> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Topaz Labs vs Leonardo AI in 2026: Enhance Your Own Images or Generate New Ones? - URL: https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/topaz-labs-vs-leonardo-australia-2026/ - Published: 2026-06-25T23:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-09T06:43:28.000Z - Description: Topaz makes your own photos and video sharper, on your own machine; Leonardo generates new images in the cloud. Which one does the job you actually have? - Author: Adam - Tags: Design & Creative, AI Comparisons, AI Reviews, #comparison Head-to-head verdict [**18**/25Topaz Labs](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-topaz-labs-australia-2026/)[**21**/25Leonardo AI](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/leonardo-ai-review-australia-2026/) **No single winner.** The right choice depends on the job; the verdict below says who should buy which. > **The honest verdict: they do different jobs.** Topaz enhances and upscales images and video you already have — locally, on your own machine. Leonardo generates new images and short video in the cloud. Pick by whether you're improving files or creating them. > > *Last reviewed: 26 June 2026 by Adam.* ## Quick comparison | | Topaz Labs | Leonardo AI | | ----------------- | -------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | | Core job | Enhance & upscale your own files | Generate new images & short video | | Starting price | \~US$99/yr (Gigapixel) | US$12/mo (\~A$16.80, ex tax) | | Free tier | Trial-based | ✅ 150 tokens/day | | Where it runs | Locally, on your machine | Cloud (offshore) | | Data residency | Files stay on your device | No AU region; offshore | | Best for | Sharper photos, restored video | New artwork, concepts, volume | | Score (out of 25) | 18/25 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 21/25 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ## What both tools do [Topaz Labs](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-topaz-labs-australia-2026/) (Gigapixel, Photo AI, Video AI) is enhancement software: you bring a photo or video and it upscales, sharpens, denoises or restores it — running **locally on your own computer**. [Leonardo AI](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/leonardo-ai-review-australia-2026/) is a cloud generator: you type a prompt and it creates new images (and short video) using its own and partner models, with its own Universal Upscaler built in. Topaz improves what exists; Leonardo invents what doesn't. ## Pricing in Australia Different models. Topaz is sold per-product (Gigapixel \~US$99/yr, Photo AI \~US$199, Video AI \~US$299) or as a Studio bundle, in USD, with its licensing in transition. Leonardo is a USD subscription (Apprentice US$12/month, \~A$16.80 ex tax) on a token system, with a free 150-tokens-a-day tier. Neither bills in native AUD. ## Where Topaz wins - **Best-in-class enhancement** — upscaling, denoise and video restoration are the benchmark. - **It runs locally** — your files never leave your machine, the strongest data-residency story in our library. - **Mature and reliable** — nearly two decades old. ## Where Leonardo wins - **It generates** — new images and short video from a prompt, which Topaz can't. - **Creative range and control** — multiple models, Realtime Canvas, custom training, plus its own upscaler. - **Australian pedigree** — Sydney-built, Canva-owned — and the higher score (21 vs 18). ## The verdict This isn't a contest so much as a fork in the road. If your job is **making your own photos or video genuinely better** — sharper, cleaner, bigger — and especially if you care that the files stay on your machine, Topaz is the pick, and its local processing is a privacy advantage Leonardo can't match. If your job is **creating new imagery** from scratch, Topaz simply can't do it, and Leonardo is the stronger, higher-scoring generator (21 vs 18) with its own upscaler bundled in. Many creators will sensibly use both: generate in Leonardo, finish and upscale in Topaz. The deciding question is enhance-versus-create, and your data sensitivity is the tiebreaker — local (Topaz) versus cloud (Leonardo). ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Topaz Labs or Leonardo AI better? They do different jobs. Topaz enhances and upscales your own files locally (18/25). Leonardo generates new images and video in the cloud (21/25). Pick Topaz to improve existing files, Leonardo to create new ones — many people use both. ### Which keeps my files in Australia? Topaz. Its desktop apps process locally on your own machine, so files never leave your device — the strongest data-residency story in our library. Leonardo is cloud-based with no Australian data region. ### Can Topaz generate images like Leonardo? No. Topaz is enhancement software — it upscales, sharpens and restores images and video you already have. To create new images from a prompt, you need a generator like Leonardo, which also has its own upscaler. --- ## Sources - See our full [Topaz Labs review](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/review-topaz-labs-australia-2026/) and [Leonardo AI review](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/leonardo-ai-review-australia-2026/) for primary citations and Wayback snapshots. --- *The AI Directory Australia is an independent editorial publication. Read our* [*Methodology*](https://www.theaidirectory.com.au/methodology/)*.* ---