Leonardo.Ai vs PicLumen (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 2.4.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Leonardo.Ai grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. PicLumen grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Leonardo.Ai
Image, video and 3D generator with its own and partner models
PicLumen
AI image, video and music generation with many models
Which one is for you
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
Pick PicLumen if
- Fits if you want several image and video models behind one login
- Works for hobby creators who'll stay within 750 credits a month
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you plan to sell your images: Lite has a limited commercial licence and Basic has none
- Watch out: monthly credits reset and don't roll over, except through Lumen Vault on Elite
- Not for you if you want refunds, because subscriptions aren't refundable
- Pricey at the top: Elite is $269.99 a month, and the page doesn't say which sub-tier that price covers
- Watch out: bought Lumen packs expire a year after purchase
How we grade them
| 3.0GPALeonardo.AiVery good | 2.4GPAPicLumenFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | BLite is $6.09 a month billed yearly, inside the cheaper quarter at $8.33. Standard, with a full commercial licence, is $19.99. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | DNew accounts get a welcome offer, but the page doesn't say how big it is or whether it needs a card. |
| Features | 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. | BMany generation models, editing tools such as upscaling and object removal, a canvas, video and music. The listing names no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | A4.83 from about 11,100 App Store ratings, the top band. Each model shows its token cost before you generate. | CNo store rating on record. Credits, models and tiers add up to a bit of a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with an API and one-click hand-off to Canva. No desktop app, which an A needs. | BWeb plus iOS and Android. No API or integrations are listed. |
| Best for | images, video and 3D in one app | AI images, video and music from many models |
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: Leonardo.Ai and PicLumen. How we grade
Price against what you get
Leonardo.Ai starts at $12 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. PicLumen starts at $6.09 a month and scores 2.7.
Leonardo.Ai scores higher, and starts $5.91 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other AI image and video generators on the chart, none scores higher than Leonardo.Ai for less, and 4 score higher than PicLumen for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
At a glance
| Leonardo.Ai | PicLumen | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $12 per month for 8,500 tokens, billed monthly | $6.09 per month, billed yearly ($7.59 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | New accounts get a welcome offer; its size is not stated. |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Leonardo Interactive Pty Ltd | PicLumen |
| Price read from | eesel.ai (not the vendor's own page) | piclumen.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
PicLumen
- Subscription Lumens reset each month and do not roll over, except through Lumen Vault on Elite.
- Subscriptions are not refundable; cancelling stops the next period and benefits last until the period ends.
- The Basic tier has no commercial rights and Lite has a limited commercial license only.
- Purchased Lumen packs expire one year after purchase.
Key features
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.
PicLumen
- Many generation models
- The site lists image models such as FLUX, Nano Banana and Seedream and video models such as Veo and Kling, with per-model Lumen costs.
- Image editing tools
- Background remover, image upscaler, colorizer, inpainting, object remover and an image extender are listed beside generation.
- Canvas projects
- Plans cap canvas projects and nodes per canvas, from 10 projects and 50 nodes on Lite up to 100 and 500 on Elite.
- Video and music
- Text-to-video, image-to-video and an AI music generator run on the same Lumen balance as images.
- Business tools
- Product photography, virtual try-on, logo, poster and banner generators are aimed at sellers and marketers.
Plans
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.
PicLumen
Lite$6.09
per month, billed yearly ($7.59 billed monthly)
750 Lumens a month (about 750 images or 30 videos), watermark-free output and a limited commercial license.
Standard$19.99
per month, billed yearly ($24.99 billed monthly)
2,500 Lumens a month, fast generation, 2 tasks at once and a full commercial license.
Pro$37.49
per month, billed yearly ($49.99 billed monthly)
6,000 Lumens a month, turbo generation, 5 tasks at once and a full commercial license.
Elite$269.99
per month, billed yearly ($359.99 billed monthly)
15,000 to 60,000 Lumens a month across four sub-tiers; the sub-tier this price belongs to is not shown.
EnterpriseCustom
Team Lumen allocation, central billing, content privacy and dedicated support; quoted by contacting the vendor.
Ways to pay less
Leonardo.Ai
No public discounts listed.
PicLumen
- Annual discount
Yearly billing, up to 25% off
The pricing page marks yearly billing as up to 25% off monthly: 20% on Lite and Standard and 25% on Pro and Elite.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Leonardo.Ai or PicLumen?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PicLumen is cheaper to start with: $6.09 a month, against $12 a month for Leonardo.Ai. Leonardo.Ai starts at $12 per month for 8,500 tokens, billed monthly, and PicLumen starts at $6.09 per month, billed yearly ($7.59 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Leonardo.Ai or PicLumen?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Leonardo.Ai has a free plan. PicLumen does not, though it has a free trial.
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.