DALL-E vs Leonardo AI: Features, Pricing and Verdict
DALL-E is retired, so this comparison covers its replacement: ChatGPT Images versus Leonardo AI. Features, pricing and the verdict for creators in 2026.
By Galactic News Editorial · Published 2026-11-08T19:33:49+00:00 · Updated 2026-11-08T19:33:49+00:00
DALL-E vs Leonardo AI: Features, Pricing and Verdict
DALL-E vs Leonardo AI is a comparison with a twist. DALL-E is retired. OpenAI removed DALL-E 2 and DALL-E 3 from its API on 12 May 2026. It retired the official DALL-E GPT inside ChatGPT on 30 August 2026. What you get from OpenAI today is ChatGPT Images, built on the GPT Image models. Leonardo AI, by contrast, is live and actively sold. This article compares OpenAI's current image generation with Leonardo AI, and explains what DALL-E's retirement means for you.
The short answer: Leonardo AI is the better choice if you want a dedicated image tool with a free plan and clear pricing. ChatGPT Images is the better choice if you already pay for ChatGPT and want quick images inside a chat. DALL-E itself is no longer an option.
What Happened to DALL-E
DALL-E 3 launched in October 2023. It was OpenAI's third-generation text-to-image model. It was known for strong prompt understanding and readable text inside images. It was available through ChatGPT and through the OpenAI API.
OpenAI replaced it in stages. In March 2025, image generation built into GPT-4o became the default in ChatGPT. In April 2026, OpenAI released GPT Image 2 and ChatGPT Images 2.0. On 12 May 2026, OpenAI removed DALL-E 2 and DALL-E 3 from the API. Its deprecations page names GPT Image 2, GPT Image 1, and GPT Image 1-mini as the replacements. On 30 August 2026, the official DALL-E GPT was retired inside ChatGPT.
ChatGPT Images is now the current product. Version 2.5 arrived on 8 September 2026. Version 2.6 arrived on 4 November 2026, with faster generation and GIF creation. It is available on every ChatGPT plan, including Free, with limits. You cannot buy DALL-E any more. There is no current DALL-E price to quote.
What Leonardo AI Offers
Leonardo AI is a browser-based studio for image, video, and 3D asset generation. It runs on tokens. It offers its own first-party models and third-party models on the same balance. It is built for creators who need many images in a consistent style.
Its strongest feature is trainable personal models. You can train a model on your own images and then generate new work in that style. That is useful for brands, game artists, and product teams. It also has a canvas editor, presets, and a public gallery for inspiration.
Leonardo's free plan gives 150 fast tokens a day. The allowance resets every 24 hours. It does not roll over. Free creations are public. Other Leonardo users can see and use them. Free images are not commercially licensed. That limits the free plan to learning and testing.
Paid plans start at Essential, 12 dollars a month or 10 dollars billed annually. It gives 8,500 fast tokens a month, private creations, 10 personal AI models, and a rollover bank of 25,500 tokens. Premium costs 30 dollars a month, or 24 dollars billed annually. It gives 25,000 tokens a month and 20 personal models. Ultimate costs 60 dollars a month, or 48 dollars billed annually. It gives 60,000 tokens a month and 50 personal models. Paid plans also add unlimited relaxed generation on selected models.
Leonardo also offers a pay-as-you-go API. It is billed separately from web subscriptions. New API accounts start with 5 dollars of free credit. API usage is billed in dollars, with no per-generation list price published.
DALL-E vs Leonardo AI: Features Compared
The two tools serve different workflows. ChatGPT Images is a general-purpose generator inside a chat. Leonardo AI is a dedicated image studio. The table below compares the current products, not the retired DALL-E.
| Feature | ChatGPT Images (OpenAI) | Leonardo AI |
|---|---|---|
| Status in November 2026 | Live, current OpenAI image product | Live, actively developed |
| Free access | Yes, on the ChatGPT Free plan with daily limits | Yes, 150 fast tokens a day |
| Commercial use on free plan | Free-tier images are for personal use; paid plans cover commercial use | No, free creations are public and not commercially licensed |
| How you pay | ChatGPT subscription, Plus at 20 dollars a month, or API billed by tokens | Monthly subscription by tokens, or pay-as-you-go API |
| Entry paid plan | ChatGPT Plus, 20 dollars a month | Essential, 12 dollars a month |
| Trainable personal models | No | Yes, 10 to 50 personal models depending on plan |
| Image editing | Yes, edit by describing changes in plain words | Yes, canvas editor with inpainting and outpainting |
| Video and 3D | Video is a separate product, Sora | Yes, video and 3D generation in the same studio |
| API access | Yes, GPT Image models billed by tokens | Yes, pay-as-you-go with 5 dollars starter credit |
| Text inside images | Strong, a noted strength of the GPT Image models | Good on recent models, varies by model |
ChatGPT Images wins on convenience. You describe an image in plain words and edit it the same way. You do not need to learn a studio interface. Leonardo AI wins on control. Its canvas editor, presets, and trainable models suit creators who produce images every day.
DALL-E vs Leonardo AI: Pricing Compared
DALL-E 3 had clear API prices when it was live. A standard 1024 by 1024 image cost 0.04 dollars. A wide or tall standard image cost 0.08 dollars. An HD image cost 0.08 dollars, or 0.12 dollars for wide and tall sizes. Those prices are history now. They show what DALL-E cost, not what image generation costs today.
OpenAI's current API pricing is token-based. GPT Image 2.5 models list image input tokens at 8 dollars per million, with cached input at 2 dollars, image output tokens at 30 dollars per million, and text input at 5 dollars per million. In practice, most users will not use the API. They will use ChatGPT. ChatGPT Plus costs 20 dollars a month and includes image generation with no per-image charge.
Leonardo AI is cheaper at the entry level. Essential at 12 dollars a month undercuts ChatGPT Plus at 20 dollars. Its free plan is also more generous for daily testing. It gives 150 tokens every day. ChatGPT's free plan limits image generation per day without publishing a number. For a creator who only needs images, Leonardo costs less. For someone who already pays for ChatGPT, the image tool is already included.
Which Tool Should You Choose
Choose Leonardo AI if you make images every day. Its trainable models, canvas editor, and token pricing fit a production workflow. Its free plan is enough to learn the tool. Its Essential plan at 12 dollars a month is the cheapest serious image plan in this comparison.
Choose ChatGPT Images if you already use ChatGPT. You get image generation inside the chat you already pay for. You can generate and edit images by describing what you want in plain words. You do not need another subscription or another interface.
Avoid planning around DALL-E. It is retired from the API and from ChatGPT. Old guides and reviews still describe it as live. They are out of date. If a tool claims to sell DALL-E access, check what model it actually uses. It is almost certainly using a GPT Image model or another generator under the DALL-E name.
Bottom Line
DALL-E vs Leonardo AI ends with a clear result. DALL-E is retired, so the real choice is ChatGPT Images or Leonardo AI. Leonardo AI wins for dedicated image work. It has a free daily allowance, trainable personal models, and paid plans from 12 dollars a month. ChatGPT Images wins for convenience. It is built into ChatGPT and included with a 20-dollar Plus subscription. Pick Leonardo for volume and control. Pick ChatGPT Images if you already live in ChatGPT.