Leonardo AI vs Runway: Which is Better in 2026?
At a Glance
Overall Scores
Overall
Leonardo AI
81
Runway
88
Quality
Leonardo AI
82
Runway
90
Ease of Use
Leonardo AI
85
Runway
82
Value
Leonardo AI
84
Runway
75
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Leonardo AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|
| Text To Image | ||
| Image To Image | ||
| Inpainting | ||
| Outpainting | ||
| Upscaling | ||
| Text Rendering | ||
| Style Transfer | ||
| Batch Generation | ||
| API Access | ||
| Video Generation | ||
| Text To Video | ||
| Image To Video | ||
| Video To Video | ||
| Motion Brush | ||
| Background Removal | ||
| Green Screen | ||
| Audio Sync | ||
| Lip Sync | ||
| Custom Training |
Specifications
| Spec | Leonardo AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|
| Max Resolution | Up to 1536×1536 | 1080p native, 4K with upscaling |
| Model Version | Phoenix, Leonardo Diffusion XL, Custom | Gen-3 Alpha, Gen-2 (legacy) |
| Style Range | Photorealism, game art, anime, concept art | — |
| Text In Images | Basic support | — |
| Upscaling | Up to 4× with Alchemy upscaler | — |
| Generation Speed | ~5-20 seconds | ~60-120 seconds per clip |
| Max Video Length | — | 16 seconds per generation (Gen-3 Alpha) |
| Fps | — | 24 fps |
| Export Formats | — | MP4, GIF, PNG sequence |
Pricing Comparison
Pros & Cons
What Reddit Says
Leonardo AI
68% positiveLeonardo is popular among game developers and users who need custom models. The free tier is praised but the token system gets criticized. Users see it as a practical middle ground between Midjourney's quality and Stable Diffusion's flexibility.
Runway
74% positiveRunway is widely regarded as the industry leader for AI video. Filmmakers and advertisers praise Gen-3 Alpha's quality. The credit system and pricing are the main complaints — professional use burns through credits quickly.