Short answer: Midjourney if still quality and aesthetic control are the job — the default for "this has to look expensive." Leonardo AI if you need more knobs on one canvas — canvas editor, motion, model choice, and a workflow that is closer to a studio than a Discord prompt box. Run one real board on both free/trial credits before you pay.
The one-evening board test
- Pick a real brief: a product hero, a character sheet, or a campaign still. Same prompt bones in both.
- Score first-generation quality cold, tomorrow morning — not in the dopamine of the generate button.
- Score consistency: can you get four images that belong in the same set?
- Read commercial terms on the official pages and price your monthly volume on Pricing Watch. Credit burn, not the sticker, is the real bill.
Where each one wins
Midjourney
- Still quality that other generators still chase — especially atmospheric and product work.
- A mature personalization and style system once you are past the first week.
- The safer "this has to look like a campaign" default when you will spend time in the tool.
Leonardo AI
- More of a studio: canvas, motion, and multiple models without leaving the product.
- Faster for teams that want UI knobs instead of Discord slash commands.
- Often the better volume play once you are generating boards all week — verify current credits on Pricing Watch.
Overlap warning
Paying for Midjourney and Leonardo for the same stills job is how people double their image bill. If Ideogram is in the mix for text-in-image, see Midjourney vs Ideogram — that is a different job than Leonardo's studio surface. Keep one paid stills tool unless you have two distinct jobs (campaign stills vs high-volume UI mockups).
Decision summary
Pick Midjourney for still quality and campaign work. Pick Leonardo for a studio workflow and volume. Test first: one real board, same brief, cold score in the morning. Confirm commercial terms on each review page before you ship a client asset.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper?
Sticker prices lie — credit burn on your real board volume is the bill. Price it on Pricing Watch after the one-evening test, not before.
Can I use the outputs commercially?
Plan terms differ and change. Read the current license on each vendor's official page (linked from the Midjourney and Leonardo reviews) before a client deliverable. Do not trust a tweet.
Related: Midjourney vs Leonardo AI comparison · Midjourney review · Leonardo AI review · Keep/Cut Weekly