Imaginode vs Leonardo AI: daily tokens or credits that stay
An alternative to Leonardo AI without monthly tokens: Imaginode sells 100+ models by the cent, video included, with no subscription. Dated, sourced comparison.
Competitor data verified on August 20, 2026
Frank HoubreFounder of Imaginode
Recorded at Leonardo AI on August 20, 2026
- Free : Free150 credits/day
- Apprentice : $12/month8,500 credits/month
- Artisan : $30/month25,000 credits/month
- Maestro : $60/month60,000 credits/month
Our pricing, same day
- Starter : $17/month900 credits/month
- Creator : $55/month3,100 credits/month
- Studio : $188/month10,500 credits/month
Leonardo AI is one of the most established image generators, especially among game and concept artists, thanks to custom model training and character consistency. Now owned by Canva, it remains a standalone product.
Its pricing runs on tokens: 150 a day on the free tier, 8,500 a month on Apprentice at $12, 25,000 on Artisan at $30, 60,000 on Maestro at $60. From Artisan upward, a set of in-house models (Lucid Origin, Phoenix, Flux Dev and Schnell) generate without spending tokens, in a slower queue.
Imaginode takes the other road: no tokens, credits at $0.012 shown before every generation, purchased credits that never expire, and 100+ models from several providers including Flux 2 Pro, Seedream 5, GPT Image 2 and Nano Banana Pro. An image starts at 1 credit with Flux Schnell.
Entry price
Leonardo AI
Free with 150 tokens/day, then Apprentice at $12/month (8,500 tokens)
Imaginode
$17 excl. tax per month (900 credits) or a top-up from $7 with no subscription
Token-free generation
Leonardo AI
Yes, on selected in-house models from Artisan ($30/month), in a slower queue
Imaginode
No: a cent-level price shown before each click, from 1 credit an image
Models
Leonardo AI
Leonardo models (Lucid, Phoenix) and Flux, image-focused
Imaginode
100+ image, video, text and voice models across providers
Video
Leonardo AI
Motion, short and limited
Imaginode
Over twenty video models up to 4K, generated audio on most of them
Custom models
Leonardo AI
In-house model training, the product's strength
Imaginode
No training: consistency through multiple references on the image node
Credit lifetime
Leonardo AI
Monthly tokens reset each cycle
Imaginode
Purchased credits never expire, monthly credits last the paid month
Failed generation
Leonardo AI
Tokens consumed
Imaginode
Credits refunded automatically
Leonardo AI pricing checked on 20 August 2026 against consistent third-party records. Prices in US dollars, excluding tax. Check leonardo.ai before subscribing.
When to choose Leonardo AI
- You train your own models on a style or a character: that is Leonardo's strength and we do not offer it.
- You produce large volumes of stills and Artisan's token-free mode becomes unbeatable.
- You work on game assets, the tool's historic territory.
When to choose Imaginode
- You do video seriously: over twenty video models, end frames, multiple references and generated audio.
- You want to compare several image families (Flux, Seedream, Nano Banana, GPT Image) on the same idea.
- You want purchased credits that never expire and a price shown before every click.
- You produce precise commercial visuals: see product photography and professional portraits.
- You want to price your month before committing, with the calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is Leonardo better at character consistency?
With a model trained on your character, yes, consistency is excellent. Without training, recent models with multiple references get very close: see [consistent AI characters](/blog/personnage-coherent-ia).
What does an image cost at Imaginode?
From 1 credit (one cent) with Flux Schnell to a few dozen credits on the top models. The exact price is on the button before the click.
Can I use both?
Yes: Leonardo for an in-house trained model, Imaginode for video and for comparing several image models on one brief.
Is Imaginode a good alternative to Leonardo AI?
If video matters to you, or you want to compare Flux, Seedream and Nano Banana on the same idea with credits that never expire, yes. If you train your own models on a style or a character, or produce game assets in volume on Artisan's token-free mode, Leonardo does that and we offer no training.
Sources
More verified comparisons
Same rules: pricing grids recorded on a given date, source cited, updated as soon as a price changes.
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