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Leonardo AI vs Shortwave

Features, pricing, ratings, and pros and cons, side by side.

Leonardo AI logo

Leonardo AI

AI image and video studio with custom model training and a real-time canvas editor

Freemium
Visit websiteView details
Shortwave logo

Shortwave

AI email client for Gmail that searches, organizes, drafts and schedules from plain-language prompts

Freemium
Visit websiteView details

Verdict

Leonardo AI is listed under Image & Visual AI and Shortwave under AI Assistants. Leonardo AI scores higher in FinderAtlas's editorial review (8.5 vs 8.1 out of 10), led by value for money. Both have a free plan or trial. Only Leonardo AI is available on Web and offers an API. Only Shortwave is available on Windows and macOS.

Best overall

Leonardo AI

  • Game developers
  • Concept artists
  • Designers
  • Marketers

Choose Leonardo AI if

  • You want a tool built for game and concept art.
  • Free plan with 150 tokens per day.
  • Many first-party and third-party image and video models in one account.

Choose Shortwave if

  • You want a tool built for heavy Gmail users who want AI search, drafting and inbox triage inside the email client itself.
  • AI search covers up to five years of email on Business and unlimited history on Premier and Max.
  • Native apps on iOS, Android, Mac and Windows, with a 4.7 average rating on the App Store.
Best for beginners
Leonardo AI
Best for business
Shortwave

Features

18 features compared.

  • AI Canvas
    Leonardo AI
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Multiple models
    Leonardo AI
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Personal model training
    Leonardo AI
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Video generation
    Leonardo AI
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Blueprints
    Leonardo AI
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Image editing tools
    Leonardo AI
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • Mobile apps
    Leonardo AI
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • API and MCP server
    Leonardo AI
    Available
    Shortwave
    Not available
  • AI Assistant
    Leonardo AI
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • AI Search
    Leonardo AI
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • Write in Your Voice
    Leonardo AI
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • AI Filters
    Leonardo AI
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • Bundles and Split Inboxes
    Leonardo AI
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • AI Scheduling
    Leonardo AI
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • Team Collaboration
    Leonardo AI
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • Tracking and Reminders
    Leonardo AI
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • App Connections and MCP
    Leonardo AI
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available
  • Privacy Controls
    Leonardo AI
    Not available
    Shortwave
    Available

Pricing

Plans as listed by each vendor. Check their sites for current prices.

  • Pricing model
    Leonardo AI
    Freemium
    Shortwave
    Freemium
  • Free plan
    Leonardo AI
    Yes
    Shortwave
    Yes
  • Starting price
    Leonardo AI
    $0
    Shortwave
    $0
  • Plans
    Leonardo AI
    4 plans
    Shortwave
    5 plans

Leonardo AI plans

  • Free

    $0

    150 fast tokens per day with public creations

    • 150 daily tokens
    • Basic quality
    • Public creations
    • Presets

  • Essential

    Most popular

    $12/month

    8,500 fast tokens per month

    • 8,500 monthly tokens
    • Private creations
    • Token rollover bank
    • Personal model training
    • Token top-up packs

  • Premium

    $30/month

    25,000 fast tokens per month

    • 25,000 monthly tokens
    • Unlimited relaxed image generation on Leonardo models
    • Larger rollover bank
    • More simultaneous generations

  • Ultimate

    $60/month

    60,000 fast tokens per month

    • 60,000 monthly tokens
    • Unlimited relaxed image and video generation on select models
    • Largest rollover bank
    • 6 simultaneous generations

Shortwave plans

  • Free

    $0

    Individual tier with basic AI and limited daily AI quota

    • Basic intelligence
    • limited daily AI quota
    • 90 days of search history
    • Sent with Shortwave signature

  • Pro

    $18/user/mo

    Individual plan for personal users

    • AI assistant
    • paid AI features for individuals

  • Business

    Most popular

    $30/user/mo

    Everyday AI productivity for teams

    • Standard intelligence
    • 5 years AI search history
    • max 50 threads per AI search
    • 3 AI filters
    • AI integrations and web browsing

  • Premier

    $45/user/mo

    Everything in Business with more AI capacity

    • Advanced intelligence
    • 2x AI usage
    • 100 threads per AI search
    • 10 AI filters
    • unlimited AI search history

  • Max

    $120/user/mo

    Highest AI capacity per seat

    • Expert intelligence
    • 6x AI usage
    • 150 threads per AI search
    • 50 AI filters
    • unlimited AI search history

Our ratings

Scored out of 10 by the Finder Atlas editorial team. Last reviewed October 2026.

Leonardo AI
8.5overall
Shortwave
8.1overall

Leonardo AI leads in 1 category and Shortwave in 1.

  • Image Quality

    Leonardo AI
    8.7
    Shortwave
    Not rated

  • Model Variety

    Leonardo AI
    9.0
    Shortwave
    Not rated

  • Customization & Control

    Leonardo AI
    8.8
    Shortwave
    Not rated

  • Ease of Use

    Shortwave leads by 0.5
    Leonardo AI
    8.0
    Shortwave
    8.5

  • Value for Money

    Leonardo AI leads by 0.5
    Leonardo AI
    7.8
    Shortwave
    7.3

  • Feature Depth

    Leonardo AI
    Not rated
    Shortwave
    8.4

  • Performance & Speed

    Leonardo AI
    Not rated
    Shortwave
    8.3

  • Documentation & Support

    Leonardo AI
    Not rated
    Shortwave
    7.8

Scores weigh documented features, plan value, platform coverage, integrations and user feedback. A missing score means we have not rated that area yet.

Pros and cons

Leonardo AI

Pros

  • Free plan with 150 tokens per day
  • Many first-party and third-party image and video models in one account
  • Personal model training on paid plans
  • AI Canvas for inpainting and outpainting
  • Apps for iOS and Android, plus a pay-as-you-go API

Cons

  • Free generations are public and the daily allowance is small
  • Token costs vary by model and settings, so spend is hard to predict
  • Unlimited relaxed video generation needs the $60 Ultimate plan
  • Official pricing page blocks automated access, so plan details need checking on the site

Shortwave

Pros

  • AI search covers up to five years of email on Business and unlimited history on Premier and Max.
  • Native apps on iOS, Android, Mac and Windows, with a 4.7 average rating on the App Store.
  • Team features such as shared threads, comments and assignments sit inside the inbox.
  • AI connects to outside tools including Notion, HubSpot, GitHub and MCP servers.
  • Per-plan model tiers let users pay for stronger models only when needed.

Cons

  • Paid plans are priced per seat from $30 (Business) to $120 (Max), higher than many email clients.
  • Built around Gmail; support for other providers is limited or unclear.
  • AI usage is capped by plan, with Business allowing roughly 150-300 Standard requests per day.
  • The free tier is not clearly documented on the official pricing page.

Platforms

  • Web
    Leonardo AI
    Supported
    Shortwave
    Not supported
  • Windows
    Leonardo AI
    Not supported
    Shortwave
    Supported
  • macOS
    Leonardo AI
    Not supported
    Shortwave
    Supported
  • iOS
    Leonardo AI
    Supported
    Shortwave
    Supported
  • Android
    Leonardo AI
    Supported
    Shortwave
    Supported
  • API
    Leonardo AI
    Supported
    Shortwave
    Not supported
  • Browser Extension
    Leonardo AI
    Not supported
    Shortwave
    Not supported

Integrations

Leonardo AI

5 integrations
  • Leonardo MCP server
  • Python SDK
  • TypeScript SDK
  • Cursor
  • VS Code

Shortwave

10 integrations
  • Gmail
  • Google Calendar
  • Slack
  • Notion
  • HubSpot
  • Asana
  • GitHub
  • Linear
  • Zapier
  • Tasklet

Company

  • Company
    Leonardo AI
    Leonardo Interactive Pty Ltd
    Shortwave
    Shortwave Communications, Inc.
  • Founded
    Leonardo AI
    2022
    Shortwave
    2020
  • Headquarters
    Leonardo AI
    Sydney, Australia
    Shortwave
    San Francisco, CA
  • Listing
    Leonardo AI
    Claimed
    Shortwave
    Claimed

Frequently asked questions

Is Leonardo AI better than Shortwave?

It depends on your workflow. Leonardo AI is built for game and concept art. Shortwave is built for heavy Gmail users who want AI search, drafting and inbox triage inside the email client itself.

What are the key feature differences between Leonardo AI and Shortwave?

Leonardo AI: AI image and video studio with custom model training and a real-time canvas editor. Shortwave: AI email client for Gmail that searches, organizes, drafts and schedules from plain-language prompts.

Does Leonardo AI or Shortwave have a free plan?

Yes, both do. Leonardo AI is freemium and Shortwave is freemium, and each has a free plan or trial.

Which is cheaper, Leonardo AI or Shortwave?

Both can be used for free. Paid plans differ in limits and features, so compare the tiers in the pricing table above.