Leonardo AI Review (2025)

Leonardo AI Review (2025): My Honest Experience with This Game-Changing Creative Tool

When I first heard about Leonardo AI, I thought it was just another addition to the growing list of AI art generators. Midjourney, DALL·E, and Stable Diffusion were already making waves. But I’m a curious soul, especially when it comes to tools that claim to save time and boost creativity. So I gave Leonardo AI a try—and after weeks of experimenting, testing, and creating, I can say this tool is not just another name in the AI space. It’s a serious contender.

In this review, I’ll take you through everything you need to know about Leonardo AI. I’ll share my personal experience, what makes it different, what I loved (and didn’t love), and whether it’s worth your time and money. If you’re a digital creator, designer, YouTuber, or someone who just wants to generate eye-catching visuals effortlessly, this review is for you.

What Is Leonardo AI?

If you’ve ever wished you could turn your ideas into visuals without spending hours on Photoshop—or paying a designer for every small project—then Leonardo AI might be the tool you’ve been looking for.

At its core, Leonardo is an AI image generator that uses machine learning and diffusion models to create everything from concept art to product mockups. You type in a prompt, and it transforms your words into polished illustrations, game assets, or even branding material.

The big difference? Unlike generic art generators, Leonardo has a strong focus on asset generation for games, character design, and creative workflows. It also comes with real-time editing tools, custom models, and even a canvas editor for hands-on control.

In simple terms, think of it as the sweet spot between Midjourney’s quality, Canva’s ease of use, and Photoshop’s flexibility—all in one platform.

Why I Decided to Try Leonardo AI

I’ve been running a content creation business for a while, and more recently, I started a YouTube channel that mixes storytelling with tech for kids. Naturally, visuals are a big part of my work. But here’s the catch—stock photos often look too plain, and hiring designers regularly just isn’t realistic.

When I saw other creators praising Leonardo for generating game assets, posters, character art, and even book illustrations, I figured it was worth a shot. Plus, with a free plan available, I had nothing to lose.

And honestly? The idea of having my own AI-powered design assistant sounded too good to ignore.

First Impressions: Interface & Onboarding

Signing up was painless—I used my Google account, and within minutes I was exploring the platform. My first reaction? The Leonardo AI interface feels clean, fast, and welcoming, even for beginners.

Here’s what stood out during onboarding:

• A simple dashboard to enter prompts
• Options to pick styles and models
• Flexible canvas sizes
• Advanced controls like CFG scale and sampling steps

What I love most is that, unlike Midjourney (which runs inside Discord), Leonardo is fully web-based. No confusing commands, no bots—just a smooth, direct workflow.

There’s also a public gallery filled with images, templates, and styles that you can remix or draw inspiration from. For someone who learns by seeing examples, that was a huge plus.

Key Features That Impressed Me

Here’s where things got interesting. After playing around with it for a while, these are the Leonardo AI features that genuinely improved my workflow:

1. Pre-trained Models

Leonardo provides several specialized models, including:

• RPG 4.0 (fantastic for game assets)
• Leonardo Diffusion XL
• DreamShaper
• 3D Animation Style

Each one creates a different type of visual. I loved switching between realistic renders and anime-style art depending on the project.

2. Canvas Editor

This is a game-changer. Imagine you generate an image but don’t like one section—maybe the face, or the background. With the canvas editor, you can erase and regenerate just that part. It’s basically Photoshop mixed with AI magic.

3. AI Image Upscaler

For creators who need sharp images for HD videos, prints, or posters, the upscaler is a lifesaver. It enhances resolution while keeping details intact.

4. Style Customization

This feature quickly became my favorite. I built and saved my own “storybook” style for my YouTube thumbnails. Being able to reuse custom styles means my channel now has a consistent, recognizable look.

Image Quality & Output

At the end of the day, the real question is: how good are the images that Leonardo AI actually produces?

I’ve tested most of the popular AI art generators out there, and honestly, Leonardo’s results can hold their own against giants like Midjourney. The images stand out in terms of:

• Lighting balance
• Depth and perspective
• Color harmony
• Texture quality

For example, when I wanted a watercolor-style painting of Krishna for a children’s story, Leonardo nailed the details beautifully. On another day, I experimented with a 3D render of a magical forest, and the results were just as stunning.

One area where I was genuinely surprised? Hands and eyes. Most AI tools struggle with these finer details—fingers look awkward, eyes seem lifeless—but Leonardo’s newer models are clearly improving. The outputs looked much more natural, which makes them more practical for real-world use.

I also tried creating a few cartoon-style characters, some for my blog and others for printable coloring sheets. To my surprise, the results weren’t just “good enough”—they were publish-ready without heavy editing.

Use Cases: How I Used Leonardo AI in My Work

It’s one thing to talk about features, but the real value of Leonardo AI showed up when I put it to work in my own projects. Here’s where it made the biggest difference:

a) YouTube Thumbnails

For my Tiny Twinkle Tales channel, I wanted thumbnails that felt like pages out of a storybook—bright, whimsical, and unique. With Leonardo, I was able to generate storybook-style thumbnails that looked far more engaging than generic cartoon stock images. The click-through rate on my videos even improved.

b) Children’s Book Illustrations

I wrote a short 10-page story and decided to test Leonardo as my illustrator. Every single picture—backgrounds, characters, and props—was generated within two hours. Normally, creating or outsourcing artwork like that would take me a week or more. The speed and quality honestly blew me away.

c) Blog Featured Images

I’ve retired stock photos for good. Instead, I now use Leonardo to create on-brand featured images that align with the exact tone of my blog posts. No more scrolling through endless stock libraries that never quite fit.

d) Product Mockups

For one of my side projects, I needed packaging concepts and promotional posters. Canva has been my go-to for years, but Leonardo offered a level of realistic product mockups that Canva just can’t match. The end result looked professional enough to pitch to clients without extra editing.

Pros and Cons – No Sugarcoating

No tool is perfect, and I always like to keep things honest. Here’s where Leonardo AI shines and where it still has some catching up to do.

✅ Pros:

• Web-based – no Discord setup required.
• Free plan available – with a surprisingly generous token system.
• High-quality image outputs – great lighting, textures, and composition.
• Customization options – pre-trained models, personal styles, and the Canvas tool.
• Versatile use cases – works for thumbnails, game art, product design, and posters.
• Community hub – a place to remix, share, and learn from other creators.

❌ Cons:

• Token limits – the free plan can run out quickly if you generate a lot.
• Occasional slowness – especially when generating batches of 8 images.
• Prompt sensitivity – even small wording changes can give very different results.
• No mobile app (yet) – works best on desktop or laptop.

Comparison with Midjourney and DALL·E

Here’s my unfiltered take after using all three:

In short:

• If you want more control and customization, Leonardo is the stronger choice.
• If you just want breathtaking visuals with almost no effort, Midjourney still has a slight edge.
• DALL·E feels more like a quick, casual tool rather than a creative partner.

Who Should Use Leonardo AI?

I’d recommend Leonardo AI for:

• Content creators who need fast, unique visuals
• YouTubers designing thumbnails and storytelling graphics
• Game developers building characters, icons, or in-game assets
• Small business owners creating ads, posters, or mockups
• Bloggers who want to stand out with original images
• Teachers or parents making engaging learning materials for kids

Even if you’re not a designer, Leonardo gives you the feeling of being one.https://app.leonardo.ai/buy

Pricing Plans: Free vs Paid

Like most platforms, Leonardo uses a token-based pricing system. Every image costs a certain number of tokens, depending on the resolution and settings.

👉 Check the latest Leonardo AI pricing plans here

Free Plan Includes:

• 150 tokens per day
• Access to most models
• Basic Canvas tools

Paid Plans (starting around ₹999/month or $10):

• Thousands of tokens per month (up to 8000+)
• Faster image generation
• Priority access to new models
• Commercial usage rights for selling or publishing your work

For casual creators, the free plan is enough to experiment and build workflows. I personally upgraded to the Pro plan after a month, and it’s been worth every penny.

Final Verdict: Is Leonardo AI Worth It?

If you ask me—yes, absolutely.

What sets Leonardo apart is the balance between power and ease of use. It lets you go from idea to image in just minutes, without feeling like you’re wrestling with complicated tools.

In my own work, I’ve cut design time by more than half. My content looks sharper, my YouTube channel has a consistent visual identity, and honestly—I’ve had more fun creating.

Whether you’re building a brand, writing stories, designing games, or simply experimenting with AI art, Leonardo gives you the tools to work smarter, not harder. And for me, that’s the sign of a great tool.

FAQs: What I Wish I Knew Before Trying Leonardo AI

Q: Is Leonardo AI completely free?
A: It has a generous free plan, but for heavy use, you’ll likely need a paid plan.

Q: Can I sell the images I create?
A: Yes—on paid plans, you get commercial usage rights.

Q: Can I train my own AI model?
A: Not exactly, but you can create and save custom styles for reuse.

Q: Does it support editing parts of an image?
A: Yes! The Canvas editor lets you redraw or refine specific areas.

Q: Is there a mobile app?
A: Not yet—right now, Leonardo works best on a laptop or desktop.hts