Runway vs Leonardo.Ai
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
It's a near tie: both score 8.1, with Runway ahead by a hair, so the right pick depends on what you need. Runway wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Leonardo.Ai on 1, with 1 tied.
Editors, agencies and filmmakers who need control over every shot
Hobbyists and creators who want to try many image models for free
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Runway | Leonardo.Ai |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI Creative Tools | AI Creative Tools |
| Category rank | #6 of 12 | #8 of 12 |
| Developer | Runway AI | Leonardo.Ai (Canva) |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Runway better than Leonardo.Ai?
It's a near tie: both score 8.1, with Runway ahead by a hair, so the right pick depends on what you need. Runway wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Leonardo.Ai on 1, with 1 tied.
Which is cheaper, Runway or Leonardo.Ai?
Runway: 125 one-time free credits; Standard is $15 a month or $12 billed yearly. Leonardo.Ai: 150 free tokens a day; Essential from $10 a month billed yearly. On value for money, Leonardo.Ai scores higher.
Do Runway and Leonardo.Ai work on the same devices?
Yes, both run on Web, iPhone & iPad, Android.
Which is more private, Runway or Leonardo.Ai?
Runway scores higher on privacy (5.8/10). Runway's terms give it an irrevocable license to train its models on your inputs and outputs, with no opt-out described outside Enterprise. The App Store label lists identifiers used to track you.
Strengths and weaknesses
Runway
- Deep editing and control, not just prompts
- Many top models under one credit balance
- Plugins for Premiere Pro and After Effects
- Free plan is a one-time 125 credits
- Credits go fast on premium video models
- Irrevocable training license on your work
Runway is less about one model and more about control. Its own Gen-4.5 video and Aleph 2.0 editing sit beside Kling, Seedance and Nano Banana, and Runway Agent can turn a conversation into a cut, multi-shot video. New Ads and App Studio tools push it further toward agencies and editors. The free plan is just 125 one-time credits, and its terms give Runway an irrevocable right to train on what you make.
Full Runway review
Leonardo.Ai
- Generous daily free allowance
- Many image models in one app
- Unused paid tokens roll over up to 3 months
- Free images are public
- Private mode and Veo video need a paid plan
- Free daily tokens don't carry over
Leonardo gives you a lot to play with for free: 150 tokens a day across its own models plus Nano Banana, FLUX and Seedream, with Veo video on paid plans. Blueprints turn common jobs into ready-made templates, and since Canva owns it, you can send images straight there. The trade-off on the free plan is that everything is public and Leonardo keeps broad rights to reuse it.
Full Leonardo.Ai review
