Midjourney: Features, Pricing, and Alternatives (2026)
Image and video generation with the strongest aesthetic default
Best for: Art directors and designers who want the best default image quality
Still the one to beat on raw image quality, and the style reference system is what keeps professionals subscribed. Budget $30 rather than $10: at Basic you spend more time watching the fast-hour counter than generating.
- Who it's forIndividuals, Freelancers, Agencies
- Not ideal forAutomated pipelines, since there is no public API
- Price from$10/mo
- In category#3 of 6 in Image generation · category median $13.5/mo
What is Midjourney?
Midjourney produces the best-looking image of any generator on a plain prompt, and that is the whole argument for it.
Where rivals need careful phrasing to avoid a flat result, Midjourney applies a strong house aesthetic by default, which is why art directors and concept artists keep it in the stack even when they own a Firefly or Canva subscription.
The web app has grown past its Discord origins into a real workspace: Explore for browsing what others made, Create for prompting, Edit for inpainting, outpainting and retexturing, Organize for the archive.
Style references let you pin a look from an existing image and reuse it across a series, Moodboards train a personal aesthetic from images you upload, and Personalize tunes output toward the ratings you have given. Version 8 added video generation alongside images.
The trade-offs are real. 3 hours of fast GPU time, and unlimited relaxed generation starts at $30. Your images sit in the public gallery unless you pay $60 for Stealth mode, and there is no API, so nothing here plugs into an automated pipeline.
Made by Midjourney, Inc.San Francisco, USAFounded 2021Launched Jul 2022
Midjourney key features
Style references
Pin the look of an existing image and reuse it across a whole series so the set stays visually consistent.
Moodboards
Upload a set of images to train a personal aesthetic that biases every later generation toward it.
Editor with inpainting
Repaint a region, extend the canvas beyond the original frame, or retexture an object while keeping its shape.
Personalization
Ratings you give in the gallery build a profile that shifts default output toward your taste.
Video generation
Animate a still or generate a clip from a prompt, using the same aesthetic engine as the images.
Relaxed mode
Unlimited generations at lower priority from the $30 plan up, so heavy exploration does not burn fast hours.
Midjourney pricing and plans
Basic
$10/month
- 3.3 fast GPU hours per month
- $8 per month on annual billing
- Images public in the gallery
Standard
$30/month
- 15 fast GPU hours per month
- Unlimited relaxed generations
- $24 per month on annual billing
Pro
$60/month
- 30 fast GPU hours per month
- Stealth mode keeps generations private
- $48 per month on annual billing
Mega
$120/month
- 60 fast GPU hours per month
- Stealth mode
- $96 per month on annual billing
Pricing checked on August 26, 2026.See Midjourney's pricing page
Midjourney pros and cons
Pros
- Best image quality of any generator on an unedited prompt
- Style references and moodboards keep a whole series consistent
- Unlimited relaxed generations from $30, so exploration is not metered
- Editor covers inpainting, outpainting and retexturing in the same app
Cons
- No free plan and no trial
- Generations are public unless you pay $60 per month for Stealth
- No API, which rules out automated pipelines
Midjourney platforms, API and integrations
2 platforms
- Web app
- Discord
API not available
No public API. Automate through the integrations below or the web app only.
1 integration
- Discord
1 language
English
Inputs and outputs
Accepts Text, ImageProduces Image, Video
2 AI models
Midjourney v8.2, Niji
Is Midjourney secure? Privacy, compliance and support
Data privacy
- May train on user data (check opt-out settings)
- Retention: Generations are published to the public gallery on every plan below Pro; Stealth mode from $60 keeps them private
- Data region: US
Team features
- SSO: no
- Team workspace: no
Support channels
- Documentation
- Community
Who is Midjourney best for?
Art directors and designers who want the best default image quality. Midjourney targets individuals, freelancers, agencies, small and mid-size businesses.
Use cases
Categories
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Midjourney FAQ
Is Midjourney free?
No. The free trial ended in March 2023 and every plan is paid. Basic starts at $10 per month, or $8 on annual billing.
How much does Midjourney cost per month?
Basic $10, Standard $30, Pro $60 and Mega $120, each 20 percent cheaper on annual billing. The difference is fast GPU hours: 3.3, 15, 30 and 60 respectively.
Are my Midjourney images public?
Yes, on Basic and Standard. Stealth mode, which keeps generations out of the public gallery, starts on the Pro plan at $60 per month.
Does Midjourney have an API?
No public API. If you need image generation inside an automated workflow, look at Leonardo, Ideogram or Adobe Firefly, which all publish one.
Can I use Midjourney images commercially?
Paid subscribers get commercial usage rights. Companies above $1 million in yearly revenue must be on the Pro or Mega plan.