Summary

The article compares the AI image generation capabilities of Midjourney and Leonardo through a series of side-by-side image comparisons based on various prompts.

Abstract

The author of the article conducts a comparative analysis between two AI-driven image tools, Midjourney and Leonardo, by generating images from simple prompts and evaluating the outputs. The prompts cover a range of subjects including portraits, fantasy scenes, objects, streets, ink drawings, pet photos, and landscapes. The author notes that while both tools produce high-quality images, there are nuances in how each interprets and executes the prompts. For instance, Midjourney excels in portraying natural character in portraits and offers an anthropomorphized interpretation in a fantasy-themed prompt. Leonardo, on the other hand, is praised for its softness and lighting in an object and street scene and holds its own against Midjourney in other categories. The article concludes that both tools are impressive, but preferences may vary depending on the prompt and the desired artistic style.

Opinions

The author finds both Midjourney and Leonardo to be capable of creating awesome portraits, with Midjourney adding a sense of natural character.
In a fantasy-themed prompt, the author leans towards Leonardo's composition, appreciating its interpretation without armor on the white tiger subject.
The softness and lighting in Leonardo's rendition of an old-fashioned car on the street are preferred over Midjourney's detailed car depiction.
For an ink drawing of a Ninja warrior, the author's preference is Midjourney's version, despite the different artistic styles presented.
The pet photo category results in a draw, with both AI tools producing great images of a cat by a window.
Midjourney's landscape of an alien planet is slightly preferred for its creative composition.
The author acknowledges that the comparison is subject to change with different prompts and emphasizes that both tools are impressive, with Leonardo performing well against the established Midjourney.
Readers are encouraged to engage with the article by sharing their preferences and supporting the author's work on Medium.

Midjourney Vs Leonardo

A comparison of two amazing AI image tools

Made by author on Midjourney, logos added

If you aren’t familiar with Leonardo.ai, you can read about it here.

The following are side-by-side comparisons of some compositions I tested using both Midjourney and Leonardo.

I kept the prompts very simple to get the purest comparison, and I also kept the preferred default sizes per each app.

With Leonardo, there are multiple models to choose from, so I picked the closest model that would align with the composition I was looking for.

I did re-roll several times per each app to try and get the one I preferred, but I didn’t re-roll more than 3 times.

Here are the results…

Portraits

prompt: Portrait of an old viking, dramatic lighting

Left: Leonardo • Right: Midjourney : made by author

These are incredibly similar likenesses here. Both are awesome… draw.

Prompt: Portrait of a beautiful woman

Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but it’s hard to beat Midjourney’s portraits which seem to portray a sense of natural character to them.

Fantasy

Prompt: white tiger wearing a shiny knight armor, unreal engine, dramatic lighting, castle background

Left: Midjourney • Right: Leonardo : made by author

Interesting how Midjourney interpreted an anthropomorphized white tiger while Leonardo left out the armor. I really like the composition of both of these, but leaning toward Leonardo as the preferred choice on this one.

Object And Street

Prompt: Old fashioned car on the street

While I like the detail of the car from Midjourney, I really like the softness and lighting from Leonardo’s version.

Ink drawing

Prompt: ink drawing of a Ninja warrior, splatter, black and white

While the styles are artistically different, my preference is toward Midjourney on this one.

Pet Photo

Prompt: photo portrait of a beautiful cat sitting by a window. photo, realistic

All cats are beautiful. This is a tough one to choose from, both are great. draw.

Landscape

Prompt: A beautiful landscape of an alien planet

I like the creative composition a bit better with Midjourney’s version here.

Final Thoughts

Doing these kinds of comparisons isn’t always the right way to judge which is the better tool. On a different day with a different prompt, the results could be different… but it’s fun nonetheless.

Leonardo is the new kid on the block, but it is holding its own against the powerhouse Midjourney.

Which ones did you like better?

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