Mage vs Leonardo
The best Leonardo AI alternative for private, unlimited creation
Leonardo.Ai is a capable platform with its own Lucid and Phoenix models, but free creations are public, and its unlimited generation is relaxed-speed on select models once your tokens run out. Mage is the Leonardo alternative for creators who want every creation private from the first image and unlimited generation from the entry plan.
No installation. No credit card. Private by default.
The short answer
Is Mage a good Leonardo alternative?
Choose Mage for privacy on every plan, fewer filters, and an MCP server that works with your normal account. Choose Leonardo for token rollover, native mobile apps, and its in-house Lucid models.
Leonardo is best for: hobbyists and professional creators who want in-house Lucid and Phoenix models, unlimited relaxed generation, token rollover, and mobile apps
Leonardo.Ai is a generative AI platform for creating images, video, design and motion, combining its own Lucid and Phoenix models with leading third-party image and video models in one subscription. It serves hobbyists, professional creators, small businesses and teams.
Why people switch
Why people switch from Leonardo to Mage
Private by default
On Leonardo: Free-plan creations are public and can be reused by other users; Private Mode needs a paid plan.
On Mage: Everything you make stays in your own library. Nothing appears in a public feed unless you post it.
Unlimited plans
On Leonardo: Unlimited generation is relaxed-speed, starts only after your tokens run out, and covers select image models on Premium and select video models on Ultimate.
On Mage: From $10 a month on Basic, 11 model versions generate unlimited at their default settings, and Max runs all 51.
Fewer filters
On Leonardo: Prompt and output filters apply to every account, and free accounts get stricter filtering than paid ones.
On Mage: Creative freedom within clear rules: nothing illegal, and nothing that misuses a real person's likeness.
API, MCP, and SDKs
On Leonardo: The MCP server needs an API key from a separate API plan and currently generates images with three models.
On Mage: A REST API, TypeScript and Python SDKs, ComfyUI nodes, and an MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor, all paid with the same Gems.
Side by side
Mage vs Leonardo at a glance
Mage's column is read from Mage's own catalog and plans. Leonardo's comes from its own pages, each with a link to the source.
| Feature | Mage | Leonardo |
|---|---|---|
| Paid plans from | $10 a month (Basic) | $12 a month (Essential) Source |
| Top plan | $200 a month (Max) | $60 a month (Ultimate) Source |
| Free tier | 300 free Gems when you sign up, no credit card | 150 fast tokens a day (token bank of 150); creations are public, with no private generations; basic quality settings, one personal collection, and no personal model training. Source |
| How usage is billed | Unlimited plans: from Basic ($10 a month), 11 model versions run unlimited at default settings, and Max runs all 51. Gems pay for everything else, at 1,000 Gems for $1. | Tokens. Paid plans get a monthly fast-token allowance plus a rollover token bank (25,500 / 75,000 / 180,000 on Essential / Premium / Ultimate) and can buy top-up tokens. Once tokens run out, Premium gets unlimited relaxed image generation on select models (Lucid Origin, Lucid Realism, Phoenix 1.0, Phoenix 0.9, FLUX Dev, FLUX Schnell) and Ultimate adds unlimited relaxed video on select models (MiniMax H3 at 480p, Motion 1.0, Motion 2.0, Motion 2.0 Fast, Hailuo 2.3, Hailuo 2.3 Fast, Wan 2.6); relaxed concurrency and queuing may be slowed at peak demand. Source |
| Models | 28 model families and 51 versions, including Nano Banana 2, GPT Image 2, Grok Image, Flux 2, Mango, Guava, Cherry, Lemon, Plum, and Wan Video v2.2 | Lucid Origin, Lucid Realism, Phoenix 1.0, GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst, Nano Banana Pro, Nano Banana 2.1, FLUX 3 Image, Seedream 5.0 Pro, Ideogram 4.5, Kling Video 3.0, Seedance 2.5, Veo 3.1, MiniMax H3, Wan 3.0, and Motion 2.0 Source |
| Privacy | Private by default: nothing is public unless you post it | Free-plan creations are public and can be viewed and reused by other users; paid plans add a Private Mode toggle and per-image visibility controls. Public images grant Leonardo a broad license, including use to improve and promote the service; private images are not visible to others or used by Leonardo for advertising or improvement. Team plan generations are always private to the team. Source |
| Content policy | Fewer filters, with clear rules: nothing illegal and no misuse of real people | Two levels of automated moderation: prompt filters that block certain word combinations, and output filters that flag restricted results behind a click-to-reveal, with an age-gated setting controlling whether flagged results show in feeds. Free accounts are subject to stricter filtering than paid accounts. Source |
| Consistent characters | Characters: save one from a photo or a prompt, then mention it as an @handle on 13 model families | Character consistency through one or more uploaded image references, plus Consistent Character and Multi-Character Scene Builder blueprints (up to five characters in one scene). Users can also train Elements (LoRAs) on a character, style or object dataset. Source |
| Developer API | REST API with TypeScript and Python SDKs and ComfyUI nodes, paid in Gems | Yes. A separate production API, pay-as-you-go with no monthly commitment: usage is billed in US dollars from a prepaid balance that does not expire, with automatic top-ups and up to 10 concurrent generations; custom plans add higher limits and model discounts. The docs cover image, video, audio, 3D, upscaling and background-removal endpoints. Source |
| MCP server | Official MCP server at https://mcp.mage.space/mcp for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and more | Yes. Official MCP server at https://mcp.leonardo.ai/v1/mcp for clients such as Cursor and VS Code; it requires an API key from an API plan and currently generates images with Lucid Origin, Lucid Realism and Ideogram 3.0. Source |
| Platforms | Web, in desktop and phone browsers | Web app plus iOS and Android apps; developer API. Source |
Pricing
Leonardo pricing vs Mage pricing
List prices in US dollars before tax. Mage's plans add monthly Gems and unlimited generation on the models they cover.
Leonardo plans
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed yearly, per month | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 150 fast tokens a day (token bank of 150); creations are public, with no private generations; basic quality settings, one personal collection, and no personal model training. |
| Essential | $12 | $10 | 8,500 fast tokens a month (rollover bank up to 25,500); private generations; 10 personal AI models a month; 2 simultaneous generations |
| Premium | $30 | $24 | 25,000 fast tokens a month (bank up to 75,000); unlimited relaxed image generation on select models; 20 personal AI models a month; 3 simultaneous generations |
| Ultimate | $60 | $48 | 60,000 fast tokens a month (bank up to 180,000); unlimited relaxed image and video generation on select models; 50 personal AI models a month; 6 simultaneous generations |
Mage plans
| Plan | Per month | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 300 Gems when you sign up |
| Basic | $10 | 500 Gems a month, and 11 model versions unlimited at default settings |
| Pro | $30 | 1,500 Gems a month, and 36 model versions unlimited at default settings |
| Pro Plus | $60 | 3,500 Gems a month, and 46 model versions unlimited at default settings |
| Max | $200 | 15,000 Gems a month, and 51 model versions unlimited at default settings |
In fairness
Where Leonardo is stronger
No tool is best at everything. As of October 2026, this is where Leonardo has the edge.
Unlimited relaxed generation once tokens run out: Premium covers select image models and Ultimate adds select video models such as Wan 2.6, Hailuo 2.3 and Motion 2.0. Source
Unused monthly tokens roll into a bank holding up to 3 months' worth, and top-up tokens never expire while subscribed. Source
Native iOS and Android apps alongside the web app. Source
Ready-made Blueprints workflows, such as a Multi-Character Scene Builder that combines up to five consistent characters in one scene. Source
Switching
How to switch from Leonardo to Mage in 3 steps
Create your free account
Sign up with Google, X, or email and get 300 free Gems. No credit card, nothing to install.
Bring your references
Download your favorite Leonardo creations and upload them to Mage as references, or save a face as a Character to keep it the same in every image and video.
Pick a model and create
Choose from 28 model families in one prompt box. When you want more, unlimited plans start at $10 a month.
A little more clarity
Frequently asked questions
Are Leonardo images private?
Does Mage have a mobile app like Leonardo?
Is Mage cheaper than Leonardo?
Is Mage free to use?
Are my creations on Mage private?
Does Mage have an API or an MCP server?
How current is this comparison?
Switch to Mage for free
Free to start, private by default, with 28 model families in one place.
Start creating for freeModels to try on Mage
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Facts about Leonardo come from its own public pages, checked in October 2026, and link to their sources. Plans and prices change, so check Leonardo's site for the latest. Leonardo is a trademark of its owner, and Mage is not affiliated with it.