Leonardo AI vs. Midjourney: Which is Better?
After the recent advents of ChatGPT, the AI text generation tool, there has been a barrage of AI tools. Everywhere, everyone is talking about some form of AI tool. Among these, the one making the most rounds on the internet is the AI Art Generator Tool. From content creators to now graphic designers, AI art lovers can’t get enough of these AI art generators. But of these, the two most prominent are Leonardo AI & Midjourney.
In this blog, we will be comparing Leonardo AI vs. Midjourney in several different factors:
1. UI/UX
2. Features
3. Pricing
4. And responses to the same prompts.
Build of Leonardo AI vs. Midjourney
Leonardo AI is built on top stable diffusion, an open-source AI art generator. It has a well-rounded UI for stable diffusion, whereas Midjourney is built on top of its unique algorithm.
Accessing Leonardo AI vs. Midjourney
One of the most significant differences between these platforms is how you access them. With Midjourney, you access it via Discord; the whole interface is within this chat application, bringing its benefits and issues. You type in your command, and the prompt & responses appear in the chat feed.
On the other hand, Leonardo AI, which is not built on Discord, has its own visual interface dedicated to the platform, and you essentially have all your generations built on scrolling backward, as well as a visual interface for changing the parameters of your work.
UI/UX Leonardo AI vs. Midjourney
Leonardo AI, because it is built on a dedicated platform, allows you easy access to change, personalize and edit the layers. Changing the number of images to their dimensions, style guides, and scales with Leonardo AI is an easy & user-friendly affair. A self-explanatory dashboard with a visually empowered interface makes it easy for the user to operate the tool.
Whereas with Midjourney, you have to use the UI within Discord. You need to type in the settings and from the prompts, select the options. You need to add text commands for adjusting features like text ratio or style highlights, making it easy but more user-intensive, as you need to type in your commands.
The interface of Leonardo AI vs. Midjourney
The interface of Leonardo AI is more visual and user-friendly. In contrast, Midjourney is linked to Discord, possesses some difficulty & restrictions, and is limited in expanding the features set. Also, to view your work in Midjourney, you need to go to a separate app, the Midjourney App itself, to view and scroll through all your work and creations. Whereas with Leonardo AI, it all lives within the same interface that offers a more coherent user experience.
Creating Models by Running Different Algorithms
One of the exciting features that Leonardo AI & Midjourney offer is the ability to run different algorithms.
In Midjourney, you can go into settings and change the algorithm. There are various scenarios like MJ version 1 and MJ version 2 and anime-specific algorithms for creating Anime Illustrations. Also, some other algorithms were developed to give the images a realistic finish. Midjourney allows 5-6 different types of algorithms that you can use.
With Leonardo AI, there are a lot of different models you can use. They have their own Leonardo Diffusion Model, which is incredibly helpful for searching high-contrast images and some specific models, e.g., Origami Paper Art style algorithms that create unique and beautiful art. There is Pixel Art Algorithm for creating Pixel Avatars.
Additional Features
Train your Models
Moreover, Leonardo AI allows you to create your models. Upload a specific set of images, allow Leonardo to train itself on it, and create your own fine-tuned model. Midjourney, at the time of writing this blog, does not let you train models. With Leonardo AI, you can experience all the models the community has trained for you too. So, there are many opportunities here to refine your work.
Remove Background
Leonardo AI also has some built-in features that add to its capabilities. For instance, you can instantly remove the background of images if you want to create gaming assets, icons, or stickers. Go to the image, and click Remove background.
Prompt Generation
Leonardo AI also has an interesting prompt generation tool to help you build a complete prompt.
Building Concurrent Jobs
Leonardo AI lets you build unlimited concrete jobs, whereas Midjourney with a pro-plan enables you to build up to 3 concurrent jobs, with the most expensive plan offering up to 12 jobs.
Speed of Generation
The generation speed for Leonardo AI vs. Midjourney is comparable, though it is noteworthy that by upgrading resolution, Leonardo AI takes longer to generate the output.
Pricing
Leonardo AI is offering a free platform where you get 250 credits per day. Whereas, Midjourney offers 3-tiers of packages starting from $10/month, $30/month, and $60/month. The latter two provide unlimited generations.
Want to know more about Midjourney? Read this blog.
Responses to the same prompts
When the same prompt is given, it has been observed that Midjourney is more coherent, graphically more aesthetic, and represents more vibrancy, whereas Leonardo AI is a bit more contrasted. However, the consistency is comparatively better in Midjourney generations.
Because Leonardo AI is built on sound diffusion, it requires negative prompts to better the images, whereas Midjourney offers nice, clean, clear images on almost any prompt. With Leonardo AI, you need to be more specific with your prompts, which might require some manual craft and enhancements but allows more control. Whereas, Midjourney produces seamless and more consistent images but is restricted in some sense.
Portraits
Prompt: intricate pencil sketch mugshot of an old filipina woman with wrinkles: Tom Bagshaw, Zdzislaw Beksinski, Yoshitaka Amano, Raffaello Ossola, Martin Wittfooth, Luigi Spano, Vladimir Kush :: stunning interpretive visual.
Creatures
Prompt: Fantasy Wildlife photography of a cute Nebula baby dragon with big eyes, by a rippling stream under a starlit sky, amazing lighting, Shot with Nikon Z9 200 mm lens, Sharp focus, depth of field:: Mushroomcore, Starcore, Fantasycore::0.4
Who Wins: Leonardo AI vs. Midjourney
Both the AI art generators are top-notch with their pros and cons. While Midjourney requires a paid subscription, the final output is better than Leonardo AI. Whereas Leonardo AI is free as of now, it gives you more control and features, but it may be behind Midjourney when it comes to final output. The choice of the AI art generator tool will finally boil down to your needs & requirements. Either way, both tools are highly recommended for AI art buffs. It is not the question of Leonardo AI vs. Midjourney but about Leonardo AI & Midjourney.
The choice is yours!