Yes, within limits. Leonardo says the free plan gets 150 fast tokens a day, and that free tokens reset daily. The token cost changes with the task, so there's no set number of images.

Are my free Leonardo.ai images public?

Yes. Leonardo says creations on the free plan are public. Private generations are only on paid plans.

Can I use Leonardo.ai thumbnails on a monetized channel?

Leonardo says free users get a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use what they make for commercial purposes. Leonardo also keeps rights to use those images. Check its Terms of Service for the details.

What size should the final thumbnail be?

YouTube recommends 3840 x 2160 pixels for videos, with a minimum width of 640 pixels, at a 16:9 aspect ratio. Upload it in an image format like JPG or PNG.

How to make a YouTube thumbnail with Leonardo.ai (free)

Have Leonardo.ai make the background scene, then add your words and your real photo in an editor. Here's how to do it on the free plan, and why free images are public.

2026-10-31 3 min read ThumbnailsYouTubeGuides

Leonardo.ai is an AI image tool with a free plan. We have it make the background scene only. Then we add the words and our real photo in a normal editor, since AI text is still hit or miss. If you'd rather use another AI tool, see [How to make a YouTube thumbnail with ChatGPT](/blog/how-to-make-a-youtube-thumbnail-with-chatgpt), [with Gemini](/blog/how-to-make-a-youtube-thumbnail-with-gemini), [with Microsoft Designer](/blog/how-to-make-a-youtube-thumbnail-with-microsoft-designer), or [with Ideogram](/blog/how-to-make-a-youtube-thumbnail-with-ideogram).

Is it free?

Yes, within limits. Leonardo's [pricing page](https://leonardo.ai/pricing/) lists the free plan at "150 / day" fast tokens, and Leonardo says free tokens "reset daily." Leonardo also says "the token cost adjusts based on the complexity and computational requirements of the task you're performing." So there's no set number of images, and we write a good prompt up front instead of regenerating over and over.

On the free plan, model access is "Auto only," per Leonardo's pricing page.

Before you start: free images are public

On the free plan, Leonardo says your creations are "Public." Leonardo says free users get "a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence" to use what they make for commercial purposes. Leonardo says it holds rights to use, reproduce, modify, and distribute any images you create. So if your video isn't out yet, keep its title and big reveal out of your prompt, and add them later in an editor.

Step 1: Set a 16:9 shape

Before you generate, find the setting that controls the image's shape and set it to 16:9. YouTube says, "For videos, try to upload a thumbnail with an aspect ratio of 16:9." Starting at that shape means you won't crop out part of the scene later.

Step 2: Write a prompt that leaves room for text

Describe the subject, the setting, and the colors. Then say which side should stay empty, and end with "no text, no people." Here's a prompt we'd start with: "A dramatic desert road at sunset, warm orange sky, the road on the right third, wide empty sky on the left, no text, no people."

Naming the empty side gives your headline a clear spot. If the scene fills the whole frame, try again with the empty side named first.

Step 3: Leave your face out of it

This part is our advice. We don't ask Leonardo to draw us, since an AI image tool can make a face that no longer looks like you. Let Leonardo make the scene only, with open space for you.

Step 4: Add your words and your face in an editor

Download the image you like. Open it in an editor like [Canva](/blog/how-to-make-a-youtube-thumbnail-in-canva) or [Photopea](/blog/how-to-make-a-youtube-thumbnail-in-photopea). Put a few big, bold words in the empty side, and add a real photo of yourself. Our [ChatGPT](/blog/how-to-make-a-youtube-thumbnail-with-chatgpt), [Gemini](/blog/how-to-make-a-youtube-thumbnail-with-gemini), [Microsoft Designer](/blog/how-to-make-a-youtube-thumbnail-with-microsoft-designer), and [Ideogram](/blog/how-to-make-a-youtube-thumbnail-with-ideogram) guides show more ways to finish it.

Step 5: Export at YouTube's size

YouTube recommends custom thumbnails "Have a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels for videos and 2160 x 3840 for Shorts, with a minimum width of 640 pixels for videos and a minimum height of 640 pixels for Shorts." Export as JPG or PNG. On file size, YouTube says: "Remain under MB limits. Limits depend on the device you're using to upload your thumbnail: Mobile: 2 MB for video thumbnails or 10 MB for podcasts. Desktop: 50MB for video, Shorts, and podcast thumbnails."

To get there without stretching, use our guide to [resizing a YouTube thumbnail](/blog/how-to-resize-youtube-thumbnail). The full spec is in our [YouTube thumbnail size guide](/blog/youtube-thumbnail-size).

Step 6: Check it at phone size

Shrink it down to about the size it shows in a phone feed. If you can't read the words or see your face, make the text bigger and cut the clutter. Then upload it in YouTube Studio.

One last check

Once you like it, run it through [Thumbly Score](/blog/how-to-use-thumbly-score) for a quick second opinion before you upload.