Midjourney is a subscription-based AI image generation platform. All plans renew automatically (monthly or annually), but you can cancel anytime. As of September 2025, there are four main plans: Basic, Standard, Pro, and Mega.
đź’° Current Pricing (2025)
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price | Image Generation | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $10/month | $96/year | ~200 images/month | Limited fast hours, no relaxed mode, access to community Discord |
| Standard | $30/month | $288/year | ~15 hours fast + unlimited relaxed mode | Best for regular creators |
| Pro | $60/month | $576/year | ~30 hours fast + unlimited relaxed | Stealth mode (private generations), multi-user support |
| Mega | $120/month | $1152/year | ~60 hours fast + unlimited relaxed | Highest limits, full feature set, ideal for studios |
(sources: Midjourney Docs, AIToolsPath, ZeroGPT)
⚡ Usage Model: How Midjourney Charges
Midjourney doesn’t charge per single image download — instead, it uses “fast hours” and “relaxed mode.”
- Fast Hours:
- Each plan includes a set number of GPU hours for fast image generation.
- One fast hour typically produces ~60 image grids (a grid = 4 images).
- Works best for quick results.
- Relaxed Mode:
- Available on Standard plans and above.
- Unlimited generations, but slower queue times.
- Ideal for bulk exploration without worrying about limits.
- Cost per Image (Estimate):
- Based on 2025 pricing, each grid of 4 images costs about 3–5 cents in fast mode (source: YourDreamAI).
🛠️ Key Features by Tier
- Basic → Hobbyists, casual users.
- Standard → Unlimited relaxed mode, great for consistent creators.
- Pro → Stealth (private generations), more fast hours, team-friendly.
- Mega → Maximum fast hours, designed for agencies and studios.
âś… Recommendations
- Just starting out? → Try Basic ($10) to test the waters.
- Regular creator / freelancer? → Standard ($30) gives the best balance with unlimited relaxed mode.
- Professional / client work? → Pro ($60) for stealth mode + higher limits.
- Studio / heavy production? → Mega ($120) for maximum throughput.
👉 Note: Midjourney no longer offers a free trial as of 2025. You must subscribe to generate images.
Is Midjourney Free?
Many people wonder if they can create AI-generated images without spending money. Midjourney, one of the leading AI image generation tools, has changed its free access policy over time. Currently, Midjourney is not free to use on a regular basis, though it occasionally offers limited-time promotional periods when anyone can access it without paying.
This wasn’t always the case. When Midjourney first launched in 2022, it offered free trials to users. Now, you’ll generally need a subscription to use the service. Some alternatives like Stable Diffusion can provide similar results for free, but they may require more technical knowledge to set up and use effectively.
If you’re curious about trying Midjourney without committing to a paid plan, you might want to keep an eye out for special promotions. These free-access windows are rare but do happen, as reported by PC World, allowing new users to experience the platform’s capabilities before deciding whether to subscribe.
Key Takeaways
- Midjourney is generally not free but occasionally offers limited promotional free access periods to new users.
- You typically need a paid subscription to use Midjourney’s AI image generation capabilities.
- Free alternatives like Stable Diffusion exist but may require more technical knowledge to achieve similar results.
Understanding Midjourney
Midjourney has emerged as one of the leading AI image generators in the creative technology space. Before deciding whether to invest in this tool, it’s important to understand what it is and how it works.
What Is Midjourney?
Midjourney is an AI image generation tool that creates images based on text descriptions (prompts) you provide. Unlike competitors such as DALL-E from OpenAI or Stable Diffusion, Midjourney operates primarily through Discord, making it unique in its delivery method.
The platform was developed by an independent research lab led by David Holz, who previously co-founded Leap Motion. Midjourney quickly gained popularity for its artistic style and ability to create stunning, detailed images that often have a distinctive aesthetic.
You can use Midjourney to generate various types of images including:
- Photorealistic scenes
- Artistic illustrations
- Concept art
- Product visualizations
- Abstract compositions
The Technology Behind Midjourney
Midjourney uses a form of generative AI technology similar to other image generators but with its own proprietary algorithms. The system works by training on millions of image-text pairs to understand the relationship between words and visual elements.
When you enter a prompt, Midjourney’s neural networks process your text and generate corresponding visual elements. The technology interprets your descriptions, considering aspects like:
- Subject matter
- Style references
- Lighting conditions
- Compositional elements
Unlike Stable Diffusion which is open-source, Midjourney’s exact technological approach remains proprietary. The team regularly releases version updates that improve image quality, prompt understanding, and generation capabilities.
Midjourney’s technology stands out for its ability to interpret artistic concepts and produce aesthetically pleasing results even from simple prompts. This makes it valuable for both professional designers and casual users exploring AI-generated imagery.
Midjourney Subscription Overview
Midjourney has transitioned from offering free access to a fully subscription-based model. Understanding the available plans and their features will help you determine which option best suits your creative needs.
Subscription Plans
Midjourney offers several membership tiers that you can purchase on either a monthly or yearly basis. Yearly subscriptions provide a 20% discount compared to paying month-to-month. All plans automatically renew until you specifically set them to cancel.
The Basic Plan serves as the entry-level option for casual users. More extensive plans include Standard and Pro tiers that provide additional features and generation capacity.
Each subscription plan differs in:
- Monthly image generation limits
- Processing speed (how quickly your images are created)
- Access to special features and newer model versions
- Concurrent job capacity (how many images you can generate at once)
You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel your plan through your account settings. All Midjourney plans operate on an auto-renewal system unless you manually cancel.
Free Version Availability
Midjourney no longer offers a permanently free tier. The platform has fully transitioned to a subscription-based model to maintain service quality and support ongoing development.
However, Midjourney occasionally offers limited-time free trials for new users. These trial periods allow you to test the platform’s capabilities before committing to a paid subscription.
During these promotional periods, you can access the free trial through Midjourney’s Discord server. The trial typically includes a restricted number of image generations.
Unlike other AI tools such as certain ChatGPT tiers, Midjourney doesn’t maintain a permanent free option with limited features. You’ll need to purchase a subscription for continued access after any trial period ends.
Leveraging Midjourney for Art Creation
Midjourney offers powerful tools for creating various art styles, though access requires a subscription since it no longer offers a free trial. Understanding how to use its capabilities can help you maximize your creative output regardless of your artistic background.
Digital Art
Midjourney excels at generating digital art with distinctive styles and aesthetics. You can create everything from abstract compositions to detailed character designs by adjusting your prompts and parameters.
To get started, experiment with style modifiers like “digital art,” “concept art,” or “3D render” in your prompts. These terms help Midjourney understand your desired outcome.
Try commands like:
/imagine abstract cyberpunk cityscape, digital art, neon colors/imagine fantasy landscape with floating islands, digital painting
The platform is particularly good at creating visually striking images that would take traditional digital artists hours to produce. You can further refine images by upscaling them or creating variations.
Many digital artists now use Midjourney to generate initial concepts before refining them in programs like Photoshop or Procreate.
Cinematic: Bringing Images to Life
Midjourney excels at creating cinematic imagery that appears to be frames from movies or high-end productions. The cinematic quality makes it ideal for storyboarding, concept art, or creating dramatic scenes.
To achieve cinematic effects, include terms like “cinematic lighting,” “movie still,” or “film grain” in your prompts. Camera angles also enhance this effect:
/imagine epic mountain landscape, drone view, golden hour, cinematic, 8k
/imagine character walking through fog, low angle shot, dramatic lighting
These prompts help create depth, atmosphere, and dramatic tension in your images. You can specify film types or directors’ styles for more distinct looks.
The platform’s ability to render realistic lighting conditions and atmospheric effects makes it particularly valuable for pre-visualization in film projects or creating eye-catching social media content.
Illustration: From Text to Image
Midjourney functions as a powerful text-to-image generator for illustrations, transforming written descriptions into detailed visuals. You can create children’s book illustrations, character designs, or concept art with the right prompts.
For effective illustrations, be specific about style and medium:
/imagine children's book illustration, watercolor, friendly animals in forest/imagine anime character, teenage girl with blue hair, casual outfit, cel shaded
The AI particularly excels at styles like anime, fantasy art, and stylized illustrations. You can specify art mediums like “oil painting,” “pencil sketch,” or “watercolor” for different aesthetic results.
To get consistent characters across multiple images, use detailed descriptions and save successful prompts. Many illustrators now use Midjourney to generate initial concepts before refining them manually.
While some creators report the novelty wears off after extensive use, the tool remains valuable for quick visualization of concepts.
Exploring the Features of Midjourney
Midjourney offers several powerful features that make it stand out among AI image generators. The platform combines technical capabilities with user-friendly options to deliver high-quality visual results based on text prompts.
Image Generation Capabilities
Midjourney excels at creating various image styles, from photorealistic scenes to artistic interpretations. You can generate realistic images that appear as if taken by a professional photographer, with impressive details in textures, lighting, and shadows. The AI handles complex scenes well, including landscapes, portraits, and abstract concepts.
For fans of stylized content, Midjourney can create impressive anime-style illustrations with distinctive character designs and vibrant color palettes. The platform understands artistic styles too, allowing you to mimic famous painters or create entirely new aesthetics.
The quality of outputs has improved significantly with each version update. Recent models produce sharper details, better understand prompts, and generate fewer artifacts or distortions than earlier versions.
Aspect Ratio and Image Customization
You can select from various aspect ratios to suit your specific needs:
- Square (1:1): Perfect for social media posts
- Portrait (2:3): Ideal for phone wallpapers or book covers
- Landscape (16:9): Great for desktop backgrounds or banners
- Custom ratios: Available for specialized projects
Beyond dimensions, Midjourney offers advanced customization through parameters. You can adjust stylization levels, add specific artistic influences, and control chaos values (randomness) in your creations.
The platform also supports image variations, allowing you to generate multiple interpretations of the same prompt. This feature helps you explore different creative directions without starting from scratch each time.
Processing Time Factors
Several elements affect processing time when generating images. Your subscription tier directly impacts priority—paid plans receive faster processing compared to any trial users. Premium subscribers enjoy the quickest generation times.
Image complexity and server load also influence waiting periods. Highly detailed prompts or requests during peak usage hours may take longer to complete. Typical generation times range from 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on these factors.
The system uses a queue-based approach, processing requests in order of priority. You can monitor your request status in real-time while waiting. For efficiency, you can continue submitting new prompts while earlier ones are still processing.
Navigating the Midjourney Platform
The Midjourney platform operates primarily through Discord, making it essential to understand how to connect and navigate these systems. Learning the basics of both Discord and the Midjourney server will help you create images more efficiently.
Using the Discord Server
To use Midjourney, you’ll first need to understand how Discord works. Discord is a chat application where Midjourney operates as a bot. After signing up for Discord, download the app to your device or use it through your web browser.
When you’re in Discord, you’ll interact with Midjourney through text commands. The most basic command is /imagine followed by your prompt description. Type this in any channel where the Midjourney bot is active.
Discord’s interface might seem confusing at first. Look for:
- Channel lists on the left side
- Chat window in the center
- User lists on the right side
You can use direct messages with the Midjourney bot or public channels for your image generation. Public channels let you see what others are creating, which can inspire your own work.
Accessing the Midjourney Server
After joining Discord, you need to access the Midjourney server. Visit the Midjourney website and look for the “Join the Beta” or “Join Discord” button. This will direct you to Discord and prompt you to join the official Midjourney server.
Once inside the server, you’ll see several channels. The most important ones are:
- #rules: Important guidelines
- #announcements: Updates about the platform
- #newbies: Where new users can practice
- #general: For discussions about Midjourney
Before generating images, you’ll need to join a voice channel (though you don’t need to actually speak). Click on any “newbie” voice channel on the left sidebar. Then you can use the /imagine command in one of the #newbie text channels.
Remember that the free trial has limitations. You’ll only have a certain number of free generations before needing to subscribe to a paid plan.
Free Trial and Limitations
Midjourney’s free trial offerings have changed significantly over time due to high demand. Currently, the availability of free access is limited, but there are specific options you might be able to use.
Getting Started with a Free Trial
As of March 2025, Midjourney’s official free trial status is in flux. According to recent information, Midjourney has disabled free trials in Discord due to extreme demand. The company has stated they are “unsure when they will return.”
However, some sources indicate that limited free trials might be available. If available, you would typically get around 25 credits to use during your trial period. To check for current trial availability:
- Visit the official Midjourney website
- Look for trial options on the homepage
- Follow prompts to set up your account
- Connect to their Discord server if required
Remember that trial availability can change quickly based on server demand and company policies.
Understanding Limitations
The free trial of Midjourney, when available, comes with several important limitations. Your free access typically includes a fixed number of generations (usually 25 credits) that expire after a set period.
Free trial users often experience:
- Slower processing times compared to paid subscribers
- Limited access to certain advanced features and models
- Restricted access to the latest versions of the AI
- Images generated might include a watermark
- Limited resolution options for final outputs
Your generated images are still visible to the community in public channels. This means others can see what you’re creating during your trial period.
When your credits run out, you’ll need to subscribe to a paid plan to continue using the service. Midjourney offers several subscription tiers with varying benefits and generation allowances.
Alternatives to Midjourney
If you’re looking for free options instead of Midjourney’s subscription model, several alternatives exist. Playground AI offers a free tier with generous image generation capabilities and a user-friendly interface.
Leonardo.Ai stands out by allowing you to run and upload your own models. This gives you more flexibility in creating unique AI-generated images without Midjourney’s costs.
StarryAI provides good results with their free tier, giving you 5 free credits daily. Each credit equals one prompt that generates four images, though be prepared for ads in the free version.
Craiyon (formerly DALL-E mini) offers completely free image generation. While its quality doesn’t match Midjourney’s, it’s an accessible starting point for AI art exploration.
Other Notable Free Alternatives:
- Runway ML – Makes advanced machine learning available to everyone
- Night Cafe – Works well for beginners
- Lexica – Offers both a search engine and generation capabilities
- Stable Diffusion – Available both online and for local installation
You might find the quality varies between these options, but they provide good starting points without subscription fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many users have questions about Midjourney’s pricing and free options. Here are answers to the most common questions people ask about accessing this AI image generation tool.
Does Midjourney offer a free trial for new users?
Midjourney’s free trial availability is inconsistent. While some sources suggest new users might get 20 free prompts, this isn’t guaranteed.
Currently, Midjourney doesn’t regularly offer free trials to new users. You’ll typically need to subscribe to a plan to start generating images with the platform.
What are the pricing options for Midjourney subscriptions?
Midjourney offers monthly and yearly subscription plans. All plans automatically renew unless you specifically set them to cancel before renewal.
Plans start at a basic tier and range upward depending on your usage needs. Different tiers offer varying amounts of GPU time and different features for image generation.
Are there any free alternatives to Midjourney that provide similar features?
Yes, several free alternatives exist that offer similar AI image generation capabilities. Some users recommend using Midjourney alternatives that are very similar but don’t require payment.
These alternatives might have different strengths and limitations, but they can be good options if you’re not ready to commit to a paid subscription.
How can one access Midjourney features without a subscription?
Some websites like JourneyFree.ai claim to provide platforms for accessing Midjourney-like generated images for free through their free plans.
However, be cautious with third-party sites claiming to offer free access to Midjourney specifically. The official Midjourney tool requires a subscription for full access to its features.
What limitations are there on the use of Midjourney’s free version?
Since Midjourney doesn’t consistently offer a free version, limitations depend on any trial offers available at a given time.
When free trials are available, they typically limit the number of images you can generate. Quality restrictions or watermarks might also apply to images created during trial periods.
Which AI image generators offer the best free services comparable to Midjourney?
Several AI image generators offer free tiers with capabilities similar to Midjourney. Options include DALL-E mini (now Craiyon), Stable Diffusion web interfaces, and DreamStudio with limited free credits.
These alternatives often provide a limited number of free generations daily. The style and quality vary between platforms, so you might want to try several to find one that suits your needs.
