Midjourney
A subscription image generator accessed via Discord or its own web app, known for strong default aesthetics and stylization with less manual control than some competitors.
Visit website (opens in a new tab)Independent editorial listing. Features, pricing, and privacy terms can change; confirm details on the vendor site before buying or rolling out a tool.
What it does
Midjourney is a text-to-image and increasingly text-to-video generation service delivered through Discord or a dedicated web interface. Users type prompts and receive stylized image sets, which can be varied, upscaled, or edited within the same interface. It is one of the longest-running commercial AI image tools and is best known for its distinctive, aesthetically strong default output.
Ideal users
- Concept artists and illustrators wanting fast stylistic exploration
- Marketers and social media creators needing polished imagery quickly
- Hobbyists who want good results with minimal prompt engineering
- Game and film pre-production teams doing mood and concept art
Who should avoid it
- You need precise, repeatable control over exact composition or in-image text — weaker than Ideogram for typography
- You want a genuinely free tier — none exists
- You need an API for programmatic or automated pipelines — no official public API
Key features
- Strong default stylization and aesthetic quality
- Fast, Relax, and Turbo generation speed modes
- Image-to-image, style references, and character/omni-reference consistency
- Inpainting and outpainting (vary region, zoom out)
- Upscaling
- Stealth Mode for private generations (Pro/Mega only)
- Short AI video generation, plan-dependent
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Widely regarded as producing the most art-directed, visually pleasing defaults
- Active community and constant model iteration
- Web app now available in addition to Discord
- Commercial use rights included on all paid plans
Cons
- No free trial — removed since March 2023
- No official API, complicating automated or bulk workflows
- Companies with over $1M annual gross revenue must use Pro or Mega tier
- Less precise text rendering than Ideogram
Pricing
Paid — $10/month (Basic)
Subscription tiers (Basic $10, Standard $30, Pro $60, Mega $120/month; ~20% cheaper billed annually) grant a monthly allotment of fast GPU hours plus unlimited slower Relax generation on Standard and up; commercial use is included on all paid plans, but businesses earning over $1M/year gross revenue must be on Pro or Mega.
Typical workflows
- Typical use is iterative prompting in Discord or the web app to generate a batch of variations, picking a favorite, then upscaling and lightly editing in Photoshop.
- Concept artists use it for rapid mood-boarding before manual illustration; marketers generate campaign visuals and social graphics directly.
Integrations
- Discord (primary interface)
- Own web app
Privacy & security notes
Generations on Basic/Standard plans are public by default and visible in the community feed; private generation via Stealth Mode requires Pro or Mega.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Midjourney images commercially?
Yes, on any paid plan, subject to the over-$1M revenue rule requiring Pro or Mega.
Do I own the images I create?
Midjourney's terms state you own assets to the fullest extent possible under applicable law, while also granting Midjourney a broad license to use that content.
Is there a free version?
No — Midjourney has been subscription-only since March 2023.
Can I access it without Discord?
Yes, via Midjourney's own web-based app.
Best alternatives
Adobe Firefly
FreeAdobe's generative AI image and design tool, trained only on licensed and public-domain content, built for commercially safe use inside and outside Creative Cloud.
Ideogram
FreeAn AI image generator best known for accurate text rendering inside images, with a canvas-based editing workspace for combining and extending generations.

