ILUS AI vs Leonardo.Ai (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Leonardo.Ai: it is second in our ranking of AI image and video generators, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ILUS AI grades higher on value for money. Leonardo.Ai grades higher on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ILUS AI
AI illustration generator with consistent, trainable styles
Leonardo.Ai
Image, video and 3D generator with its own and partner models
Which one is for you
Pick ILUS AI if
- Fits if you need a set of illustrations that all match for a site or deck
- Works for people who'd rather buy credits once than keep a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want privacy on a trial, since images from free credits aren't kept private
- Tight if you want your own style: fine-tuning costs 150 of the 500 credits in the one pack
- Watch out: SVG export is only for Flat, Ink Drawing, Doodle and custom styles
- Watch out: the pricing section shows a single pack, so there's no bigger plan to move up to
Pick Leonardo.Ai if
- Fits if you want images, short video and 3D models under one account
- Works for people who finish designs in Canva and want images sent there
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want everything unlimited, as the slow queue covers selected Leonardo models only and partner models always cost tokens
- Tight if you might cancel, since rollover tokens are lost when you do; Teams plans need 3 seats and sell no top-ups
- Pricey if you buy on iPhone, where the plans run $15.99 to $79.99
- Watch out: the web prices come from a third-party summary of June 5, 2026, as Leonardo's own page turned our reader away
- Skip it if you want private images for free, as free-plan images are visible to all Leonardo users
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAILUS AIFair | 3.0GPALeonardo.AiVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BOne $25 pack gets 500 credits that don't expire, well under a year of the $11.88 middle subscription. But it's a pack that runs out, and fine-tuning takes 150 credits. | CEssential is $12 a month, billed monthly, for 8,500 tokens, private images and a rollover bank of up to 25,500. That's the middle of this category. The figure is from a third-party summary, as Leonardo's page turned our reader away, and the iPhone app sells plans from $15.99. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree trial credits, no card needed, but the amount isn't stated and those images aren't kept private. | B150 tokens every day that reset rather than pile up, which adds up to over half of what Essential gives in a month. Free images are public but can still be used commercially. You get fewer video models, though. |
| Features | CConsistent styles, fine-tuning, PNG export and editing tools. SVG export covers only Flat, Ink Drawing, Doodle and custom styles. | BIts own Lucid and Phoenix models next to FLUX, GPT Image, Veo and Kling, video with start and end frames, 3D models from an image, an editor with inpainting and a live sketch canvas, and send-to-Canva. The whole job, images to video to 3D. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You pick or train a style, then generate. | A4.83 from about 11,100 App Store ratings, the top band. Each model shows its token cost before you generate. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with a Figma plugin and an API. No desktop or phone app. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with an API and one-click hand-off to Canva. No desktop app, which an A needs. |
| Best for | illustrations in one consistent style | images, video and 3D in one app |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: ILUS AI and Leonardo.Ai. How we grade
Where they differ
- Leonardo.Ai also covers video generation.
At a glance
| ILUS AI | Leonardo.Ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $25 for 500 credits, one-time | $12 per month for 8,500 tokens, billed monthly |
| Free plan | None | 150 tokens a day that do not carry over, with fewer video models. Images made on the free plan are public, though they may still be used commercially. |
| Free trial | Free trial credits, no credit card required; the amount is not stated. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Ilus AI | Leonardo Interactive Pty Ltd |
| Price read from | ilus.ai | eesel.ai (not the vendor's own page) |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ILUS AI
- Images made with free trial credits are not kept private; paid generations are.
- SVG export applies only to Flat, Ink Drawing, Doodle and custom styles.
- The pricing section lists one 500-credit pack at $25; no other packs were shown.
- Fine-tuning a style costs 150 credits, a large share of a 500-credit pack.
Leonardo.Ai
- Web prices come from a third-party summary of June 5, 2026, as Leonardo's pricing page turned away our reader. The iOS app sells the plans for $15.99 to $79.99.
- Unlimited generation starts only after tokens run out, in a slower queue, and covers selected Leonardo models only; other partner models always cost tokens.
- Top-up tokens need an active individual plan and are not sold on Teams plans; rollover tokens are lost if you cancel.
- Private generation needs a paid plan; free-plan images are visible to all Leonardo users.
Key features
ILUS AI
- Consistent styles
- Ink drawing, doodle and flat styles keep a set of illustrations looking alike across a project.
- Fine-tuning
- Upload 10 to 20 example images to train a custom illustration style or a consistent character; training costs 150 credits.
- SVG and PNG export
- PNG export is free and SVG costs 4 credits; Flat, Ink Drawing, Doodle and custom styles can export SVG.
- Editing tools
- An eraser, background remover, upscaler and image edit tool cost 1 or 2 credits per use.
- Figma plugin and API
- A Figma plugin and an API are linked from the site.
Leonardo.Ai
- Own and partner models
- Leonardo's Lucid and Phoenix image models sit beside partner models such as FLUX, GPT Image, Veo and Kling, each with its own token cost shown before you generate.
- Video with start and end frames
- Make clips from text or images, set start and end frames on supported models, and use models that add sound effects and dialogue.
- 3D generation
- Turns an image and up to five reference views into a downloadable 3D model, with choices of mesh type, quality and material.
- Editor, canvas and upscaling
- Change an image by describing the edit, inpaint or extend it on a canvas, turn sketches into images live in Realtime Canvas, and enlarge results with the Pro Upscaler.
- Edit in Canva
- Send a generated image to a Canva account in one click and keep designing there. Available to individual users, not Teams.
- Token rollover
- Unused monthly tokens on paid plans move to a rollover bank holding up to three months' worth, spent after the month's fresh tokens.
Plans
ILUS AI
Credit pack$25
one-time, for 500 credits
500 credits that do not expire: private images, editing, PNG and SVG export, fine-tuning and a CC0 license.
Leonardo.Ai
Free$0
150 tokens a day that reset every 24 hours; public generations only.
Essential$12
per month for 8,500 tokens, billed monthly
Private generation, a rollover bank of up to 25,500 unused tokens, and top-up token packs.
Premium$30
per month for 25,000 tokens, billed monthly
Unlimited slower image generation on selected Leonardo models once tokens run out; rollover bank of up to 75,000.
Ultimate$60
per month for 60,000 tokens, billed monthly
Unlimited slower image and video generation on selected models; rollover bank of up to 180,000.
Teams Starter$24
per seat / month, billed monthly
25,000 tokens per seat, private team generations and shared collections. Minimum 3 seats.
Teams Growth$48
per seat / month, billed monthly
60,000 tokens per seat and model training on team tokens. Minimum 3 seats.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ILUS AI or Leonardo.Ai?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ILUS AI starts at $25 for 500 credits, one-time, and Leonardo.Ai starts at $12 per month for 8,500 tokens, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, ILUS AI or Leonardo.Ai?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Leonardo.Ai has a free plan. ILUS AI does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do ILUS AI and Leonardo.Ai run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Leonardo.Ai lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.