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Head-to-head · AI Image Generators

Shutterstock vs Leonardo.Ai

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Shutterstock #1 in AI Image Generators 9.7/10 Paid ✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Shutterstock
Leonardo.Ai #5 in AI Image Generators 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Leonardo.Ai

Shutterstock leads on 0 checks, Leonardo.Ai on 1, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreShutterstock · 9.7/10
  • Free planonly Leonardo.Ai
  • Most featuresLeonardo.Ai · 4 of 4

Shutterstock scores higher on our rubric for ai image generators: 9.7 against 9.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #5.

Leonardo.Ai offers free plan; Shutterstock doesn't.

Shutterstock is the better fit for teams that want AI images next to licensed stock. Leonardo.Ai is the better fit for high-volume creators and custom model training.

  • Shutterstock fits best

    Teams that want AI images next to licensed stock

  • Leonardo.Ai fits best

    High-volume creators and custom model training

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Side by side

Feature Shutterstock 9.7/10 Visit ↗ Leonardo.Ai 9.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.7 9.1
Ranking #1 in AI Image Generators #5 in AI Image Generators
Best for Teams that want AI images next to licensed stock High-volume creators and custom model training
Pricing model Paid Free plan + paid
Starting price — —
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web
Support Live chat, Docs Email, Live chat, Docs
Integrations 8,000+ integrations 4 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Shutterstock 1/4 · Leonardo.Ai 4/4
Text-to-image Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Reference images Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Image editing Not checked yet ✓ (best)
API access ✓ ✓
Specs
Monthly credits Not checked yet 8500 credits/mo
Commercial use Not checked yet Included
Output formats Not checked yet png, jpg, jpeg, webp
Our review
Pros
  • AI image generation and editing inside a broad licensed stock library
  • Unlimited Images includes 50 AI generation credits a month; Unlimited Plus includes 100
  • Web, iOS, Android and API access
  • 8,500 fast tokens and 10 personal AI models on Essential
  • Reference controls, editing, inpainting, outpainting, and upscaling
  • Web platform, developer API, and Canva integration
Cons
  • AI credits come only with paid Unlimited plans; no free plan
  • Monthly credits cap how many images you can generate
  • Plan choices vary by media type and AI credit allowance
  • Free creations are public and have limited generation and editing access
  • Relaxed image and video generation is limited to selected models
  • Higher-volume workflows require Premium or Ultimate plans
Our verdict

Shutterstock combines its stock library with AI tools, including an AI image generator and AI editing. Generation runs on monthly AI credits that come with the Unlimited plans: the pricing page lists 50 AI generation credits a month with…

Read the review →

Leonardo.Ai is a generative AI platform for creators, designers, marketers, artists, and teams. It supports text-to-image generation, uploaded and generated image references, character and style controls, prompt-based editing, canvas…

Read the review →
  1. ShutterstockAI Image Generators 9.7Paid
  2. Leonardo.AiAI Image Generators 9.1Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Shutterstock — where it wins

    • AI image generation and editing inside a broad licensed stock library
    • Unlimited Images includes 50 AI generation credits a month; Unlimited Plus includes 100
    • Web, iOS, Android and API access

    Where it doesn't

    • AI credits come only with paid Unlimited plans; no free plan
    • Monthly credits cap how many images you can generate
    • Plan choices vary by media type and AI credit allowance

  • Leonardo.Ai — where it wins

    • 8,500 fast tokens and 10 personal AI models on Essential
    • Reference controls, editing, inpainting, outpainting, and upscaling
    • Web platform, developer API, and Canva integration

    Where it doesn't

    • Free creations are public and have limited generation and editing access
    • Relaxed image and video generation is limited to selected models
    • Higher-volume workflows require Premium or Ultimate plans

More comparisons

All AI image generators comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update