Best Leonardo AI Alternative in 2026, by Cost per Video
For images, Midjourney is the best Leonardo alternative if you want a distinct style, and Krea if you want a free daily allowance and real-time tools. If you need video with clear prices, Hooked lists a credit cost for every output, such as 32 credits ($0.93) for 8 seconds of Veo 3.1 Lite, and adds UGC ads and captions in one $29 plan.
★★★★★ 4.9/5 · 27,000+ users
Prices and costs checked on September 25, 2026. USD, US prices.
Priced on the same unit
6
Tools worth switching to
$0.60
Leonardo AI: one output, from
$0.93
Hooked Pro: one output, from
Why switch
Why people look for a Leonardo AI alternative
- Leonardo shows token costs per video only inside the app, so you can't price a clip before paying.
- Reviewers report over-aggressive moderation that refuses harmless prompts.
- Reviewers report billing that continued after cancellation requests.
- Reviewers report paid tokens deducted or lost unexpectedly, and confusing rollover.
- Third-party video models such as Veo 3.1 and Kling are never included in relaxed unlimited generation.
From public reviews: Reviewers report moderation that refuses harmless prompts.; Reviewers report billing that continued after they asked to cancel.; Reviewers report tokens deducted or lost unexpectedly, and confusing token rollover.; Reviewers report output that doesn't follow prompts..
The shortlist
The shortlist at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Paid plans from | Cheapest cost per 8-second output | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midjourney | Stylized images and cheap image animation | $8/mo | $0.13 | No |
| Krea AI | Real-time image generation with a free tier | $5/mo | $0.25 | Yes |
| Hooked | Images and video with a listed price per output | $29/mo | $0.93 | No; Studio is a one-time purchase |
| Freepik (Magnific) | Stock assets plus many AI models | $11/mo | $0 | No |
| Higgsfield | Heavy Kling 3.0 and Seedance use | $19/mo | $0 | Yes |
| Canva | Turning images into finished designs | $12/mo | $0.52 | Yes |
For reference, Leonardo AI itself starts at $10/month and one output costs from $0.60 (full Leonardo AI pricing breakdown). Paid prices are the lowest per-month figure, billed yearly where that is cheaper.
One plan, every model
Replace Leonardo AI without adding another subscription
Hooked Pro is $29 a month for 1,000 credits across Veo 3.1, Kling 3.0, Seedance 2.0, Nano Banana Pro and GPT Image 2, plus AI UGC ads, captions and TikTok slideshows in the same plan. Or pay $89 once for the Studio and run it on your own API keys, at the provider's price.
Tool by tool
The 6 best Leonardo AI alternatives
1.Midjourney
From $8/mo · $0.13 per output
Best for: Stylized images and cheap image animation
Midjourney is known for its own image style and can animate images into short videos. Basic is $10/month ($8 billed yearly), and a 9-second SD video costs about $0.13 to $0.20.
Watch out: There is no free plan and no public API, and support runs through Discord.
Midjourney pricing, plan by plan →2.Krea AI
From $5/mo · $0.25 per output
Best for: Real-time image generation with a free tier
Krea offers real-time image generation, upscaling, LoRA training and third-party video. The free plan gives 100 compute units a day, and Basic is $9/month for 20 Seedance 2.0 videos.
Watch out: Per-model unit costs are not published, and unused units expire each cycle.
Krea AI pricing, plan by plan →3.Hooked
From $29/mo · $0.93 per output
Best for: Images and video with a listed price per output
Hooked lists every cost: a Nano Banana Pro image is 13 credits ($0.38), an 8-second Veo 3.1 Lite video 32 credits ($0.93) and Kling 3.0 at 1080p 72 credits ($2.09) on Pro at $29/month. Studio is $89 once with your own API keys.
Watch out: If Leonardo's Motion 2.0 is enough, its unlimited relaxed video on Ultimate ($60/month) can be cheaper at volume.
On Hooked Credits Pro, monthly Pro, yearly Studio, your own key 100 a month Veo 3.1 Lite, 720p 32 $0.93 $0.77 $0.32 to the provider $116 (Pro + 1 × 1,500-credit pack + 2 × 500-credit pack) Kling 3.0, 1080p 72 $2.09 $1.74 $0.72 to the provider $235 (Pro + 1 × 4,000-credit pack + 1 × 1,500-credit pack + 2 × 500-credit pack) Veo 3.1 Fast, 720p 80 $2.32 $1.93 $0.80 to the provider $246 (Pro + 1 × 4,000-credit pack + 2 × 1,500-credit pack) Seedance 2.0 Fast 88 $2.55 $2.13 $0.96 to the provider $267 (Pro + 2 × 4,000-credit pack) Pro is $29/month or $290/year for 1,000 credits a month; extra credits come in packs from $19 for 500. The Studio is $89 once and runs on your own API keys, so you pay the model provider directly at their rate.
Try Hooked instead of Leonardo AI
- 8-second AI videos from $0.93 each on Pro (Veo 3.1 Lite, 720p)
- Veo 3.1, Kling 3.0, Seedance 2.0, Nano Banana Pro and GPT Image 2 in one plan: no second subscription per model
- Or $89 once for the Studio with your own API keys
4.Freepik (Magnific)
From $11/mo · $0 per output
Best for: Stock assets plus many AI models
Freepik, now Magnific, has 30+ AI models and a 250M+ stock library. Premium is reported at $16/month, and an 8-second Kling 3.0 Pro clip works out to about $0.58.
Watch out: There is no free AI plan, and reviewers report plan changes without consent.
Freepik (Magnific) pricing, plan by plan →5.Higgsfield
From $19/mo · $0 per output
Best for: Heavy Kling 3.0 and Seedance use
Higgsfield runs Kling 3.0, Seedance and Nano Banana, with time-limited unlimited windows. An 8-second Kling 3.0 clip at 1080p is about $0.98 on Plus ($59/month).
Watch out: Plan credit amounts come from third parties, and credits don't roll over.
Higgsfield pricing, plan by plan →6.Canva
From $12/mo · $0.52 per output
Best for: Turning images into finished designs
Canva owns Leonardo and pairs AI tools with templates and a design editor. Pro is $18/month or $12/month billed yearly.
Watch out: The AI allowance is shared across all of Canva's AI tools.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free Leonardo AI alternative?
Krea's free plan gives 100 compute units a day. Google Flow gives 50 credits a day for Veo 3.1 video.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Leonardo AI?
Krea Basic is $9/month ($5 billed yearly), against $12 for Leonardo Essential. Midjourney Basic is $10/month.
How much does a Leonardo AI video cost?
Leonardo does not publish token costs per video; the cost shows on the generate button in the app. Ultimate ($60/month) includes unlimited relaxed video on its Motion models.
Who owns Leonardo AI?
Leonardo is owned by Canva.
Two ways in · pick yours
Everything they charge monthly for — yours for one payment.
Pay monthly and we run the AI for you, credits included — or pay $89 once, own the app for life and bring your own keys.
Pro
Most flexibleWe run the AI for you. No API keys, nothing to set up — open the app and generate.
1,000 credits a month · cancel anytime
Secure checkout by Stripe · Cancel anytime
- About 10 UGC ads or 250 images a month
- Every video format: UGC, avatars, slideshows…
- 83 AI avatars & 76 voices in 25 languages
- Publish to TikTok, Instagram & YouTube
- 3 channels, 3 auto-channels, API included
Need more? One-time credit packs from $19. They never expire.
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