Description
Leonardo AI
Overview
Leonardo AI is a leading AI image, art, and video generation platform that combines powerful generative models with granular creative control. Initially designed for the gaming industry, it has evolved to serve creatives across all industries.
Founded in December 2022 by JJ Fiasson (CEO), Chris Gillis, and Jachin Bhasme in Sydney, Australia. Acquired by Canva in July 2024 (estimated ~$320M).
With 30M+ registered users, 2B+ images generated, 1.8M Discord members (3rd largest server in the world), Leonardo AI is one of the most popular image generation platforms on the market.
Canva Acquisition (July 2024)
- Buyer: Canva (valued at $26B)
- Estimated price: ~$320M (above $80M Series A valuation)
- Independent operation: Leonardo continues as a separate platform
- Integration: Phoenix technology powers Canva's "Dream Lab"
- Team: 120 people joined Canva
- 8th acquisition by Canva (after Affinity, Flourish, Kaleido, etc.)
Main Models
Leonardo Phoenix
Leonardo AI's first proprietary foundational model:
- Exceptional prompt adherence
- Coherent text in images (critical for advertising)
- Rapid iteration with Edit with AI
- Concept separation (colors, objects)
- Powers Canva Dream Lab
Other Available Models
| Model | Specialty |
|---|---|
| Flux Kontext | Precise element editing |
| Nano Banana / Pro | Photorealism, precision |
| Lucid Realism | Ultra-realism |
| SDXL | Stable, versatile |
| Anime models | Anime/manga styles |
| 3rd party models | Veo 3, Kling, Sora 2, etc. |
Main Features
Image Generation
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Text-to-Image | Prompts up to 1,000 characters |
| Image-to-Image | Use image as guide |
| Prompt Magic | Advanced generation control |
| Alchemy | Quality enhancements |
| Elements (LoRAs) | Styles as "seasonings" |
| PhotoReal | Enhanced photorealism |
Canvas and Editing
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| AI Canvas | Integrated Photoshop-like editor |
| Realtime Canvas | Draw and AI generates in real-time |
| Inpainting | Edit specific areas |
| Outpainting | Extend image borders |
| Background Removal | Remove backgrounds automatically |
| Universal Upscaler | Enhance resolution |
| Transparent PNG | Generate with transparent background |
Video and Motion
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Motion 1.0 | Animate static images |
| Motion 2.0 / Fast | Video from text, 720p |
| Veo 3, Kling, Sora 2 | 3rd party video models |
Advanced Workflows
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Flow State | Fast variation streaming |
| Realtime Gen | Images update as you type |
| Image Guidance (ControlNets) | Edge, pose, depth control |
| Character Reference | Character consistency |
| Blueprints | Pre-configured workflows (50+) |
Custom Models
- Train your own models with your images
- 10-50 models depending on plan
- Maintain consistent style for brand
Pricing (2025)
Individual Plans
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price | Tokens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | - | 150/day |
| Apprentice | $12 | $10/mo | 8,500/mo |
| Artisan Unlimited | $30 | $24/mo | 25,000/mo |
| Maestro Unlimited | $60 | $48/mo | 60,000/mo |
Features by Plan
| Feature | Free | Apprentice | Artisan | Maestro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokens | 150/day | 8,500/mo | 25,000/mo | 60,000/mo |
| Public generations | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Private generations | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Watermark | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Custom models | 0 | 10 | 20 | 50 |
| Concurrent jobs | 1 | 5 | 10 | More |
| Relaxed unlimited | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Video unlimited | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Token rollover | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Tokens and Credits
- Tokens = platform currency
- Cost varies by computational complexity
- Rollover Bank: unused tokens accumulate (up to 3x)
- Top-up packs: additional tokens that don't expire
- Relaxed Generation: unlimited but in slower queue
Teams
- Starting at $24/seat/mo
- Shared tokens
- Private generations
- Model sharing
- Team controls
API
- Usage-based pricing
- For developers and platforms
- Scalable and flexible
Integrations and Partnerships
Canva
- Dream Lab powered by Phoenix
- Magic Studio integration
- Access to 190M Canva users
Google Cloud
- Infrastructure partner
- Gemini and Vertex AI
- Scaling capabilities
Platforms
- iOS App (App Store)
- Web App (browser)
- API for developers
- Discord community (1.8M)
Use Cases
Game Development
- Concept art and characters
- 3D textures
- UI/UX assets
- Environments
- Props and objects
Marketing & Advertising
- Campaign visuals
- Social media content
- Thumbnails
- Ad creatives
- Product mockups
Design & Creative
- Moodboards
- Concept exploration
- Logo ideation
- Brand assets
- Illustrations
Architecture & Fashion
- Visualizations
- Concept design
- Material exploration
- Prototyping
Film & Animation
- Storyboards
- Concept posters
- Pre-production visuals
- Character design
PROS ✅
- Phoenix Model - Exceptional prompt adherence, legible text
- Realtime Canvas - Draw and AI generates in real-time
- Generous Free Tier - 150 daily tokens free
- Intuitive UI - Easy for beginners
- Custom Models - Train models with your style
- Canva Backing - Resources and stability
- 30M+ Users - Massive community
- Discord 1.8M - 3rd largest server
- Motion/Video - Animate static images
- Elements/LoRAs - Styles as "seasonings"
- API Available - For developers
- Relaxed Unlimited - Unlimited generations (Artisan+)
- Commercial Rights - Full ownership on paid plans
- Character Consistency - Maintain consistent characters
- Multi-platform - Web, iOS, API
CONS ❌
- Confusing Token System - Hard to estimate costs
- Premium Features Locked - Many behind paywall
- Limited Free Plan - 150 tokens run out fast
- Learning Curve - Many features can overwhelm
- Inconsistent Community Models - Quality varies
- Basic Motion Tool - Not a full video editor
- Complex Prompt Issues - May fail with very detailed instructions
- Inorganic Objects - Difficulty with cars, machinery
- Upscaler Alters Details - May change original image
- Limited Payments - Issues with international methods
Why Choose Leonardo AI?
✅ Choose Leonardo AI if:
- You need granular control over generation
- You work in game development
- You want to train custom models with your style
- You value intuitive, easy-to-use UI
- You need legible text in images
- You want a generous free tier to test
- You're looking for character consistency
- You need Realtime Canvas for ideation
❌ Don't choose Leonardo AI if:
- You want distinctive "artistic" style (→ Midjourney)
- You need advanced video (→ Runway, Pika)
- You prefer simple pricing model (tokens confuse)
- You only need basic occasional generation
- You don't want to learn the token system
vs Competitors
| vs | Leonardo AI Wins | Competitor Wins |
|---|---|---|
| Midjourney | Granular control, free tier, custom models, web UI | More artistic style, more "pro" community |
| DALL-E 3 | More features, custom models, video | ChatGPT integration, simpler |
| Stable Diffusion | Friendly UI, no technical setup needed | Open-source, completely free, local |
| Adobe Firefly | More features, gaming focus | Creative Cloud integration, ethical training |
| Flux | More established, Canva backing | Open-source, comparable quality |
Company Information
- Founded: December 2022
- Headquarters: Sydney, Australia
- CEO: JJ Fiasson
- Co-founders: Chris Gillis, Jachin Bhasme
- Acquired by: Canva (July 2024)
- Employees: 120+ (at acquisition time)
- Total Funding: $31-47M (pre-acquisition)
Investment Rounds
| Date | Round | Amount | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Seed | ~$7.5M | Blackbird, Side Stage |
| Dec 2023 | Series A | $23.5M | Blackbird, Samsung NEXT, Smash Capital |
| Jul 2024 | Acquisition | ~$320M | Canva |
Notable Investors
Blackbird Ventures, Samsung NEXT, Smash Capital, TIRTA, Gaorong Capital, Side Stage Ventures
Metrics
- 30M+ users registered (2025)
- 2B+ images generated
- 1.8M Discord members (3rd largest)
- 1B+ images in first 18 months
- $1.6M revenue in first 5 months
- $5M ARR projected after launch
- 19M users at acquisition time
Recognition
- Fastest Growing Startup Australia (2024)
- 3rd Largest Discord Server globally
- Canva's 8th Acquisition (largest after Affinity)
Technical Notes
About Tokens
- 1 token ≠ 1 image (varies by complexity)
- Premium features cost more tokens
- Video generation = more tokens than image
- Rollover up to 3x monthly allowance
Commercial Rights
- Free: Non-exclusive rights
- Paid: Full ownership and IP rights
- Ideal for commercial use
API Access
- Available for developers
- Custom pricing based on volume
- Enterprise integrations available
Key Features
Phoenix model exceptional prompt adherence
Realtime Canvas draw AI generates realtime
AI Canvas integrated Photoshop-like editor
Motion video from static images
Custom model training own style
Elements LoRAs styles as seasonings
Image Guidance ControlNets pose depth
Character Reference character consistency
Flow State fast variation streaming
Universal Upscaler resolution enhancement
Background Removal remove backgrounds
Transparent PNG transparent backgrounds
Inpainting Outpainting area editing
Prompt Magic advanced control
Alchemy image quality enhancements
PhotoReal enhanced photorealism
Blueprints pre-configured workflows
Veo Kling Sora third party video models
API Developer Platform
iOS App mobile generation
Use Cases
Game development concept art characters
3D textures gaming assets
Marketing advertising campaigns
Social media content thumbnails
Product mockups visualizations
Logo ideation brand assets
Illustrations concept exploration
Moodboards design direction
Architecture visualization renders
Fashion design prototyping
Film storyboards pre-production
Consistent character design
UI UX assets interfaces
Ad creatives advertising
E-commerce product shots
NFT digital art creation
Educational content visuals
Book covers illustrations
Video thumbnails YouTube
Interior design concepts
Information
Company
Leonardo AI (Canva)
Website
leonardo.ai