Midjourney vs Leonardo.AI : Comparing Between 2 Powerful Image Generators

I’m likely not the first to say that I started my AI image generator journey with Midjourney and it’s been super hard to pull myself away. But in the interest of staying semi on top of new and competing tools, I do like to read up on emerging generators and put them to the test to see how they hold up. Recently, I’ve come across Leonardo.AI, a revolutionary AI image tool that seems to be making waves in the community.

In this article, I’ll give you a little bit more insight into Leonardo and show you side-by-side comparisons using fairly simple prompts to see how it holds up against Midjourney.

Leonardo.AI’s Strong Points

1. Impressive Visuals: Leonardo.AI excels at creating stunning images that rival top competitors.
2. Model Selection Made Easy: The platform offers various models like Dreamshaper v7, Luna, PhotoReal and Leonardo creative, providing users with diverse creative options.
3. User-Friendly Editing: Leonardo.AI includes an image editor called “Canvas” that allows users to edit images with ease, whether it’s masking, erasing, or downloading.
4. Empowering Creativity: A unique feature is the ability to train your own models, enabling you to upload similar-style images and share them with the community.

As you can see above, Leonardo performs really well within several image styles and genres.

The best part? Leonardo.AI is currently free. To get started, visit their website, click “Get Early Access,” provide your email, and join their Discord channel. You’ll gain access within the day.

Leonardo.AI vs Midjourney: A Spooky Showdown

For this comparison, I experimented with Leonardo’s AbsoluteReality v1.6 and Leonardo Diffusion models. And because it’s Spooky Season here at Pink Horn, I’ll be taking a cozy autumn seasonal approach to all of these. Grab your apple cider and get cozy. Let’s dive in.

Note: I started generating images for this blog using Leonardo’s free plan, and very quickly realized that most other comparison blogs are using the PhotoReal and Alchemy Beta features only available during a limited free trial, or with a paid plan. While some of the generated images were ok, they honestly did not hold a candle to Midjourney’s images. Not wanting to do a complete disservice to Leonardo.AI’s capabilities, I upgraded to the Apprentice plan ($12/month) in order to use the full scope of the app’s models.

Click the images to see a full sized version in a new tab.

spooky forest scene for Halloween night. The trees should be adorned with glowing jack-o’-lanterns, and the moon should cast an eerie glow through the falling autumn leaves. --ar 4:5

As you can see, the difference between Leonardo’s basic model and PhotoReal models are like night and day. That said, I love Midjourney’s vibrancy and composition but I like Leonardo’s moodier photorealmism. It’s a hard call on this one.

Capture the essence of Halloween in an autumn-themed still life. Arrange a rustic wooden table with a pumpkin centerpiece, surrounded by colorful fallen leaves and vintage candle holders. Soft, warm candlelight should illuminate the scene. --ar 3:2

I actually don’t mind Leonardo’s basic generator here. I like the smooth, subdued lighting and composition but overall, Midjourney wins this one with its full, more intricately decorated scene. But maybe that’s a personal preference thing.

Photograph a group of friends dressed in their Halloween costumes, standing among a dense grove of autumn trees. The leaves should be vibrant shades of orange and red, and the costumes should reflect their spooky or whimsical Halloween personas. --ar 3:2

In terms of high-quality renders, I think both Midjourney and Leonardo did a great job, so the question comes down to the intended result. Midjourney’s take is definitely spookier, and more aligned with the costume portion of the prompt. However, I am absolutely loving the witch hats with cat ears on Leonardo’s image.

Halloween-inspired portrait photography of a young girl in a classic witch costume. She should be standing in an autumn garden filled with pumpkins, holding a broomstick under the soft glow of a harvest moon. --ar 4:5

Leonardo’s PhotoReal model shines through with a great image that looks truly lifelike, I personally love the Midjourney one based on its color, dynamic lighting and composition.

Photograph a haunted house covered in eerie fog and surrounded by a forest of colorful autumn trees.--ar 4:5

I gotta say–I love both of these. Totally different vibes, so again it’s down to the overall look you’d be going for. For me, Midjourney comes a little bit higher due to the framing and bright red foliage. But honestly, I’m ready to move in to either one.

Create a Halloween-themed culinary scene in a cozy autumn kitchen. --ar 4:5

This one is a tie for me. Midjourney’s interior decor is out of this world, but Leonardo held its own with that presentation.

oil painting of autumn still-life in the style of Caravaggio -- ar 4:5

In terms of a finished image, Midjourney’s is vibrant and composed brilliantly. However, because the prompt was for an oil painting, Leonardo comes closer with its muted colors and softer edges.

cute illustration of black cat with pumpkin and halloween decorations --ar 3:2

Another tie here for me. Please look closer at that cat pumpkin in Leonardo’s image. Incredible. Someone should market that.

watercolor tattoo design of haunted house with bats and full moon --ar 4:5

In terms of adherence to the prompt, it’s another tough call, but I feel like Leonardo came closer in terms of a watercolor tattoo design.

portrait photography of beautiful woman sitting in front of a window with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. rainy weather, moody lighting, cozy autumn vibes --ar 4:5

I find that PhotoReal is a must in order to get these high quality photorealistic results in Leonardo. Both generators did well with this prompt. Midjourney strikes me as a polished editorial model, while Leonardo, I could believe is a real snap shot.

landscape photography of autumn foliage in the mountains --ar 3:2

Tough call on this one. Normally I would have plugged in camera specs to get a more realistic photograph on Midjourney, but I’m not sure how Leonardo responds to such prompts just yet, so I kept it simple. I like the depth and scope of Midjourney’s creation, and the rich autumn colors of Leonardo’s landscape.

flat lay photography of autumn scene with a mug of hot cocoa, chocolate chip cookies, autumn foliage --ar 4:5

Leonardo is a clear winner for me on this one because the angle and presentation are absolutely flawless. I mean, I would love to be drinking that cocoa right now. Hang on, I gotta find one of these on DoorDash.

Final Thoughts

Comparing Midjourney and Leonardo through various lenses of opinion reveals the subjective nature of artistry. Each tool possesses its unique charm, and the choice ultimately depends on your creative vision. While some believe Leonardo.AI comes close to Midjourney in terms of quality, others are more reserved. Leonardo.AI offers its strengths like fine-tuned model selections, model training, image editing, and speed. However, whether it truly rivals Midjourney is still up for debate. What do you think?