How to Use Leonardo AI: Complete Guide for 2026 (Free + Paid)
This Leonardo AI tutorial is built on extensive hands-on testing — generating images for YouTube thumbnails, comparing models side by side, and systematically working through the platform’s free token limits. One pattern becomes clear quickly: most beginner guides on this Leonardo AI image generator are at least partially outdated. They list models that are no longer the flagship. They quote image-per-day estimates that only hold at the cheapest settings. Almost none mention that free-plan images are visible to the public by default — a critical detail for anyone generating content for professional or client-facing work.
This guide corrects all of that. Whether you are new to Leonardo AI for beginners content, an experienced digital art creator seeking more control, or a professional trying to extract maximum value from 150 daily free tokens — this is the complete, accurate, and fully updated resource on how to use Leonardo AI in 2026.
📋 Table of Contents
- What is Leonardo AI?
- Step 1 — Create Your Free Account
- Step 2 — Understand the Dashboard
- Step 3 — Generate Your First Image
- Step 4 — Choose the Right AI Model
- Step 5 — Key Settings Explained
- What the Free Plan Actually Gives You
- Step 6 — Write Better Prompts
- Step 7 — Download Your Image
- How to Use the Canvas Editor
- Leonardo AI Video Generation
- Pro Tips for Better Results
- Is Leonardo AI Safe?
- Pricing: Free vs Paid Plans
- Leonardo vs Midjourney vs ChatGPT
- Can I Use Images Commercially?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is Leonardo AI? Quick Start Overview
Leonardo AI is a browser-based AI image generator that turns text descriptions into images in seconds. What separates it from simpler tools is the degree of control it provides — a library of distinct AI models trained for different styles, fine-tunable settings, a built-in Canvas editor, image-to-image generation, AI video tools, and optional model training. All from one interface, with no software to install. It is one of the most capable generative AI platforms available today for both digital art and commercial visual content.
Image Generation Digital Art AI Video Canvas Editor Image Upscaling Custom Model Training Image-to-Image iOS App Android App
This Leonardo AI for beginners guide is relevant for digital artists, content creators, social media managers, game developers, bloggers, and complete newcomers. No design experience is required. If you can describe what you want in words, Leonardo can generate it. The free plan is genuinely usable — not just a trial — though it comes with important limitations covered in full below.
Step 1 — Create Your Free Leonardo AI Account
Sign Up at leonardo.ai
- Open your browser and go to leonardo.ai
- Click the “Get Started Free” button on the homepage
- Sign up with your Google account, Apple ID, or email — all free, no card required
- If you used email, verify it via the confirmation link sent to your inbox
- Complete the short onboarding questions — takes about 30 seconds
- You are now inside the dashboard with 150 tokens ready to use
Step 2 — Understand the Leonardo AI Dashboard
The first time you log in, the dashboard can feel overwhelming. Here is what each section actually does:
- Home — Includes a quick-generate prompt box right on the page. Also shows featured community images and guides for inspiration.
- Image Creation — The main generation workspace. This is where most of your time will be spent as a beginner.
- Canvas — An advanced editor for refining, extending, or selectively repainting generated images. Covered in full further below.
- Library / Personal Feed — Every image you generate is saved here automatically. Accessible from the left sidebar.
- Community Feed — Public images generated by other users, with their exact prompts visible. One of the most underused learning resources inside the platform.
- Token Counter — Shows remaining daily tokens in the top right corner. The exact cost of your current settings is also displayed directly on the Generate button before you click.
Step 3 — Generate Your First Image
Create Your First AI Image
- Click Image Creation in the left sidebar — or use the prompt box directly on the Home page
- Type your image description in the prompt bar at the top
- Review the settings in the left panel — model, preset style, dimensions
- Check the Generate button — it shows the exact token cost for your current settings before you click
- Click the orange Generate button
- Your images appear below the prompt bar — typically within seconds in Fast mode
- Hover over any result to see options: Download, Upscale, Edit, Convert to Video
A beginner-friendly prompt to copy and try right now:
Step 4 — Choose the Right AI Model (Updated June 2026)
Leonardo’s biggest advantage over simpler tools is its library of distinct AI models. Each one is trained differently and produces noticeably different results — choosing the right model makes more difference to output quality than most beginners realise. Leonardo operates as a multi-model hub: it offers its own first-party models alongside integrated third-party models (like Veo 3, Ideogram 3.0) all accessible from the same interface. Whether you are creating digital art, photorealistic product images, or animated video clips, there is a dedicated model for the task.
First-Party Leonardo Models
| Model | Best For | Beginner? |
|---|---|---|
| Lucid Origin ⭐ Flagship | Leonardo’s most versatile model. Delivers vibrant, diverse imagery in stunning Full HD output with strong prompt adherence and legible text rendering. Covers a wide stylistic range — from photorealism to illustration, graphic design, and cinematic scenes. | ✅ Yes — best starting point for most creative work |
| Lucid Realism | Purpose-built for true-to-life photorealistic output — portraits, commercial photography, and detailed environments. Engineered to make images look like they came from a camera, with accurate skin tones, natural depth of field, and realistic lighting. Also pairs well with image-to-video workflows. | ✅ Yes — use for product shots, portraits, or anything needing camera-like realism |
| Phoenix 2.0 (released early 2026) | Advanced Prompt Adherence Model. Optimised for complex, multi-element scenes and character consistency. Includes improved Consistent Character Engine support — maintains a character’s identity across different poses and scenes without retraining. Approximately 30% faster than Phoenix 1.0. | ✅ Yes — use when precise, complex prompts need to be followed exactly |
| Phoenix 1.0 | The original foundational model. ~95% prompt adherence for complex descriptions. Strong at rendering legible text inside images. Solid all-rounder that handles most styles well. Still widely used alongside Phoenix 2.0. | ✅ Yes |
| Kino XL | Optimised specifically for cinematic, film-like outputs. Excels at wider aspect ratios and dramatic, theatrical compositions. Best for movie poster aesthetics and scene-based imagery. | ✅ Yes — great for cinematic content |
| Leonardo Diffusion XL | General-purpose high-quality images. Versatile across most styles. Produces strong outputs even from short, simple prompts. | ✅ Yes |
| Leonardo Anime XL | Anime, manga, and stylised character art. Best in class for illustrated Japanese-style digital art and character illustration. | ✅ Yes |
| FLUX Schnell | Speed-optimised open-weight model. Good quality at lower token cost. Best for rapid prototyping and volume generation. | ✅ Yes — ideal for fast ideation |
| FLUX Dev | Open-weight model with high photorealism and strong detail. More control than Schnell, slightly more complex. Note: Elements (custom LoRA models) trained on FLUX Dev are compatible only with FLUX Dev presets, not with Phoenix presets. | ⚠️ Intermediate |
Notable Third-Party Models (Available on Leonardo)
Leonardo also integrates third-party models from other providers, accessible from the same dashboard for additional token cost. These include:
| Model | Best For | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ideogram 3.0 | Typography specialist. Best-in-class for legible, correctly spelled text inside images — far ahead of diffusion models for posters, T-shirt designs, logos, and book covers. Also strong for 2D graphic design. | ⚠️ Always uses tokens — not eligible for Relaxed Generation |
| Seedream 4.0 | Native 4K generation (no upscaler needed). Excellent for commercial product photography — perfume bottles, cosmetics, high-end tech where sharpness and polished lighting matter. | ⚠️ Always uses tokens |
| Nano Banana / Nano Banana Pro | Strong logical scene understanding and precise editing. Excellent at text rendering and data visualisation. Good free-tier alternative for certain tasks. | ⚠️ Always uses tokens |
| GPT-Image-1.5 | OpenAI’s latest image model, integrated into Leonardo’s platform. Good for mimicking specific artistic styles and clear literal outputs. Improved over GPT-Image-1. | ⚠️ Always uses tokens |
| LTX-2 Pro / LTX-2 Fast | Fast, token-efficient image generation. Suitable for quick prototypes and high-volume outputs with solid quality. | ⚠️ Always uses tokens |
| Flux.1 Kontext / Flux.2 Pro | High photorealism and instruction-based image editing. Strong for iterating on portrait or product photography with precise edits. | ⚠️ Always uses tokens |
Step 5 — Key Settings Explained
The left panel in Image Creation holds several settings that shape your output. Here is what each one does and what to set as a beginner:
- Generation Mode — Fast or Ultra. Fast uses fewer tokens and generates quickly — ideal for experimenting. Ultra produces higher-fidelity, more detailed images but costs significantly more tokens per generation. Start with Fast while you refine your prompt, then switch to Ultra for the final polished version. The exact token cost for each mode is shown on the Generate button before you click.
- AI Preset — Applies a visual style overlay: Cinematic, Anime, Photography, Illustration, Dynamic, or None. Pick whatever matches your goal, or leave it on None to let your prompt alone determine the look.
- Image Dimensions — Sets the aspect ratio. Use 1:1 for social posts, 16:9 for YouTube thumbnails and website banners, 9:16 for Instagram Stories or phone wallpapers.
- Number of Images — How many variations to generate per prompt. Set to 2 as a beginner — it conserves tokens while still giving you options to compare. Scale up once you know your prompt is working.
- Negative Prompt — Tell the AI what you do not want in the image. One of the most powerful settings available. Very effective at removing common AI artefacts: extra fingers, blurry faces, text distortion, unnatural skin.
- Private Mode — Hides generated images from the public Community Feed. This is a paid feature only. On the free plan, every image generated is publicly visible by default.
What Leonardo AI’s Free Plan Actually Gives You
Most guides describe the free plan only in terms of what you get. What is equally important — and rarely covered — is what you do not get. Here is the complete picture.
- 150 tokens per day — resets every 24 hours, no rollover
- Access to most core first-party models including Lucid Origin, Lucid Realism, Phoenix 1.0, and Phoenix 2.0
- Fast mode and Ultra mode image generation
- Canvas editor access (Inpaint, Outpaint, Sketch-to-Image)
- Community Feed — browse and learn from other users’ prompts
- Personal image library (all generations saved)
- Mobile access via the iOS app (App Store) and Android app (Google Play)
- Private generation is not available. Your images are public by default — anyone browsing the Community Feed can see them.
- Full image ownership is not included. Leonardo retains the right to use and distribute images generated on the free plan.
- No Consistent Character Engine. This feature — which maintains a character’s visual identity across multiple generations — is locked to paid plans.
- No custom model (LoRA/Elements) training. Training your own fine-tuned models requires a paid plan.
- No priority queue. Free users have lower generation priority. During peak hours, waits can be significantly longer than usual.
- No API access. The developer API is a paid-only feature.
- Commercial rights are limited. While casual commercial use may technically be permitted under the non-exclusive licence, the free plan is not suitable for confidential client work or proprietary brand assets.
| Action | Approx. Token Cost | Free Daily Budget (150 tokens) |
|---|---|---|
| Standard image — Fast mode (basic model) | 4–6 tokens | ~25–37 images/day |
| Standard image — Fast mode (advanced model) | 10–30 tokens | ~5–15 images/day |
| Higher quality — Ultra mode | 15–25+ tokens | ~6–10 images/day |
| Image-to-Image guidance | Varies by model + complexity | Check Generate button |
| Video generation | Significantly higher (e.g. ~2,500 tokens for a 5-sec Veo 3 clip) | Not practical on free plan |
| Upscaling | Additional tokens | Check Generate button |
Step 6 — How to Write Better Prompts
Output quality depends roughly 80% on how well the prompt is written. Most beginners get vague or generic results not because Leonardo is weak, but because short prompts give the model too much to interpret. The following structure fixes that.
The Simple Prompt Formula
Bad Prompt vs Good Prompt — Real Examples
Power Words to Add to Any Prompt
- Quality: 4K, ultra HD, highly detailed, sharp focus, masterpiece, award winning
- Lighting: golden hour, studio lighting, dramatic lighting, soft natural light, cinematic backlight, volumetric light
- Style: photorealistic, cinematic, oil painting, watercolor, anime, concept art, flat vector illustration, digital art
- Camera feel: shallow depth of field, bokeh, wide angle lens, close-up portrait, macro photography, 85mm lens
Step 7 — Download Your Generated Image
Save Your Image
- Once your image appears below the prompt bar, hover over it
- A toolbar appears with several options: Download, Upscale, Edit, Share, Convert to Video
- Click Download (downward arrow icon) — saves as a clean PNG file with no watermark
- Alternatively, click the image to open a full preview and right-click to save
- All images are automatically saved in your Library in the left sidebar — accessible any time
How to Use the Canvas Editor (Inpaint, Outpaint, Sketch-to-Image)
The Canvas editor is where Leonardo genuinely separates from simpler AI image generation tools. Most beginners walk right past it — which is a missed opportunity, because it is what allows you to turn a decent generation into a finished image. Canvas provides three main capabilities:
🎨 Inpaint — Fix a Specific Area
Select any region of a generated image by brushing over it, then regenerate just that area. Use Inpaint to fix a distorted face, replace an object, remove background clutter, or clean up extra fingers — without touching anything else in the image. This is the fastest way to polish an otherwise strong result.
🔲 Outpaint — Extend the Image
Expand the canvas beyond the original image borders and fill the new space with AI-generated content that matches the existing scene. Generated a portrait but need a wider crop for a banner? Outpaint adds the surrounding environment seamlessly. Very useful for adapting images to different aspect ratios.
✏️ Sketch-to-Image
Draw a rough composition — basic shapes, a stick figure layout, a rough scene — and Leonardo generates a polished image based on your structure. No drawing ability is required. Even a simple layout sketch gives you compositional control that text prompts alone cannot reliably achieve.
Leonardo AI Video Generation
Leonardo AI includes video generation capabilities that many beginners do not discover until much later. You can animate an existing still image or generate a short video clip from a text prompt — all from within the same platform.
Video models currently available on Leonardo include Kling Video 3.0 (the latest flagship video model) and Kling 2.6 (with native audio support), Veo 3, Veo 3.1, and Veo 3.1 Fast (Google’s video generation models), Seedance 1.0 Pro and Seedance 1.0 Pro Fast, and Leonardo’s own first-party Motion 1.0, Motion 2.0, and Motion 2.0 Fast models. The platform supports both text-to-video and image-to-video workflows — meaning you can start from scratch with a text prompt, or take a generated image and animate it.
To animate an existing image: hover over it in your Library and click Convert to Video from the hover toolbar. Select a video model and generation settings before confirming.
Pro Tips to Get Better Results on Leonardo AI
- Save prompts that work. When a generation comes out right, immediately copy the prompt to a notes file. Over time this builds a personal prompt library that is worth more than any individual image. Organise it by style — portrait, landscape, product, digital art, illustration.
- Mine the Community Feed. Every public image shows the exact prompt, model, and settings used to create it. Ten minutes there teaches more about what actually works than any written guide — including this one.
- Generate 2 images per prompt, not 4. Generating 4 at once burns through tokens quickly. Start with 2, check whether the direction is correct, then either generate 2 more variations or refine your prompt first. Your daily token budget will go significantly further.
- Iterate in Fast mode, finish in Ultra. Fast mode costs a fraction of Ultra’s token cost. Use it while refining your prompt and getting the composition right. Once satisfied with the direction, switch to Ultra for the final high-quality version.
- Use Image Guidance for style consistency. Upload a reference image and Leonardo will match its style, colour palette, composition, or subject depending on the guidance strength you set. Essential for creating visual content across multiple images that need to feel cohesive — for example, images and videos across a brand campaign.
- Use FLUX Schnell for rapid ideation. It is the most token-efficient model for quick concept tests. Sketch out your idea with FLUX Schnell, then switch to Lucid Origin or Phoenix for the polished final version.
- Use Collections to stay organised. The Library fills up quickly. Create Collections from the sidebar and move images into them as you generate. If you are working on multiple separate projects, this prevents strong results from getting buried.
Is Leonardo AI Safe?
A fair question — especially for anyone using it in a work environment, with younger users, or for client-facing content. Leonardo AI has multiple content moderation layers in place:
- Prompt-level filtering — Certain keywords and prompt combinations are automatically flagged and blocked before generation starts. Most standard creative prompts are not affected.
- Output-level filtering — Generated images are reviewed and filtered to catch content that bypassed the prompt filter. This is an additional safety layer applied after generation.
- NSFW controls — Adult and explicit content is restricted by default. Users can configure their content preferences within account settings, subject to platform rules and account type.
- Community standards — Reported images can be reviewed and removed. The Community Feed is moderated.
- SOC 2 accreditation — Leonardo AI holds SOC 2 Type I and Type II certification, meaning its security practices have been independently audited. This matters if you are using the platform for business purposes.
Leonardo AI Pricing: Free vs Paid Plans
Leonardo offers four individual plans. The following table covers what each one costs and what it unlocks:
| Plan | Billed Annually | Billed Monthly | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 150 tokens/day · Public images only · No private mode · No API access · No character consistency or LoRA training · Non-exclusive commercial licence |
| Essential | ~$10/mo | ~$12/mo | ~8,500 tokens/month · Private generation · Consistent Character Engine · Custom LoRA/Elements training (1 slot/month) · Token Rollover Bank (up to 25,500 tokens) |
| Premium | ~$24/mo | ~$30/mo | ~25,000 fast tokens/month · Priority queue · Private generation · Full commercial usage rights & full image ownership · API access · Custom training (5 slots/month) · Unlimited Relaxed Generation on first-party models · Token Rollover Bank (up to 75,000 tokens) |
| Ultimate | ~$48/mo | ~$60/mo | ~60,000 fast tokens/month · All Premium features · Unlimited Relaxed Video Generation on Motion models · Custom training (50 slots) · Token Rollover Bank (up to 180,000 tokens) · Best for studios and high-volume professionals |
When is upgrading worth it? If you are generating images purely for personal use and can accept the 150 daily token limit and public images, the free plan is genuinely workable. If you need private generation — so your images are not publicly visible — the Essential plan ($12/month) is the minimum. For full image ownership and proper commercial usage rights, you need the Premium plan ($30/month) or above. Unused monthly tokens on paid plans carry over in a Token Rollover Bank (Essential: up to 25,500; Premium: up to 75,000; Ultimate: up to 180,000), so they do not go to waste as long as you stay subscribed.
Leonardo AI vs Midjourney vs ChatGPT Images (2026)
These three tools are frequently compared. The following table provides an accurate breakdown of the key differences:
| Feature | Leonardo AI | Midjourney | ChatGPT Images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 150 tokens/day (permanent free plan) | No free plan — paid only from $10/mo | Limited generations included with free ChatGPT; more with Plus |
| Interface | Web dashboard + iOS and Android apps | Discord-based | ChatGPT chat interface |
| Model variety | 15+ models (own + third-party hub: Flux, Ideogram, Veo, Kling, GPT-Image-1.5, LTX-2, Seedream, etc.) | Midjourney model family only | Single model (GPT Image) |
| Post-generation editing | Canvas: Inpaint, Outpaint, Sketch-to-Image, Omni Editing | Basic variation and remix tools | Conversational edits via chat |
| Image quality ceiling | Excellent (Lucid Origin, Phoenix) — strong for both digital art and photorealism | Excellent — strongest default artistic aesthetic | Good — best for clear, literal outputs |
| Private generation | From $12/mo (Essential) | From $60/mo (Pro plan) | Included with ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo) |
| Paid plan starting price | ~$10/mo (Essential, annual) | ~$10/mo (Basic) | Included in ChatGPT Plus (~$20/mo) |
| Video generation | Yes — Kling Video 3.0, Kling 2.6, Veo 3, Veo 3.1, Seedance, Motion models | No | No (as of mid-2026) |
| Custom model training | Yes — Elements/LoRA training from Essential plan | No | No |
| Best suited for | Control, volume, editing, beginners, developers | Artistic quality, stylised imagery | Ease of use, quick casual outputs |
Summary: For anyone new to AI image generation, Leonardo provides the best combination of free access, model variety, and editing capability to learn the craft properly. Leonardo also uniquely functions as a multi-model hub — from the same dashboard you can access images and videos through Veo 3, Ideogram 3.0, and Kling Video 3.0, which no other single platform currently offers. If raw artistic quality is the primary goal and you already know what you are doing, Midjourney is worth paying for — its default aesthetic is difficult to match. If you want minimal friction and already use ChatGPT daily, the built-in image tool is the path of least resistance for casual use.
Can I Use Leonardo AI Images Commercially?
This is one of the most important questions to get right. Most guides give either an oversimplified yes or a vague recommendation to check the terms. Here is exactly what applies, plan by plan:
⚠️ Free Plan — Limited Commercial Use
- You receive a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence — casual commercial use may technically be permitted, but Leonardo retains rights to use, reproduce, and distribute your images
- Images are public by default — visible to anyone on the Community Feed
- You do not have exclusive ownership of images generated on the free plan
- Not suitable for confidential client work, NDA projects, or proprietary brand assets
✅ Essential ($12/mo) — Private Generation Unlocked
- Images are no longer publicly visible — private mode available
- Suitable when confidentiality matters (internal projects, NDA work)
- Note: Full image ownership and commercial rights require Premium or above
✅ Premium ($30/mo) and Above — Full Commercial Rights
- Full image ownership — Leonardo does not retain distribution rights
- Private generation included
- Suitable for client work, paid brand projects, and commercial content at scale
- Proper commercial licensing confirmed for professional use
Practical guidance by use case:
- Personal blog / social media (free plan): Generally acceptable, but verify at leonardo.ai/terms — commercial rights on the free plan are not unambiguous
- YouTube thumbnails for your own channel (free plan): Generally fine for personal channels
- Confidential work / NDA projects: Essential plan minimum — you need private generation so images are not publicly visible
- Paid client work / freelance design projects: Premium plan minimum — you need full image ownership and commercial usage rights, not just privacy
- Print-on-demand / selling products with the image: Premium plan — the free plan’s non-exclusive licence and lack of ownership make this too risky
- Generating under NDA or with confidential content: Essential plan minimum for private generation; Premium for full ownership
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Leonardo AI completely free to use?
Yes — there is a permanent free plan with 150 tokens per day that resets every 24 hours. No credit card required. The free plan is genuinely functional for personal use and platform evaluation. That said, it has important limitations: your images are public by default, generation priority is lower than paid users, and you do not have full image ownership, the Consistent Character Engine, or custom model training.
Are my free Leonardo AI images public or private?
On the free plan, images are public by default. Anyone browsing the Community Feed can see them. Private generation — which keeps your images off the public feed — is available from the Essential plan ($12/month) and above. If you are generating anything confidential, for client work, or under NDA, you need at minimum the Essential plan.
What is the difference between Fast mode and Ultra mode on Leonardo AI?
Fast mode generates images quickly at a lower token cost — designed for experimenting and iterating. Ultra mode produces higher-fidelity images with more detail and better quality, but at a significantly higher token cost per generation. The exact token cost for each is shown on the Generate button before you click. The most efficient workflow is to refine your prompt using Fast mode, then switch to Ultra for the final version.
What is Lucid Origin in Leonardo AI?
Lucid Origin is Leonardo AI’s current flagship AI image generation model as of 2026. It is designed to be their most versatile model — supporting a wide range of visual styles from photorealism to illustration, digital art, graphic design, and cinematic scenes, all at Full HD resolution with strong prompt adherence and legible text rendering. For the strictest prompt adherence on complex multi-element scenes, Phoenix 2.0 is the better choice.
How many images can I generate for free on Leonardo AI per day?
You get 150 free tokens per day. The number of images this gives you depends on the model and settings chosen. At basic settings with efficient models (like FLUX Schnell), you can generate approximately 25–37 images per day. With flagship models like Lucid Origin or Phoenix at standard settings, you will typically get around 5–15 images per day. The precise cost for your current settings is always displayed on the Generate button before you click — that is the most accurate reference.
How long does image generation take on the free plan?
In Fast mode under normal conditions, generation typically takes a few seconds to under a minute. During peak hours, free-tier users have lower queue priority and waits can become significantly longer. Paid plans include priority queue access, which removes most of this delay. If you are on the free plan and generation seems very slow, try again at a different time of day.
Which Leonardo AI model is best for beginners?
Lucid Origin is the best starting point for most creative and digital art work — versatile, Full HD output, strong prompt adherence. Use Phoenix 2.0 (or Phoenix 1.0) when your prompt is very specific and complex, or when you need consistent characters across multiple generations. Use Ideogram 3.0 when you need reliably legible text or typography inside your image — it is the platform’s dedicated typography specialist and outperforms all other models for that task.
Does Leonardo AI add watermarks to downloaded images?
No. Leonardo AI does not add visible watermarks to images generated on either the free or paid plan. All downloads are clean PNG files.
Can I use Leonardo AI images commercially?
It depends on your plan and specific use case. Free-plan users receive a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence — however, Leonardo retains rights to use and distribute your images, and every image is public by default. For private generation (images hidden from public), the Essential plan ($12/month) is the minimum. For full image ownership and clear commercial usage rights, you need the Premium plan ($30/month) or above. Always verify at leonardo.ai/terms before any commercial use — especially paid client work.
How is Leonardo AI different from Midjourney?
Leonardo AI offers significantly more control and a wider feature set — multiple distinct AI models, a proper web dashboard, Canvas editing tools (Inpaint, Outpaint, Sketch-to-Image), video models (Kling, Veo, Seedance, Motion), custom model training, API access, and a functional free plan. Leonardo also functions as a multi-model hub, giving you access to Veo 3, Ideogram 3.0, Kling Video 3.0, GPT-Image-1.5, Seedream 4.0, LTX-2, and other third-party models from the same interface. Midjourney consistently produces images with a stronger default artistic aesthetic but operates through Discord, has no free plan, no post-generation editing canvas, and no model training. Leonardo is the better starting point for Leonardo AI for beginners and for professionals who need control and volume. Midjourney is worth considering when raw artistic quality is the top priority.
Does Leonardo AI have a mobile app?
Yes. Leonardo AI has official apps on both iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play). You can generate images, manage your library, and use core features from your phone or tablet. The apps sync with your account, so you can start a project on desktop and continue on mobile without losing progress.
Can I train my own AI model on Leonardo AI?
Yes. Custom model training (called “Elements” training) is available on paid plans — starting from 1 slot per month on Essential, up to 50 slots on Ultimate. You upload images in a specific style or of a specific subject, and Leonardo fine-tunes a model that generates images matching that style. Four training categories are available: Style, Character, Object, and Concept. Note: Elements trained on FLUX Dev are compatible only with FLUX Dev presets, not Phoenix or other models.
What is Relaxed Generation on Leonardo AI?
Relaxed Generation is a lower-priority generation queue available on Premium and Ultimate plans that lets you generate images on Leonardo’s first-party models (Lucid Origin, Lucid Realism, Phoenix 1.0, Phoenix 2.0, FLUX Dev, FLUX Schnell, and Motion models for Ultimate) without consuming Fast Tokens. It is not instant — processing time varies with demand — but it effectively means unlimited generation on those models as long as you can wait. Third-party models (Kling, Veo, Ideogram, Seedream, LTX-2, etc.) are never eligible for Relaxed Generation and always consume Fast Tokens.
🚀 Ready to Start Using Leonardo AI?
Go to leonardo.ai, sign up free, and generate your first image in under 2 minutes — no card needed. Bookmark CrixPix for more hands-on guides on AI tools, tested and fact-checked against live interfaces.
Read – Best Free AI Image Generator
Thanx for this tutorial its really very useful.