Midjourney has exploded in popularity as one of the leading AI art generators. With its ability to create incredible images from text prompts, many are eager to try it out. But first, an obvious question arises – how much does Midjourney cost?
The pricing and access tiers for Midjourney are fairly complex compared to other AI services. In this article, we’ll break down what exactly you’re paying for and the various costs of accessing Midjourney’s AI capabilities.
Recommended for you: Midjourney Niji: A Guide to the Ultimate AI Anime Art Generator
The Base Access Tier
The most basic way to access Midjourney is through the free Discord server. By joining the server, you get the following:
- 25 free image generation credits per month
- Access to the web version for small image grids
- Image resolution capped at 512×512 pixels
This provides a way to test out Midjourney’s image generation completely free. The 25 image credits let you play around with prompt engineering and judge the output quality.
However, serious users will quickly hit the limits of this free tier. Once your 25 credits expire, you lose image generation access until the next month.
Midjourney Subscription Costs
To go beyond the free tier, you must subscribe and pay for Midjourney access. There are two main subscription options:
Midjourney Basic
- $10 per month, billed monthly
- $96 per year, billed annually
- 100 image credits per month
The basic subscription lifts the free tier limits. With 100 credits, you can generate far more images per month. And the increased 1024 resolution makes the output usable for more purposes.
This plan is ideal for casual users who want to prompt Midjourney regularly without major limitations. The annual program offers a small discount compared to paying monthly.
Next Article: Spline AI: Generate 3D objects, animations, and textures using prompts
Midjourney Pro
- $60 per month, billed monthly
- $576 per year, billed annually
- Unlimited image generation
Pro gives you unlimited access with no credit counters or throttling. The higher 2560 resolution produces detailed, print-ready images.
This is Midjourney’s premium plan designed for professionals, studios, and agency accounts generating many images. The unlimited generation makes the higher cost worthwhile.
Additional Costs to Consider
Beyond the core subscription fees, there are some other potential costs around Midjourney to keep in mind:
- Discord Nitro – This unlocks 100MB attached image uploads for higher quality prompts. Midjourney’s free server requires Nitro Classic ($4.99/month) or full Nitro ($9.99/month).
- Upscaling services – To sharpen Midjourney images for print or merchandise, upscaling services like Topaz Labs add a fee. This ranges from $20 for five upscaled ideas to $80 monthly for unlimited upscaling.
- Image hosting – Midjourney outputs need to be hosted somewhere. Options like Google Drive, Dropbox or Imgur have storage and bandwidth costs for hosting large images.
- Image prompts – Creating prompts using commissioned art or stock photos may involve some costs to source quality material.
The core Midjourney subscription should cover the most typical use cases. But power users should budget for these potential add-ons.
Recommended for you: How Much Does Leonardo AI Cost? Unleashing the Power of AI-Generated Visuals
Comparing the Pricing Tiers
To summarize Midjourney’s pricing landscape:
- The free Discord tier is extremely limited – you will need more than 25 images to get you far.
- Basic unlocks more flexibility for $10/month, while Pro offers unlimited use for creatives.
- Team plans provide managed access for your organization.
- Add-on costs may come into play depending on your use case.
Here’s a comparison table of what’s included in each tier:
| Basic Plan | Standard Plan | Pro Plan | Mega Plan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Subscription Cost | $10 | $30 | $60 | $120 |
| Annual Subscription Cost | $96 ($8 / month) | $288 ($24 / month) | $576 ($48 / month) | $1152 ($96 / month) |
| Fast GPU Time | 3.3 hr/month | 15 hr/month | 30 hr/month | 60 hr/month |
| Relax GPU Time | – | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Purchase Extra GPU Time | $4/hr | $4/hr | $4/hr | $4/hr |
| Work Solo In Your Direct Messages | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stealth Mode | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Maximum Concurrent Jobs | 3 Jobs 10 Jobs waiting in queue | 3 Jobs 10 Jobs waiting in queue | 12 Fast Jobs 3 Relaxed Jobs 10 Jobs in queue | 12 Fast Jobs 3 Relaxed Jobs 10 Jobs in queue |
| Rate Images to Earn Free GPU Time | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Usage Rights | General Commercial Terms* | General Commercial Terms* | General Commercial Terms* | General Commercial Terms* |
This outlines who each pricing tier is aimed at based on the use case and volume.
You can check these pricing by yourself over here: https://docs.midjourney.com/docs/plans
Estimating Your Expected Usage
With multiple tiers available, how do you estimate your needs and choose the right Midjourney plan?
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- How often do you want to create images per week? Per month?
- Will this be personal hobby use or professional/commercial use?
- Do you need high resolutions for printing and merchandise?
- Is this for individual use or a team workflow?
- Will you be sourcing image prompts and reference material?
- Do you intend to upscale images for enhanced detail?
- Will you need storage and bandwidth for the generated images?
A rough calculation of your expected monthly usage will help identify the right tier. Erring on the higher side also gives room to grow.
For most individuals, the Basic plan should provide ample credits. For studios and freelancers, the unlimited Pro tier removes barriers. And the team plans fit collaborative accounts.
Learn more: Can You Use Leonardo AI for Commercial Use?
Making Midjourney’s Value Clear
At first glance, Midjourney may seem expensive compared to free tools like DALL-E Mini. But its capabilities are far beyond other AI systems.
Paying for Midjourney unlocks:
- Diverse, customizable image generation powered by a cutting-edge AI model
- Commercial usage rights to images created
- Advanced control through text modifiers and parameters
- Constantly improving output quality and new features
- Active Discord community supporting users
- Reliable infrastructure for processing high volumes of images
Considering the value provided, Midjourney is extremely competitive compared to licensing commercial imagery. A few dollars can unlock endless unique designs, characters, scenes and more.
For creative professionals, time savings are equally valuable. Midjourney acts as an automated artist able to realize concepts instantly. That efficiency enables users to focus their energy on creative direction rather than manual execution.
Picking the Right Plan for You
Deciding how much to spend on Midjourney depends entirely on your use case and needs. The key is choosing a plan that removes limitations so you can fully utilize Midjourney’s capabilities.
With a clear understanding of each pricing tier, you can confidently pick the one that provides the best value. Investing in Midjourney gives you an AI assistant poised to transform your creative or professional workflows.
Recommended for you: How to Use Leonardo AI?
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
How can I access MidJourney’s AI capabilities for free?
You can access MidJourney’s AI capabilities through the free Discord server, which provides 25 image generation credits per month.
What are the subscription options for MidJourney?
MidJourney offers two main subscription options – the Basic plan for $10 per month and the Pro plan for $60 per month, both billed either monthly or annually.
Is the Basic plan suitable for professional use?
The Basic plan is ideal for casual users and provides 100 image credits per month, making it suitable for regular prompting and small-scale professional use.
What are the additional costs associated with using MidJourney?
Some additional costs to consider include Discord Nitro for higher quality prompts, upscaling services for print or merchandise, and image hosting on platforms like Google Drive or Dropbox.
Can I upscale MidJourney images for enhanced detail?
Yes, you can use upscaling services like Topaz Labs to sharpen MidJourney images and improve their resolution for specific use cases.
How can I estimate my expected usage to choose the right plan?
Consider factors such as how often you want to create images, the purpose of the images (personal or commercial), the need for high resolutions, and whether you are working individually or in a team.
