17 Best Leonardo AI Alternatives for Generating Visual Content

Domo AI Team
DomoAI Feel Good Manager

Picture this: You’re working on a creative project and want to utilize artificial intelligence to help you generate stunning visual content to tell your story. As you search for the best AI animation generator to meet your needs, you come across a tool called Leonardo AI. Leonardo AI seems to offer a lot of promise, but as you dig deeper, you’re disappointed to discover that it isn’t quite what you hoped. Luckily, there are plenty of Leonardo AI alternatives that can help you achieve your goals. In this article, we’ll explore the best alternatives to Leonardo AI for generating visual content.

DomoAI’s AI video editor can help you reach your objectives. The tool makes it simple to create and edit videos, so you can get to the fun part of storytelling while harnessing the power of AI to enhance your creative process.

What is Leonardo.Ai?

leonardo ai - Leonardo AI Alternative

Leonardo.Ai is an AI-powered image generator designed to help creatives visualize their ideas and generate assets for their projects. Like the best AI image generators, Leonardo.Ai lets you create detailed and dynamic images from prompts written in natural language. What sets it apart is the level of fine-tuning it supports, including aspect ratios and art styles. 

It’s also unique in offering an extensive catalog of models and presets, each of which is suited to a particular visual style. That makes it a popular choice for everyone from digital designers to concept artists to product marketers. 

How It Works: From Prompts to Images

Leonardo.AI uses advanced machine learning algorithms to create realistic and high-quality images based on text prompts. The system started as a research project to expand AI’s image-creation abilities. Now it’s a fully-fledged image generator capable of producing stunning artwork in seconds. 

What Can You Use Leonardo.Ai For?

Leonardo.Ai makes it easy to: 

  • Generate high-quality artwork
  • Stylized illustrations
  • Photorealistic visuals

It can also produce game assets and UI elements. A standout feature is its library of text-to-image models, each tailored to a specific purpose or visual style, such as anime or graphic design. Users can even train custom models using their own brand assets to maintain visual consistency.

Beyond image generation, Leonardo.Ai offers a suite of creative tools, including an AI upscaler and a real-time canvas that blends text prompts with quick sketches. One of its newest features, Motion, transforms static images into short video clips with adjustable animation styles.

What Can’t You Use Leonardo.Ai For?

While Leonardo.Ai’s new Motion tool adds basic animation capabilities, the platform is still focused on generating and editing still image assets. It’s not a full-featured AI video editor, nor is it a complete replacement for professional graphic design software. Generated visuals often require further refinement within your broader creative workflow.

Leonardo.Ai applies prompt filtering to enforce its terms of service, blocking requests that may be illegal, offensive, or harmful. Although the tool can produce images containing copyrighted logos or content, users are responsible for ensuring their use complies with applicable laws.

For paid subscribers, privately generated images are owned by the user. Leonardo.Ai owns any images made public and may be reused by others.

Related Reading

17 Best Leonardo AI Alternatives for Generating Visual Content

1. DomoAI: A Smart Way to Create Stunning Visual Content. No Design Skills Needed

domo ai - Leonardo AI Alternative

Visual content used to demand expert tools, hours of editing, and technical skill. Not anymore. DomoAI streamlines the entire process with powerful AI, making it easy for anyone to create compelling videos and images, fast.

Effortless AI Video Generation

Whether you're animating photos, crafting anime-style scenes, or generating a cinematic reel from static images, DomoAI handles the heavy lifting. Just describe what you want and the AI does the rest. No editing timeline. No complex software. No prior experience required, like: 

  • A talking avatar
  • A short video
  • A style experiment

It’s built for content creators, marketers, and anyone producing short-form videos for TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts, without the drag of manual editing.

Text-to-Image That Matches Your Imagination

DomoAI’s text-to-image tool is equally powerful. From detailed anime characters to storyboards and product mockups, it turns simple prompts into vivid, high-quality visuals in seconds. Support for multiple aspect ratios (1:1, 9:16, 16:9) means your content is always ready for the format you need. 

Choose from a range of styles, including FX V1, based on the Flux AI model, to match your creative tone.

Made for Creators, Not Coders

DomoAI strips away the barriers to visual storytelling. No Photoshop. No Premiere. No 3D rendering experience. Just type what you envision, and watch it come to life. 

It’s ideal for:

  • Creators scaling content quickly
  • Social marketers needing fast, on-brand visuals
  • Anime fans and digital artists
  • Small businesses building a stronger visual identity

DomoAI democratises content creation. You bring the idea, DomoAI handles the execution. Start for free, explore your style, and create standout content without the technical hassle.

2. ClipDrop

clip drop - Leonardo AI Alternative

ClipDrop is a suite of AI-powered image tools developed by Stability.ai, the creators of Stable Diffusion. If you're unfamiliar, Stable Diffusion is a generative image model capable of producing high-quality visuals from short text prompts, much like MidJourney or DALL·E.

How ClipDrop Compares to Other AI Image Tools

ClipDrop offers a range of features, including background removal, image upscaling, and other editing tools. Its standout capabilities include integration with Stable Diffusion XL Turbo and a face swap tool, making it easy to generate images quickly, including those containing stylized text or words.

The paid version offers unlimited usage for £60 per year. The interface is clean and user-friendly, and it also supports API access for integration into custom applications. I’ve been using ClipDrop regularly, it’s a huge time-saver for both creating new images and editing existing ones thanks to how intuitive it is.

3. Midjourney

midjourney - Leonardo AI Alternative

Of all the free AI image generation tools I’ve used, Midjourney still delivers the most original and visually striking results. Despite this, its reliance on Discord as the primary interface can be a barrier for some users, especially compared to tools with more intuitive web-based platforms.

Exploring Midjourney Styles: From Photorealism to Surrealism

That said, once you find your way around the Midjourney Discord server, specifically the general image generation channels, it’s pretty straightforward. Simply type /imagine, followed by your prompt and any style guidance, separated by commas.

Pro tip: 

If you're just starting, explore other users' prompts to see what styles and phrasing resonate with you. Once you generate an image, you can upscale it or request variations until you land on the perfect result.

4. DALL·E

dall e3 - Leonardo AI Alternative

OpenAI’s image generation tool DALL·E received a significant upgrade with version 3, launched at the end of 2023. In my view, DALL·E 3 now rivals Stable Diffusion and Midjourney in image quality, with the added advantage of being more accessible, mainly when used through ChatGPT.

At present, DALL·E 3 is available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers, but it’s expected to launch on OpenAI Labs in 2024. In the meantime, you can still explore DALL·E 2 on OpenAI Labs and start generating images right away.

5. Microsoft Image Creator

MS bing image creator - Leonardo AI Alternative

Microsoft Image Creator is available through Bing and also as a standalone website, offering free AI image generation capabilities. While its prompt handling may not be as advanced as the latest versions of Stable Diffusion or Midjourney, or as intuitive as DALL·E 3 in ChatGPT, it still produces impressive results. Once generated, images can be easily downloaded or shared.

What sets it apart is its integration with Microsoft Designer, allowing you to edit images directly. This provides you with more manual control, enhanced by AI-powered tools, similar in feel to platforms like Canva or ClipDrop, but integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem.

6. Ideogram

ideogram - Leonardo AI Alternative

Ideogram is a newer image generation AI tool that offers a number of preset image generation styles on its web app, including one labeled “typography,” which renders lettering in different colors, fonts, sizes, and styles. 

Other preset styles include: 

  • 3D rendering
  • Cinematic
  • Painting
  • Fashion
  • Product
  • Illustration
  • Conceptual art
  • Ukiyo-e and others

Ideogram also lacks some of the other features available on rival image generators, such as zooming out and outpainting, and its results were less consistent in my tests. With its typography, it renders a book cover similar to what I've seen with DALLE-3.  

7. AI Playground

ai playground - Leonardo AI Alternative

Playground AI is another powerful image-generation tool, built on Stability AI and its own fine-tuned models to help you create striking AI art.

What sets Playground AI apart is its canvas-style interface, which offers a spacious, minimalist environment for image creation. This clean layout can be especially appealing to users who find the complex sliders and endless parameters of other AI tools overwhelming. It’s intuitive, easy to use, and delivers impressive results, especially when experimenting with the built-in filter styles.

8. Magic Studio

magic studio - Leonardo AI Alternative

Similar to ClipDrop, Magic Studio offers a suite of AI-powered image generation and editing tools, tailored to specific use cases. One standout feature is the AI headshot generator, which allows you to upload a basic photo and transform it into a polished, professional headshot, ideal for platforms like LinkedIn.

Creating Consistent Brand Aesthetics with AI-Generated Product Photos

The product photo creator is equally impressive, enabling users to generate high-quality, 3D-style product visuals. This is ideal for brands looking to experiment with multiple image variations of the same item without the cost of a full photo shoot. 

Magic Studio also includes essential tools like background removal, blurring, and a range of other helpful features designed to streamline your visual content workflow.

9. LeiaPix

LeiaPix is a fun and innovative tool that uses AI to transform static 2D images into engaging 3D-style animations. It’s easy to get started, just upload an image, and use the simple sliders to adjust the: 

  • Animation style
  • Speed
  • Amplitude

For more control, there’s also an advanced depth map editor that lets you fine-tune the effect, though it may take some experimenting to get it just right. Once you're happy with the result, you can export your animation as an: 

  • MP4
  • GIF
  • Other supported formats

The free tier includes a watermark and is limited to non-commercial use and lower resolution. It’s still an excellent tool for experimenting with and bringing your visuals to life.

10. AutoDraw

auto draw - Leonardo AI Alternative

Autodraw is incredibly fun to use and showcases some of the more creative aspects of AI tools. You can think of Autodraw a bit like old-school MS Paint, but with AI. As you draw a shape, Autodraw will complete it and interpret your sketch into something more professional-looking. 

Autodraw is part of Google's experiments lab and is entirely free to try out. It's also just fun to see if the AI can guess what you're drawing.  

11. Skybox

sky box - Leonardo AI Alternative

Skybox by Blockade Labs is an exciting tool for anyone interested in creativity and world-building. Using AI, it generates stunning 360-degree panoramas at the click of a button.

Simply choose a visual style, enter your prompt, and Skybox will create a fully immersive virtual environment in seconds. 

At Virti, my engineering team, comprising game developers, uses it to prototype environment ideas rapidly. These can then be exported and brought into game engines.

Skybox for Prototyping Virtual Worlds and Game Levels

On paid plans, you can export cubemaps compatible with Unity, Unreal Engine, Blender, and even Roblox, making it an excellent asset for developers and designers alike. The free tier has some limitations, but it’s worth exploring if you want to experiment with immersive world creation.

12. Luma AI

luma ai - Leonardo AI Alternative

Luma’s mission is to make generating 3D assets as simple and accessible as possible. Its core product allows users to upload 2D images or videos and convert them into fully usable 3D models, which can then be exported to popular 3D rendering software. 

The company’s latest innovation, Genie AI, takes things a step further. Currently available via Discord, Genie will feel familiar to anyone who has used Midjourney.

Exporting and Using Genie-Generated Models in Your Workflow

Once you’ve joined the Genie server, just head to one of the public channels, type /prompt, and describe the 3D model you want to create. The AI handles the rest, generating original 3D assets from scratch. You can also browse the showcase channel to see recently created models and get inspired.

13. Runway

runway - Leonardo AI Alternative

Runway is at the forefront of AI-driven text-to-video generation. With its Gen-1 model available on iOS and the more advanced Gen-2 model capable of realistically and consistently synthesising new video content, it’s exciting to see how fast AI-generated video is evolving.

Runway offers a comprehensive suite of AI video tools, from training custom models to slowing down footage and removing backgrounds. Gen-2 is particularly impressive, as it enables live video masking and generates video directly from text prompts. Its latest addition, the motion brush tool, lets you control how specific areas of a video animate, giving you an unprecedented level of precision and creative control.

14. Artbreeder

art breeder - Leonardo AI Alternative

Artbreeder is an innovative online platform that uses artificial intelligence to generate striking, one-of-a-kind artworks. By blending advanced machine learning with intuitive user controls, users can merge, evolve, and remix images to create entirely new and imaginative visuals.

Whether starting from scratch or building on the platform’s extensive library, users can craft captivating hybrids with ease. Artbreeder encourages creativity and experimentation, and its collaborative features make it easy to share and remix creations within the community. It’s an inspiring tool for artists, designers, and creatives exploring the intersection of AI and visual expression.

15. NVIDIA GANs

nvidia gans - Leonardo AI Alternative

NVIDIA GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks) are a cutting-edge AI technology developed by NVIDIA, designed to generate highly realistic and immersive digital content. 

GANs operate through a dual-network system: 

  • A generator that creates synthetic data (such as images or videos)
  • A discriminator that evaluates how closely the output matches real-world examples

These two networks train in competition, continuously improving each other.

Real-World Applications of NVIDIA GANs in Film, Gaming, and Design

This adversarial process yields high-quality content that replicates the style, texture, and structure of real visuals. NVIDIA’s GAN technology has transformed fields such as computer graphics, digital art, and entertainment, enabling the creation of stunning imagery and lifelike virtual environments.

16. Deep Dream

deep dream - Leonardo AI Alternative

Deep Dream is a fascinating image-generation technique developed by Google that uses deep neural networks to create surreal, dream-like visuals. By applying deep learning algorithms to existing images, Deep Dream amplifies patterns and textures, resulting in highly psychedelic and abstract compositions.

Deep Dream vs. Other Neural Style Transfer Techniques

The process involves feeding an image through a trained neural network and iteratively modifying it based on the network’s activations. As the algorithm enhances what it “sees,” intricate and unexpected details emerge, often resembling: 

  • Organic forms
  • Faces
  • Fantastical creatures

Deep Dream has captured the imagination of artists, photographers, and creatives for its ability to reveal hidden structures and transform everyday photos into visually striking, hallucinatory artworks.

17. Wondershare Filmora AI

wonder share - Leonardo AI Alternative

Wondershare Filmora AI puts advanced video editing tools at your fingertips, combining ease of use with the power of artificial intelligence. Designed to streamline the editing process, Filmora AI can automatically detect scenes, enhance video quality, and even recognise subjects with impressive precision.

The platform also offers a rich library of pre-built effects, transitions, and templates, enabling users to add polished, creative touches in just a few clicks. Whether you're a seasoned editor or new to video creation, Filmora AI’s intuitive interface and smart automation tools make it easy to produce professional-looking videos quickly and efficiently.

What to Consider when Selecting an AI Tool for Images

What to Consider when Selecting an AI Tool for Images

Image Quality and Accuracy: The Cornerstone of Your New AI Tool

Start with the most essential factor: output quality. The tool should be capable of producing high-resolution, visually coherent images that align with your intended style, whether that's: 

  • Hyperrealism
  • Anime
  • Abstract
  • Photorealistic

Pay attention to how well it handles details like facial features, textures, and backgrounds. If the tool consistently delivers distorted or off-topic results, it may not meet your standards.

Customization Options: Tuning Your New AI Tool to Your Liking

A good AI image tool should allow you to fine-tune outputs. This includes control over colour palettes, lighting, composition, and the ability to guide the model with image references or advanced prompts. Some tools also offer negative prompts or style presets, which can help you generate more tailored, repeatable results.

Speed of Generation: Time Is Money

Time is often a constraint, especially for content creators, marketers, or game designers. Choose a tool that balances quality with performance. Some platforms can generate results in seconds. 

Others may take a minute or more, depending on complexity and server load. Consider whether you can queue multiple generations or if the platform supports batch rendering.

Ease of Use: No Degree in Computer Science Required

User experience matters. You shouldn’t need to learn code or navigate a clunky interface to bring your ideas to life. Look for platforms with a clean layout, straightforward controls, and preview options. If you can start generating impressive results within minutes of signing up, that’s a good sign.

Style Transferring Capabilities: Keeping Your Looks Consistent 

If you're working with a signature look or want your images to mimic a specific visual style, like Van Gogh brushwork, manga art, or cyberpunk aesthetics, check if the AI supports style transfer. This feature can help you maintain consistency across projects or create artwork that matches your brand identity.

Community and Support: Who's Got Your Back? 

Consider how supported you’ll be. A robust user community means more tutorials, prompt ideas, and inspiration. Responsive customer support (live chat, help docs, or email) can be invaluable when you run into: 

  • Bugs
  • Billing issues
  • Creative roadblocks

Some platforms also offer Discord servers or forums where users share feedback and collaborate. 

Simplifying Video Creation with AI

Creating cool videos used to mean hours of editing and lots of technical know-how. DomoAI's AI video editor changes that completely. You can turn photos into moving clips, make videos look like anime, or create talking avatars just by typing what you want. It's designed for anyone who wants to make engaging content but doesn't want to become a video editing expert. 

Whether you're making stuff for social media or just experimenting with ideas, the AI handles the complicated parts. You focus on the creative side, and it takes care of the rest. Create your first video for free with DomoAI today! 

Related Reading

Benefits of Using AI Tools for Visual Content

Benefits of Using AI Tools for Visual Content

In today’s digital landscape, visual content is at the heart of communication, especially on social media. Research shows that visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text, helping capture attention, simplify complex information, and build emotional connections with audiences.

Whether it's a marketing video, infographic, landing page visual, or a social media post, high-quality visuals are essential to any effective marketing strategy.

Ethical Considerations in AI-Generated Visuals

With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the way we create visual content has undergone a dramatic change. AI tools are accelerating workflows, enhancing creativity, and reducing costs. 

Here’s how:

1. Increased Productivity

AI automates time-consuming tasks such as image editing, formatting, and optimisation, freeing up time for creative and strategic work. Over 50% of marketers spend more than 10 hours a week on visual content creation. 

According to HubSpot, generative AI tools can save marketers over three hours per week on content-related tasks, enabling faster production of professional-grade visuals.

2. Brand Consistency

Maintaining a consistent visual identity across channels is crucial. AI can ensure your content adheres to brand guidelines, preserving cohesive aesthetics across: 

  • Campaigns
  • Platforms
  • Formats

3. Enhanced Creativity

With features like image generation, style transfer, and innovative design suggestions, AI empowers creators to explore new visual directions that were previously time- or cost-prohibitive. These tools not only speed up design work but also inspire innovative ideas that elevate visual storytelling.

4. Cost Efficiency

By reducing the need for manual editing and outsourcing, AI allows teams and solo creators to cut costs while maintaining or even improving quality. Resources can then be reallocated to strategic priorities like campaign planning or audience engagement.

Best AI Tools for Creating Educational Visuals

As we explore AI’s role in visual content creation, its potential extends beyond marketing. For educators, AI facilitates the creation of visuals that engage learners and clearly explain concepts, even with limited resources. 

From infographics to explainer animations, AI helps transform complex material into compelling, accessible educational content.

Create Your First Video for Free with Our AI Video Editor

DomoAI enables you to create animations from photos in just a matter of seconds. Just upload a photo, and the AI does the rest. This animation generator is excellent for making animated videos for social media or enhancing your creative projects. 

Plus, it’s easy to use. With DomoAI, you simply write a prompt to describe how you want to animate the image, and the tool creates the animation for you. 

Related Reading

Picture this: You’re working on a creative project and want to utilize artificial intelligence to help you generate stunning visual content to tell your story. As you search for the best AI animation generator to meet your needs, you come across a tool called Leonardo AI. Leonardo AI seems to offer a lot of promise, but as you dig deeper, you’re disappointed to discover that it isn’t quite what you hoped. Luckily, there are plenty of Leonardo AI alternatives that can help you achieve your goals. In this article, we’ll explore the best alternatives to Leonardo AI for generating visual content.

DomoAI’s AI video editor can help you reach your objectives. The tool makes it simple to create and edit videos, so you can get to the fun part of storytelling while harnessing the power of AI to enhance your creative process.

What is Leonardo.Ai?

leonardo ai - Leonardo AI Alternative

Leonardo.Ai is an AI-powered image generator designed to help creatives visualize their ideas and generate assets for their projects. Like the best AI image generators, Leonardo.Ai lets you create detailed and dynamic images from prompts written in natural language. What sets it apart is the level of fine-tuning it supports, including aspect ratios and art styles. 

It’s also unique in offering an extensive catalog of models and presets, each of which is suited to a particular visual style. That makes it a popular choice for everyone from digital designers to concept artists to product marketers. 

How It Works: From Prompts to Images

Leonardo.AI uses advanced machine learning algorithms to create realistic and high-quality images based on text prompts. The system started as a research project to expand AI’s image-creation abilities. Now it’s a fully-fledged image generator capable of producing stunning artwork in seconds. 

What Can You Use Leonardo.Ai For?

Leonardo.Ai makes it easy to: 

  • Generate high-quality artwork
  • Stylized illustrations
  • Photorealistic visuals

It can also produce game assets and UI elements. A standout feature is its library of text-to-image models, each tailored to a specific purpose or visual style, such as anime or graphic design. Users can even train custom models using their own brand assets to maintain visual consistency.

Beyond image generation, Leonardo.Ai offers a suite of creative tools, including an AI upscaler and a real-time canvas that blends text prompts with quick sketches. One of its newest features, Motion, transforms static images into short video clips with adjustable animation styles.

What Can’t You Use Leonardo.Ai For?

While Leonardo.Ai’s new Motion tool adds basic animation capabilities, the platform is still focused on generating and editing still image assets. It’s not a full-featured AI video editor, nor is it a complete replacement for professional graphic design software. Generated visuals often require further refinement within your broader creative workflow.

Leonardo.Ai applies prompt filtering to enforce its terms of service, blocking requests that may be illegal, offensive, or harmful. Although the tool can produce images containing copyrighted logos or content, users are responsible for ensuring their use complies with applicable laws.

For paid subscribers, privately generated images are owned by the user. Leonardo.Ai owns any images made public and may be reused by others.

Related Reading

17 Best Leonardo AI Alternatives for Generating Visual Content

1. DomoAI: A Smart Way to Create Stunning Visual Content. No Design Skills Needed

domo ai - Leonardo AI Alternative

Visual content used to demand expert tools, hours of editing, and technical skill. Not anymore. DomoAI streamlines the entire process with powerful AI, making it easy for anyone to create compelling videos and images, fast.

Effortless AI Video Generation

Whether you're animating photos, crafting anime-style scenes, or generating a cinematic reel from static images, DomoAI handles the heavy lifting. Just describe what you want and the AI does the rest. No editing timeline. No complex software. No prior experience required, like: 

  • A talking avatar
  • A short video
  • A style experiment

It’s built for content creators, marketers, and anyone producing short-form videos for TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts, without the drag of manual editing.

Text-to-Image That Matches Your Imagination

DomoAI’s text-to-image tool is equally powerful. From detailed anime characters to storyboards and product mockups, it turns simple prompts into vivid, high-quality visuals in seconds. Support for multiple aspect ratios (1:1, 9:16, 16:9) means your content is always ready for the format you need. 

Choose from a range of styles, including FX V1, based on the Flux AI model, to match your creative tone.

Made for Creators, Not Coders

DomoAI strips away the barriers to visual storytelling. No Photoshop. No Premiere. No 3D rendering experience. Just type what you envision, and watch it come to life. 

It’s ideal for:

  • Creators scaling content quickly
  • Social marketers needing fast, on-brand visuals
  • Anime fans and digital artists
  • Small businesses building a stronger visual identity

DomoAI democratises content creation. You bring the idea, DomoAI handles the execution. Start for free, explore your style, and create standout content without the technical hassle.

2. ClipDrop

clip drop - Leonardo AI Alternative

ClipDrop is a suite of AI-powered image tools developed by Stability.ai, the creators of Stable Diffusion. If you're unfamiliar, Stable Diffusion is a generative image model capable of producing high-quality visuals from short text prompts, much like MidJourney or DALL·E.

How ClipDrop Compares to Other AI Image Tools

ClipDrop offers a range of features, including background removal, image upscaling, and other editing tools. Its standout capabilities include integration with Stable Diffusion XL Turbo and a face swap tool, making it easy to generate images quickly, including those containing stylized text or words.

The paid version offers unlimited usage for £60 per year. The interface is clean and user-friendly, and it also supports API access for integration into custom applications. I’ve been using ClipDrop regularly, it’s a huge time-saver for both creating new images and editing existing ones thanks to how intuitive it is.

3. Midjourney

midjourney - Leonardo AI Alternative

Of all the free AI image generation tools I’ve used, Midjourney still delivers the most original and visually striking results. Despite this, its reliance on Discord as the primary interface can be a barrier for some users, especially compared to tools with more intuitive web-based platforms.

Exploring Midjourney Styles: From Photorealism to Surrealism

That said, once you find your way around the Midjourney Discord server, specifically the general image generation channels, it’s pretty straightforward. Simply type /imagine, followed by your prompt and any style guidance, separated by commas.

Pro tip: 

If you're just starting, explore other users' prompts to see what styles and phrasing resonate with you. Once you generate an image, you can upscale it or request variations until you land on the perfect result.

4. DALL·E

dall e3 - Leonardo AI Alternative

OpenAI’s image generation tool DALL·E received a significant upgrade with version 3, launched at the end of 2023. In my view, DALL·E 3 now rivals Stable Diffusion and Midjourney in image quality, with the added advantage of being more accessible, mainly when used through ChatGPT.

At present, DALL·E 3 is available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers, but it’s expected to launch on OpenAI Labs in 2024. In the meantime, you can still explore DALL·E 2 on OpenAI Labs and start generating images right away.

5. Microsoft Image Creator

MS bing image creator - Leonardo AI Alternative

Microsoft Image Creator is available through Bing and also as a standalone website, offering free AI image generation capabilities. While its prompt handling may not be as advanced as the latest versions of Stable Diffusion or Midjourney, or as intuitive as DALL·E 3 in ChatGPT, it still produces impressive results. Once generated, images can be easily downloaded or shared.

What sets it apart is its integration with Microsoft Designer, allowing you to edit images directly. This provides you with more manual control, enhanced by AI-powered tools, similar in feel to platforms like Canva or ClipDrop, but integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem.

6. Ideogram

ideogram - Leonardo AI Alternative

Ideogram is a newer image generation AI tool that offers a number of preset image generation styles on its web app, including one labeled “typography,” which renders lettering in different colors, fonts, sizes, and styles. 

Other preset styles include: 

  • 3D rendering
  • Cinematic
  • Painting
  • Fashion
  • Product
  • Illustration
  • Conceptual art
  • Ukiyo-e and others

Ideogram also lacks some of the other features available on rival image generators, such as zooming out and outpainting, and its results were less consistent in my tests. With its typography, it renders a book cover similar to what I've seen with DALLE-3.  

7. AI Playground

ai playground - Leonardo AI Alternative

Playground AI is another powerful image-generation tool, built on Stability AI and its own fine-tuned models to help you create striking AI art.

What sets Playground AI apart is its canvas-style interface, which offers a spacious, minimalist environment for image creation. This clean layout can be especially appealing to users who find the complex sliders and endless parameters of other AI tools overwhelming. It’s intuitive, easy to use, and delivers impressive results, especially when experimenting with the built-in filter styles.

8. Magic Studio

magic studio - Leonardo AI Alternative

Similar to ClipDrop, Magic Studio offers a suite of AI-powered image generation and editing tools, tailored to specific use cases. One standout feature is the AI headshot generator, which allows you to upload a basic photo and transform it into a polished, professional headshot, ideal for platforms like LinkedIn.

Creating Consistent Brand Aesthetics with AI-Generated Product Photos

The product photo creator is equally impressive, enabling users to generate high-quality, 3D-style product visuals. This is ideal for brands looking to experiment with multiple image variations of the same item without the cost of a full photo shoot. 

Magic Studio also includes essential tools like background removal, blurring, and a range of other helpful features designed to streamline your visual content workflow.

9. LeiaPix

LeiaPix is a fun and innovative tool that uses AI to transform static 2D images into engaging 3D-style animations. It’s easy to get started, just upload an image, and use the simple sliders to adjust the: 

  • Animation style
  • Speed
  • Amplitude

For more control, there’s also an advanced depth map editor that lets you fine-tune the effect, though it may take some experimenting to get it just right. Once you're happy with the result, you can export your animation as an: 

  • MP4
  • GIF
  • Other supported formats

The free tier includes a watermark and is limited to non-commercial use and lower resolution. It’s still an excellent tool for experimenting with and bringing your visuals to life.

10. AutoDraw

auto draw - Leonardo AI Alternative

Autodraw is incredibly fun to use and showcases some of the more creative aspects of AI tools. You can think of Autodraw a bit like old-school MS Paint, but with AI. As you draw a shape, Autodraw will complete it and interpret your sketch into something more professional-looking. 

Autodraw is part of Google's experiments lab and is entirely free to try out. It's also just fun to see if the AI can guess what you're drawing.  

11. Skybox

sky box - Leonardo AI Alternative

Skybox by Blockade Labs is an exciting tool for anyone interested in creativity and world-building. Using AI, it generates stunning 360-degree panoramas at the click of a button.

Simply choose a visual style, enter your prompt, and Skybox will create a fully immersive virtual environment in seconds. 

At Virti, my engineering team, comprising game developers, uses it to prototype environment ideas rapidly. These can then be exported and brought into game engines.

Skybox for Prototyping Virtual Worlds and Game Levels

On paid plans, you can export cubemaps compatible with Unity, Unreal Engine, Blender, and even Roblox, making it an excellent asset for developers and designers alike. The free tier has some limitations, but it’s worth exploring if you want to experiment with immersive world creation.

12. Luma AI

luma ai - Leonardo AI Alternative

Luma’s mission is to make generating 3D assets as simple and accessible as possible. Its core product allows users to upload 2D images or videos and convert them into fully usable 3D models, which can then be exported to popular 3D rendering software. 

The company’s latest innovation, Genie AI, takes things a step further. Currently available via Discord, Genie will feel familiar to anyone who has used Midjourney.

Exporting and Using Genie-Generated Models in Your Workflow

Once you’ve joined the Genie server, just head to one of the public channels, type /prompt, and describe the 3D model you want to create. The AI handles the rest, generating original 3D assets from scratch. You can also browse the showcase channel to see recently created models and get inspired.

13. Runway

runway - Leonardo AI Alternative

Runway is at the forefront of AI-driven text-to-video generation. With its Gen-1 model available on iOS and the more advanced Gen-2 model capable of realistically and consistently synthesising new video content, it’s exciting to see how fast AI-generated video is evolving.

Runway offers a comprehensive suite of AI video tools, from training custom models to slowing down footage and removing backgrounds. Gen-2 is particularly impressive, as it enables live video masking and generates video directly from text prompts. Its latest addition, the motion brush tool, lets you control how specific areas of a video animate, giving you an unprecedented level of precision and creative control.

14. Artbreeder

art breeder - Leonardo AI Alternative

Artbreeder is an innovative online platform that uses artificial intelligence to generate striking, one-of-a-kind artworks. By blending advanced machine learning with intuitive user controls, users can merge, evolve, and remix images to create entirely new and imaginative visuals.

Whether starting from scratch or building on the platform’s extensive library, users can craft captivating hybrids with ease. Artbreeder encourages creativity and experimentation, and its collaborative features make it easy to share and remix creations within the community. It’s an inspiring tool for artists, designers, and creatives exploring the intersection of AI and visual expression.

15. NVIDIA GANs

nvidia gans - Leonardo AI Alternative

NVIDIA GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks) are a cutting-edge AI technology developed by NVIDIA, designed to generate highly realistic and immersive digital content. 

GANs operate through a dual-network system: 

  • A generator that creates synthetic data (such as images or videos)
  • A discriminator that evaluates how closely the output matches real-world examples

These two networks train in competition, continuously improving each other.

Real-World Applications of NVIDIA GANs in Film, Gaming, and Design

This adversarial process yields high-quality content that replicates the style, texture, and structure of real visuals. NVIDIA’s GAN technology has transformed fields such as computer graphics, digital art, and entertainment, enabling the creation of stunning imagery and lifelike virtual environments.

16. Deep Dream

deep dream - Leonardo AI Alternative

Deep Dream is a fascinating image-generation technique developed by Google that uses deep neural networks to create surreal, dream-like visuals. By applying deep learning algorithms to existing images, Deep Dream amplifies patterns and textures, resulting in highly psychedelic and abstract compositions.

Deep Dream vs. Other Neural Style Transfer Techniques

The process involves feeding an image through a trained neural network and iteratively modifying it based on the network’s activations. As the algorithm enhances what it “sees,” intricate and unexpected details emerge, often resembling: 

  • Organic forms
  • Faces
  • Fantastical creatures

Deep Dream has captured the imagination of artists, photographers, and creatives for its ability to reveal hidden structures and transform everyday photos into visually striking, hallucinatory artworks.

17. Wondershare Filmora AI

wonder share - Leonardo AI Alternative

Wondershare Filmora AI puts advanced video editing tools at your fingertips, combining ease of use with the power of artificial intelligence. Designed to streamline the editing process, Filmora AI can automatically detect scenes, enhance video quality, and even recognise subjects with impressive precision.

The platform also offers a rich library of pre-built effects, transitions, and templates, enabling users to add polished, creative touches in just a few clicks. Whether you're a seasoned editor or new to video creation, Filmora AI’s intuitive interface and smart automation tools make it easy to produce professional-looking videos quickly and efficiently.

What to Consider when Selecting an AI Tool for Images

What to Consider when Selecting an AI Tool for Images

Image Quality and Accuracy: The Cornerstone of Your New AI Tool

Start with the most essential factor: output quality. The tool should be capable of producing high-resolution, visually coherent images that align with your intended style, whether that's: 

  • Hyperrealism
  • Anime
  • Abstract
  • Photorealistic

Pay attention to how well it handles details like facial features, textures, and backgrounds. If the tool consistently delivers distorted or off-topic results, it may not meet your standards.

Customization Options: Tuning Your New AI Tool to Your Liking

A good AI image tool should allow you to fine-tune outputs. This includes control over colour palettes, lighting, composition, and the ability to guide the model with image references or advanced prompts. Some tools also offer negative prompts or style presets, which can help you generate more tailored, repeatable results.

Speed of Generation: Time Is Money

Time is often a constraint, especially for content creators, marketers, or game designers. Choose a tool that balances quality with performance. Some platforms can generate results in seconds. 

Others may take a minute or more, depending on complexity and server load. Consider whether you can queue multiple generations or if the platform supports batch rendering.

Ease of Use: No Degree in Computer Science Required

User experience matters. You shouldn’t need to learn code or navigate a clunky interface to bring your ideas to life. Look for platforms with a clean layout, straightforward controls, and preview options. If you can start generating impressive results within minutes of signing up, that’s a good sign.

Style Transferring Capabilities: Keeping Your Looks Consistent 

If you're working with a signature look or want your images to mimic a specific visual style, like Van Gogh brushwork, manga art, or cyberpunk aesthetics, check if the AI supports style transfer. This feature can help you maintain consistency across projects or create artwork that matches your brand identity.

Community and Support: Who's Got Your Back? 

Consider how supported you’ll be. A robust user community means more tutorials, prompt ideas, and inspiration. Responsive customer support (live chat, help docs, or email) can be invaluable when you run into: 

  • Bugs
  • Billing issues
  • Creative roadblocks

Some platforms also offer Discord servers or forums where users share feedback and collaborate. 

Simplifying Video Creation with AI

Creating cool videos used to mean hours of editing and lots of technical know-how. DomoAI's AI video editor changes that completely. You can turn photos into moving clips, make videos look like anime, or create talking avatars just by typing what you want. It's designed for anyone who wants to make engaging content but doesn't want to become a video editing expert. 

Whether you're making stuff for social media or just experimenting with ideas, the AI handles the complicated parts. You focus on the creative side, and it takes care of the rest. Create your first video for free with DomoAI today! 

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Benefits of Using AI Tools for Visual Content

Benefits of Using AI Tools for Visual Content

In today’s digital landscape, visual content is at the heart of communication, especially on social media. Research shows that visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text, helping capture attention, simplify complex information, and build emotional connections with audiences.

Whether it's a marketing video, infographic, landing page visual, or a social media post, high-quality visuals are essential to any effective marketing strategy.

Ethical Considerations in AI-Generated Visuals

With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the way we create visual content has undergone a dramatic change. AI tools are accelerating workflows, enhancing creativity, and reducing costs. 

Here’s how:

1. Increased Productivity

AI automates time-consuming tasks such as image editing, formatting, and optimisation, freeing up time for creative and strategic work. Over 50% of marketers spend more than 10 hours a week on visual content creation. 

According to HubSpot, generative AI tools can save marketers over three hours per week on content-related tasks, enabling faster production of professional-grade visuals.

2. Brand Consistency

Maintaining a consistent visual identity across channels is crucial. AI can ensure your content adheres to brand guidelines, preserving cohesive aesthetics across: 

  • Campaigns
  • Platforms
  • Formats

3. Enhanced Creativity

With features like image generation, style transfer, and innovative design suggestions, AI empowers creators to explore new visual directions that were previously time- or cost-prohibitive. These tools not only speed up design work but also inspire innovative ideas that elevate visual storytelling.

4. Cost Efficiency

By reducing the need for manual editing and outsourcing, AI allows teams and solo creators to cut costs while maintaining or even improving quality. Resources can then be reallocated to strategic priorities like campaign planning or audience engagement.

Best AI Tools for Creating Educational Visuals

As we explore AI’s role in visual content creation, its potential extends beyond marketing. For educators, AI facilitates the creation of visuals that engage learners and clearly explain concepts, even with limited resources. 

From infographics to explainer animations, AI helps transform complex material into compelling, accessible educational content.

Create Your First Video for Free with Our AI Video Editor

DomoAI enables you to create animations from photos in just a matter of seconds. Just upload a photo, and the AI does the rest. This animation generator is excellent for making animated videos for social media or enhancing your creative projects. 

Plus, it’s easy to use. With DomoAI, you simply write a prompt to describe how you want to animate the image, and the tool creates the animation for you. 

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