Short answer
If your primary goal is repeatable, photoreal product mockups at consistent camera angles for A/B testing, Leonardo AI will typically be the more practical choice for batch control and templating. Midjourney produces very high‑quality, artistic visuals but is less deterministic for strict consistency. That said, both can work — and the right pick depends on budget, how deterministic you need the outputs, and whether you’ll automate via API.

Recommendation
Use Leonardo AI as your primary generator for templated, batch mockups (image-to-image + inpainting templates + API). Reserve Midjourney only if you need a more “crafted” premium look for hero shots and are willing to manually curate results.

Decision criteria (how to choose)
- Consistency/determinism: Leonardo > Midjourney. Leonardo’s template/inpainting workflow and “view consistency” features make it easier to swap products while holding angle/lighting steady. Midjourney tends to vary more between runs.
- Batch control & automation: Leonardo’s project/templates + API are designed for bulk runs. Midjourney has bot/API options but is less template-first and more prompt-driven.
- Fine edits (masked swaps): Leonardo’s inpainting and layer-like approach is easier for swapping a product into the same scene. Midjourney can do image-to-image but is less predictable.
- Output quality: Both can produce photoreal results; Midjourney often yields richer artistry. For pure e‑commerce photorealism, Leonardo often gets you consistent, realistic renders faster.
- Licensing/commercial use: Both platforms generally provide commercial use on paid tiers, but terms differ by plan and region. Always read and archive the current Terms of Service and any model/asset licenses before running production.

Practical checklist to implement (copyable)
1. Capture a single “anchor” reference photo (correct angle, focal length, lighting). Save EXIF camera data.
2. Build a template: background scene + mask for product, fixed aspect ratio, fixed camera metadata (focal length, distance), and lighting notes.
3. Use image-to-image/inpainting to swap different SKUs into the masked area while keeping the rest locked. Keep image-weight and prompt constants.
4. Fix randomness: use a fixed seed, same model/version, same sampler/settings where the tool allows.
5. Use the platform’s batching/API feature to queue 100+ variants; name outputs with product ID and variant metadata.
6. QC step: automated pixel-diff and human review for alignment/lighting; reject inconsistent shots.
7. Archive templates, masks, prompts, and license screenshots for repeatability and legal proof.

Best-for / Avoid-if
- Best for Leonardo: teams needing deterministic templated swaps, inpainting-driven batches, or API automation for many SKUs. Avoid if you need stylized, highly artistic hero images.
- Best for Midjourney: creative hero shots where “look” matters more than pixel-perfect consistency. Avoid if you need strict, repeatable angles across thousands of variants.

When the right answer changes
If your budget is large and you require pixel-perfect consistency at scale, consider real 3D mockups or photography (Blender/Studio or a photo shoot) — AI is faster and cheaper but less guaranteed. If your team has prompt-engineering and scripting skills, Leonardo + API will scale fastest; if you prefer hand-tweaked premium visuals, add Midjourney for select assets.

If you want, I can draft the exact template prompt + mask workflow for Leonardo (and a fallback Midjourney prompt) tailored to your product type—tell me product category, typical background, and how strict the angle tolerance must be.

Compare Midjourney and Leonardo AI