The rapid rise of AI in creative fields is transforming how artists and designers approach their work. Over the last two months, I’ve explored using AI tools specifically with Leonardo.AI and Midjourney. Each tool offers unique strengths in generating high-quality, AI-driven images. Here’s a detailed comparison to help you decide which AI tool is best for your needs.

Leonardo.AI features

Leonardo.AI and Midjourney are both "text-to-image" AI generators, but Leonardo.AI offers an array of additional features that set it apart. For example, its Realtime Canvas feature allows for real-time adjustments, making quick tweaks and refinements straightforward. Another standout feature is Realtime Generation, ideal for users who need fast, responsive image updates. Leonardo.AI also enables users to personalize templates and create custom-tailored images for specific projects. Furthermore, its Early Access Program ensures that users gain exclusive previews of new tools, keeping them at the cutting edge of the creative industry.

Leonardo.Ai image generation

Leonardo.AI primarily excels in AI image generation with multiple model presets, including cinematic, concept art, and more. These presets, along with adjustable settings (like contrast, dimensions, and negative prompting), give users flexibility and precision—although this can be overwhelming for new users. Leonardo.AI also offers an “Image to Image” feature, allowing users to replicate or adapt specific visual elements. This can be particularly useful for creating cohesive, brand-specific visuals. While it may lack some of Midjourney's customization, Leonardo.AI’s range of tools enables a strong creative workflow.

Drawbacks of Leonardo.Ai

One limitation of Leonardo.AI is the complexity of its settings. For those new to AI image generation, the variety of options can feel overwhelming, and regenerating specific image parts can be challenging. Leonardo’s Canvas Editor supports external images, but editing those to match the visual style may produce inconsistent results, particularly when regenerating portions of third-party images.

Midjourney image generation

Now, let’s look at Midjourney. It offers several useful features like the "describe" and "blend" commands (see my post “Midjourney 101: Fast-Track to Stunning AI Visuals” for more), but its standout feature is custom parameters, which allow for advanced prompting.

Midjourney offers over 15 different parameters for customizing image generation, enabling control over aspect ratio, chaos, quality, stylization, and more. The Permutation Prompts feature enhances this further, allowing easy creation of variations within a single prompt using the /imagine command. By placing parameters within curly braces { } and separating them with commas, users can generate multiple versions of a prompt with various combinations. This feature allows for efficient exploration of different ideas and styles with minimal effort. This is why I often prefer Midjourney over Leonardo.AI: it lets me generate multiple images simultaneously using the same prompt but with different aspect ratios, stylization values, and image weights. Editing and regenerating parts of the art also works well, both with and without prompts.