Topaz Labs vs Leonardo AI in 2026: Enhance Your Own Images or Generate New Ones?
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 (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 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 and Leonardo AI review for primary citations and Wayback snapshots.
The AI Directory Australia is an independent editorial publication. Read our Methodology.
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