic | ✗ | ✗ |
Best for
Reviewed: April 2026. Scores and pricing are checked periodically — see our methodology. Pricing can change after publication, so always confirm current plans on Leonardo AI's site before buying.