Leonardo.ai: 7 Hidden Costs Beyond the Price Tag (2026)

Quick Answer

Last verified: July 25, 2026

High confidence

Leonardo.ai costs Free to $60 per month as of August 2026, with 4 plans available including a free tier. Plans: Free (free), Essential at $12/month, Premium at $30/month, and Ultimate at $60/month. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.

Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.

Free tier: Yes

Leonardo.ai offers 4 pricing tiers: Free, Essential, Premium, Ultimate. A free plan is available. Paid plans include Essential at $12/month, Premium at $30/month, Ultimate at $60/month. The Essential plan is daily hobbyists and enthusiasts.

Know Before You Buy — Try Leonardo.ai Free

Leonardo.ai lists $0-$60/month, but hidden costs like implementation and support add to the total as of August 2026. Key hidden costs: advanced model usage, higher resolution, multiple image variations. Verified from 5 sources by CostBench.

Hidden Costs Breakdown

Advanced Model Usage

medium overage

Newer or more advanced models, such as Phoenix 2.0, typically cost more tokens per generation than older models.

industry
The number of tokens deducted for each action varies significantly depending on several factors: * Model Used: Newer or more advanced models, such as Phoenix 2.0, typically cost more tokens per generation than older models.

Higher Resolution

medium overage

Higher image resolutions demand more tokens; for instance, 1024x1024 pixels could cost 16 tokens compared to 8 tokens for 512x512 pixels, effectively doubling the cost.

industry
For instance, generating initial concepts at 512x512 pixels might cost 8 tokens, while 1024x1024 pixels could cost 16 tokens, effectively doubling the cost for higher resolution.

Multiple Image Variations

medium overage

Generating multiple variations of an image will multiply the token cost accordingly.

industry
Number of Variations: Generating multiple variations of an image will multiply the token cost accordingly.

Premium Third-Party Models & Video Generation

high overage

Using premium third-party models (e.g., Veo 3) and video generation consumes tokens at a much higher rate; for example, one 8-second Veo 3 video can cost 2,500 tokens, translating to roughly $3.50 on an Apprentice plan.

industry
The number of tokens deducted for each action varies significantly depending on several factors: * Model Used: Newer or more advanced models, such as Phoenix 2.0, typically cost more tokens per generation than older models.

Credit Depletion on Learning Curve

medium overage

New users report losing significant credits while learning the platform interface and settings. Complex token/credit system causes users to accidentally spend credits on unwanted features before understanding how the system works.

trustpilot
my point is now the program is confusing at every step and while you're learning their ropes you got stripped of your deposit in a blink of eye. There settings are just set for that.

Audio Generation Default Enabled on Video

high overage

Audio is enabled by default on video generation, significantly increasing token costs per generation without users realizing it. A 10-second clip with audio costs as much as a 15-second clip without audio.

trustpilot
they leave generate audio on by default, which is very pricy. For example, in Kling 3.0 a 10 second clip with audio costs the same as a 15 second clip without. If you don't want audio you have to watch that, or you will end up losing a lot of credits that you could have used for video generation.

Video Generation High Token Cost

high overage

Video generation consumes insanely high amounts of tokens relative to image generation, and cheaper video options reportedly produce poor quality results.

trustpilot
Video generation costs insanely high amounts of tokens, and everything cheaper looks terrible.

Credits/Tokens Forfeited on Subscription Cancellation

high addon

Users report that purchased tokens and credits are removed when a subscription is cancelled, even if the billing period has not expired and the credits were paid for in the current cycle. Leonardo.ai's position is that tokens are tied to an active subscription rather than being owned outright by the user.

trustpilot
I cancelled my subscription right after renewal (having already paid for the next month in advance). The message said something along the lines of: “Your subscription will remain active until (one month ahead).” I had more than 7,000 tokens remaining, but the next day every token had been removed.

trustpilot
They have refreshed my plan and removed 3850 credits that I paid for. Scammers. If a customer has paid for those credits they have every right to use them even if they don't want to pay again.

Continued Billing After Cancellation Request

critical support

Multiple users report being charged after submitting cancellation requests. The subscription pause option is reportedly buried deep in account settings, and billing has continued even after support acknowledged cancellation. Enterprise customers have reported being unable to cancel or pause at all, accumulating thousands in unwanted charges.

trustpilot
Kept trying to bill me after I told them to cancel subscription and then proceeded to keep sending emails asking if I need help!!!

trustpilot
on March 22 I decided I no longer needed it so I submitted the cancelation request, I received an email confirming the received my cancelation request and my plan would be switched back to the free plan on April 14 but then I got billed again.

Private Video Content Requires Paid Plan

medium addon

Videos generated on free or lower-tier plans are made public by default. Users must upgrade to a premium plan to keep generated videos private.

trustpilot
If you want your AI videos you create to be private you need to buy their premium, if not it will be public.

Complex Token/Points System

medium overage

The subscription rules and token/points system are complicated and difficult to understand, leading users to unintentionally spend credits on features they don't need or at higher rates than expected.

trustpilot
My initial impression of Leonardo.ai was that the price was a bit high and the points and subscription rules were rather complicated.

Face Reference Feature Non-Functional for Free Users

medium addon

The Image Guidance / Face Reference feature is advertised but reportedly fails silently for free users, consuming credits while ignoring the uploaded face and duplicating the reference image instead. This creates a credit trap that effectively forces free users to upgrade to access a feature they believed was available.

trustpilot
I am extremely disappointed and feel cheated by Leonardo.ai. Using 'Image Guidance' with a 'Face Reference' is currently a scam for free users. The system simply ignores the uploaded face, duplicates the reference image, and consumes credits for a result it didn't even attempt to process correctly.

No Refunds on Accidental Renewals by Default

medium support

Leonardo.ai's standard policy is not to provide refunds for accidental subscription renewals. Some users have obtained exceptions through direct support escalation, but outcomes are inconsistent and depend on individual support agents rather than a published refund policy.

trustpilot
I had an issue with an accidental subscription renewal, and although refunds are not normally provided, Jefren took the time to understand my situation. He was kind, professional, and very underst... See more

Token Drain During Onboarding Learning Curve

medium training

New users unfamiliar with Leonardo.ai's token consumption model report losing large portions of their token balance while learning the platform's settings and workflows. The system does not prominently warn when high-cost operations (resizing, regenerating, audio) are selected.

trustpilot
My experience with this program is just a crumbling failure. I wish to give Leonardo.ai the best review possible but after desperate attempt to resize one image, finally getting it in hours of misleading prompts from AI and one right from human I got charged over 500 tokens from 8500 I just subscribed for. So, my point is now the program is confusing at every step and while you're learning their ropes you got stripped of your deposit in a blink of eye.

Frequently Asked Questions

01 What hidden costs should I budget for with Leonardo.ai?

Beyond the license fee, budget for: Premium Third-Party Models & Video Generation ($3.50); Credit Depletion on Learning Curve (5-15% of subscription costs); Audio Generation Default Enabled on Video (10-30% of subscription costs); Video Generation High Token Cost (20-50% of subscription costs); Credits/Tokens Forfeited on Subscription Cancellation ($9.60-$48); Continued Billing After Cancellation Request ($9.60-$10,800); Private Video Content Requires Paid Plan ($12-$30/month upgrade required); Complex Token/Points System (5-15% of subscription costs); Face Reference Feature Non-Functional for Free Users (5-15% of license costs); No Refunds on Accidental Renewals by Default ($9.60-$48); Token Drain During Onboarding Learning Curve (10-25% of license costs). Exact totals depend on your deployment size and negotiated terms.

02 Does Leonardo.ai charge for implementation?

Implementation costs for Leonardo.ai vary by deployment size and customization. Contact the vendor or check our sourced hidden-cost breakdown above for verified figures.

03 How much does Leonardo.ai support cost?

04 Are there overage or storage costs with Leonardo.ai?

Newer or more advanced models, such as Phoenix 2.0, typically cost more tokens per generation than older models.

05 What add-ons cost extra with Leonardo.ai?

Add-on pricing for Leonardo.ai varies by feature. The sourced cost breakdown above lists any verified add-on costs we have.

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