📌 Essentials
Midday is one of the generators images by AI the most famous, famous for the artistic beauty of its renderings. We describe an image (prompt) and he creates it, via Discord or his web application. Bad news: he is more free (not tested since 2023), subscriptions start at 10 $/month. To generate images AI without paying, free alternatives like Flux or DALL-E exist.
Midjourney refers as soon as we talk about images generated by AI His visuals, often superb and very stylized, have marked the general public. But many ask themselves the same question before starting: is it free, how much does it cost, and how to use it? This is our Complete Guide on Midjourney in 2026: functioning, real prices, free alternatives, and for whom it is made.
Contents: What is Midjourney? • Is it free? • Prices • How to use • Strong & weak • Free alternatives • Quick advice • FAQ
What is Midjourney?
Midday is a generator images « text to image » by artificial intelligence. He is given a description (the « prompt »), and it produces several visual proposals in seconds, which can then be refined, enlarged or declined. What made him famous was the aesthetic quality of his images: a sense of framing, light and style that gives renderings often worthy of professional illustrations. Long-term access only via Discord messaging service, Midjourney now also has a web application easier to handle.
Over the course of the versions (V6, then V7), the model has made considerable progress in realism, detail management and understanding of the rapids, while keeping its « leg » artistic recognizable among all.
Is Midjourney free?
No. This is the main disappointment: Midjourney removed its free trial in 2023 (due to a massive influx of users) and has only been running on subscription. There is no free plan or official trial period: the cheapest way to generate your first image remains the Basic subscription at 10 $/month. If you're looking to create images AI without paying, it is better to turn to a free alternative (see below), Midjourney is resolutely a tool Paying.
Midjourney Price
Midjourney offers four options (20% cheaper in annual billing):
| Plan | Price/month | Fast GPU hours | Relax mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 10 $ | 3.3 h | No |
| Standard | 30 $ | 3 p.m. | Unlimited |
| Pro | 60 $ | 30 h | Unlimited + stealth mode |
| Mega | 120 $ | 60 h | Unlimited + stealth mode |
The « Quick GPU hours » correspond to the priority generation time; Once exhausted, the fashion « relax » (limited from the Standard Plan) takes over, slower at peak hours. To discover thetool, plan Basic to 10 $ sufficient; Intensive creators aim for Standard or Pro. Overtime hours are sold 4 $ Unit. Rates are changing: check the official page.
How to use Midjourney
- Create an account and choose a subscription (via the website or Discord).
- Write a prompt : describe the subject, the style, the atmosphere, the light, the format (ex. « film portrait, golden light, watercolor style »).
- Genera : Midjourney offers four variants. You can enlarge one, create variations, or adjust the prompt.
- Refine and download Final image in high resolution.
Midjourney's secret is prompt The more precise and evocative it is, the better the result. The web application has greatly simplified the onboarding relative to the period « All about Discord ». To progress on writing prompts and creating images, see our guide of lartificial intelligence for photo.
Strengths and disadvantages
- + Artistic quality at the top: aesthetics, styles, ambiances, this is its great strength.
- + Community and inspiration immense, many resources of prompt.
- + Web application Modern, besides Discord.
- - No free version : you must pay from the first visual.
- - Less literal that Flux on the very precise prompts and text in the image.
- Learning curve on prompting to exploit its full potential.
Among these alternatives, Leonardo is probably the most generous in volume, with 150 tokens renewed every day. A reservation, however, which changes everything according to your project: free creations are public and reusable by other users. We explain in detail in our review on Leonardo AI.
Best free alternatives in Midjourney
If the brake is the price, several solutions allow to generate images AI free of charge:
- Flow : very high quality open source model, free local or via platform testing, and better than Midjourney for text in the image.
- DALL-E 3 : free of charge (with limits) via ChatGPT and Bing/Copilot, convenient to generate over a conversation.
- Leonardo AI and Ideogram : generous in free credits, with good renderings (Ideogram also excels on the text).
- Stable Dissemination : open source, free, customizable (but more technical).
For purely aesthetic and artistic use, Midjourney often remains ahead; but to start without paying or for visuals with text, these alternatives do the job very well.
Midjourney, for whom?
Midjourney is ideal for creatives (illustrators, designers, artistic directors, content creators) who want visuals with high-end artistic rendering and agree to pay for quality. For creation commercial very literal (products, text, specific situations), Flow is often more suitable; for casual and free use, the above alternatives are sufficient. Many pros also combine Midjourney (for aesthetics) and another model (for precision).
Tips for success Midjourney
- Structure your prompt : subject first, then context, style, light and framing (ex. « red fox, misty forest at sunrise, illustration style, golden light, close-up »).
- Specify the style : « Watercolor », « photorealist », « film », « style '80s »... That's where Midjourney excels.
- Use settings : the image ratio (
--ar 16:9), the stylization level or version of the model greatly refine the rendering. - Get inspired by the community : Exploring the prompts of other creators is the best shortcut to progress.
- Iterium by variations : leave an image that pleases you and generates variants rather than start all over again.
The quality of a prompt makes all the difference: two users with the same tool obtain radically different results depending on how they are formulated. It is a know-how that is quickly built with practice, and then transferred to any generator images, including free alternatives. If you start in visual creation by AI, start with simple quick and then gradually enrich them: you will see very quickly the impact of each addition on the final rendering.
In summary
Midjourney remains a reference for the beauty of its images, now more accessible thanks to its web application. Its main defect is the absence of a free version: you must count at least 10 $/month. If artistic quality is your priority and you produce regularly, subscription is fully justified. If you start or want to create without a budget, start with a free alternative like Flow or DALL-E, even if to go to Midjourney later for his unique renderings. In any case, the essential is played on the quality of your prompts: this is where the difference is made between a banal image and a bluffing visual.
FAQ
Is it possible to use Midjourney for free?
No, Midjourney has no more free offer or trial since 2023. You need a subscription (from 10 $/month). To generate images AI Without paying, turn to Flux, DALL-E, Leonardo or Ideogram.
What is the free equivalent of Midjourney?
Flux (open source, excellent) and DALL-E 3 (free via ChatGPT/Bing with limits) are the best free equivalents. Leonardo AI and Ideogram also offer generous free credits.
What's Midjourney's price?
Four plans: Basic 10 $Standard 30 $, Pro 60 $ and Mega 120 $ per month (20% annual reduction). They differ by fast GPU hours and unlimited relax mode access.
What are the disadvantages of Midjourney?
The absence of a free version, a less literal rendering than Flux on the precise prompts and text in the image, and a learning curve on writing prompts to get the best out of it.
