Leonardo.ai
Cappy’s Quick Take
| At a glance | Details |
|---|---|
| What it is | An AI image and video generator with a large choice of models and fine creative control |
| Pricing | Freemium · Essential $10/month · Premium $24/month · Ultimate $48/month (annual billing) |
| Free plan | Yes, 150 fast tokens a day, with public creations |
| Works with | Web and mobile apps, plus a separate API for developers |
| Best for | Creators who want lots of models and control in one place |
| Cappy Score | 4.2/5 |
What is Leonardo.ai?
Leonardo.ai is an AI image and video generator. It gives you a choice of more than 80 models, including Leonardo’s own and models from other AI companies, so you can pick the right one for photos, illustrations, concept art or design work.
It runs on fast tokens. The free plan refills a small daily allowance, while paid plans give a monthly allowance and let unused tokens roll over into a token bank. Premium and Ultimate add unlimited relaxed generation on selected models.
Leonardo has been owned by Canva since 2024, and it’s especially popular with game artists, concept designers and content creators.
Key features
- 80+ models: choose from Leonardo’s own models and outside models.
- Image and video: create images and short videos in one app.
- Personal AI models: train models on your own images (10 on Essential, more on higher plans).
- Token bank: unused monthly tokens roll over, up to a cap.
- Relaxed generation: unlimited generation on selected models on Premium and Ultimate.
- Private creations: keep your work private on every paid plan.
Pricing plans
| Plan | Price | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Trying Leonardo with 150 fast tokens a day |
| Essential | $10/month billed annually, or $12 billed monthly | Hobbyists who want 8,500 tokens a month and private creations |
| Premium | $24/month billed annually, or $30 billed monthly | Active creators who want 25,000 tokens and relaxed image generation |
| Ultimate | $48/month billed annually, or $60 billed monthly | Professionals who need 60,000 tokens and relaxed video generation |
Which plan should you pick? Start on Free to learn how many tokens your prompts use. Choose Essential for private images and a monthly pool, or Premium if you generate a lot, since its relaxed mode keeps you working after your tokens run out.
Leonardo.ai free plan: what you get
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Fast tokens | 150 a day, refilled daily |
| Creations | Public |
| Private creations | Paid plans only |
| Relaxed generation | Premium and Ultimate only |
The catch: Token costs vary a lot by model and settings. Premium outside models and video cost far more than basic images, so 150 daily tokens may only cover a handful of high-quality images.
Who is Leonardo.ai for?
- Game artists: create characters, textures and concept art.
- Content creators: make images and short clips for social media.
- Hobbyists: experiment daily with a free allowance.
- Designers: compare several AI models in one place.
Consider something else if you want simple, predictable pricing per image, or a single model you never need to configure.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Large choice of AI models in one app
- Free daily tokens
- Unused paid tokens roll over
- Images and video in one subscription
Cons
- Token costs differ by model and are hard to predict
- Free creations are public
- Relaxed mode only covers selected models
- Many settings to learn
Leonardo.ai alternatives
| Tool | Why consider it |
|---|---|
| Midjourney | Highly artistic images with unlimited Relax mode |
| Ideogram | Accurate text in images |
| Adobe Firefly | Built for commercial use and works with Adobe apps |
| Recraft | Vector graphics and brand styles |
How to get started with Leonardo.ai
- Sign up free at leonardo.ai.
- Open the image tool and pick a model.
- Write a prompt and check the token cost before generating.
- Download or refine your images, or turn one into a video.
Tip: The token cost shows before you generate. Try a cheaper model for drafts, then switch to a premium model for the final image.
Frequently asked questions
Is Leonardo.ai free?
Yes. The free plan gives you 150 fast tokens a day. Your creations are public on the free plan.
How much does Leonardo.ai cost?
Essential costs $12, Premium $30 and Ultimate $60 a month. Billed yearly, they cost $10, $24 and $48 a month.
Do unused Leonardo tokens roll over?
On paid plans, yes. Unused tokens go into a token bank, up to 25,500 on Essential, 75,000 on Premium and 180,000 on Ultimate. Free daily tokens don’t carry over.
Can Leonardo.ai make videos?
Yes. You can create short videos from prompts or images. Video uses more tokens than images, and unlimited relaxed video on selected models is only on Ultimate.