The Midjourney Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Midjourney in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Midjourney
The Insider’s Guide
Image and short-video generator run on monthly GPU time
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI image and video generators, read from Midjourney’s own pages.
Made by Midjourney · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Midjourney’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Midjourney’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 2 of the 21 other AI image and video generators we grade
Midjourney turns a written prompt into a set of images, which can then be varied, upscaled, edited or animated into short video clips. It runs on the midjourney.com website and through a Discord bot. Plans are sold by monthly hours of fast GPU time rather than by image count, and the higher tiers add unlimited slower generation and private mode.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Midjourney, taken from its own pages and our grades.
There's no free way in, though, and on the cheaper plans everything you make shows up in the public gallery.
- 1
Best for stylised images with a distinctive look
Midjourney is the image maker people pick for the look: type a prompt, get a set of images, then edit them or animate them into short clips.
- 2
Paid plans start at $8 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $8 per month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly).
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Text-to-image with V8 models
V8.1 became the default model in June 2026 and V8.2 followed in July, with an HD setting that renders at a higher resolution.
- 5
Image editing
The V8.2 edit model changes images from written instructions, fills or replaces chosen areas, extends the canvas and takes up to four reference images.
- 6
Image-to-video
Any image, including an uploaded one, can be animated into short clips that can be extended, looped or given a set end frame.
- 7
A 2.0 GPA, above 2 of 21
That is against the other AI image and video generators we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace Midjourney you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Midjourney at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $8 per month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Midjourney
- Category
- AI Image & Video Generators
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for stylised images with a distinctive look
Midjourney is the image maker people pick for the look: type a prompt, get a set of images, then edit them or animate them into short clips. Basic is $8 a month on yearly billing for about 200 minutes of fast GPU time. There's no free way in, though, and on the cheaper plans everything you make shows up in the public gallery.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Basic is $8 a month on yearly billing ($10 monthly), inside this category's cheaper quarter of $9.99. It buys about 200 minutes of fast GPU time and no slower Relax mode. The price is from a third-party summary, as Midjourney's own pages turned our reader away. |
| Free plan and trial | F | No free plan and no trial on record, so the cheapest way in is $8 a month. And Basic's fast minutes don't roll over if you have a quiet month. |
| Features | B | V8 text-to-image, an edit model that fills, swaps and extends with up to four reference images, image-to-video with loops and end frames, and style profiles and moodboards. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in making images. |
| Ease of use | C | No app-store rating on record. It runs on the website or as a Discord bot, and it's sold in GPU hours rather than images, so it takes a while to know what a month buys. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | The midjourney.com website and a Discord bot, and that's it. No phone or desktop app of its own, and no API in the listing. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Midjourney is for
- Great if you want a strong, stylised look and will put time into steering it
- Handy when you want still images turned into short looping clips
- Good for heavy users on Standard, where slow Relax-mode image jobs are unlimited
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want to try before paying, as there's no free plan or trial
- Not for you if your images must stay private, since that needs Pro at $48 a month
- Tight if you're on Basic, where about 200 fast minutes is the lot
Good to know
Good for
- Artists and designers who want a distinctive, stylized look
- Heavy users who can wait for jobs in the unlimited Relax mode
- Turning still images into short animated clips
Worth knowing
- Midjourney's own pricing and help pages turned away our reader, so plan details come from a third-party summary edited June 5, 2026.
- Basic has no Relax mode, so every job draws on its monthly fast time, and unused fast hours do not roll over.
- Private generation (Stealth Mode) starts at Pro; on Basic and Standard, images appear in the public gallery.
- Companies with more than $1 million in yearly gross revenue must be on Pro or Mega to use images commercially.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$8
A month to start
Midjourney is a paid product, starting at $8 per month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly).
The price is from a third-party summary, as Midjourney's own pages turned our reader away.
Basic
$8
per month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
About 3.3 hours (200 minutes) of fast GPU time a month and no Relax mode; SD video only.
Standard
$24
per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
15 fast GPU hours a month plus unlimited image jobs in the slower Relax mode.
Pro
$48
per month, billed annually ($60 billed monthly)
30 fast GPU hours, Stealth Mode for private images, unlimited SD video in Relax mode and 12 fast jobs at once.
Mega
$96
per month, billed annually ($120 billed monthly)
60 fast GPU hours a month, with everything in Pro and more video jobs at once.
Read from eesel.ai on Oct 17, 2026, where its own pages could not be read.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Image and short-video generator run on monthly GPU time. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, image generation, video generation.
Nothing in the listing shows a gap in making images.
- Text-to-image with V8 models
- V8.1 became the default model in June 2026 and V8.2 followed in July, with an HD setting that renders at a higher resolution.
- Image editing
- The V8.2 edit model changes images from written instructions, fills or replaces chosen areas, extends the canvas and takes up to four reference images.
- Image-to-video
- Any image, including an uploaded one, can be animated into short clips that can be extended, looped or given a set end frame.
- Personalization and moodboards
- Rating images builds a personal style profile, and moodboards or style references steer new images toward a chosen look.
- Conversational mode
- A text and voice mode on the website takes requests in plain language and can use the reference images and settings already in place.
- Organize page
- Past jobs can be searched, filtered and sorted into folders on the website.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Discord
Midjourney is made by Midjourney.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
2/21
Other AI image and video generators it is graded above
Midjourney's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 2 of the 21 other AI image and video generators we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 15 of 21) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $8 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 2 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 22 AI image and video generators we grade, cut by the letter each got. Midjourney’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 15 of 21
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 21
- BFeaturesAbove 6 of 21
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 21
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 21
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 17 AI image and video generators. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Midjourney is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Midjourney you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 16 of the 21 other AI image and video generators grade higher. It costs $96 a year.
What you could not
- An image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
- A video model, which you can rent by the second but not make.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Midjourney’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Ideogram, Leonardo.Ai, Adobe Firefly, FLUX by Black Forest Labs and Krea
The 5 tools Midjourney is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Ideogram
Free plan · from $15/mo
Image generator for designs with text, plus editing and video apps.
- Ideogram has a free plan. Midjourney does not.
- Only Ideogram lists an iOS app.
- 3.0GPA
Leonardo.Ai
Free plan · from $12/mo
Image, video and 3D generator with its own and partner models.
- Leonardo.Ai has a free plan. Midjourney does not.
- Only Leonardo.Ai lists iOS and Android apps.
- 3.0GPA
Adobe Firefly
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Adobe's image, video and audio generator, with partner models.
- Adobe Firefly has a free plan. Midjourney does not.
- Only Adobe Firefly lists iOS and Android apps.
- Adobe Firefly also covers video editing.
- 2.0GPA
FLUX by Black Forest Labs
Free plan
FLUX image and video models, paid per use via API and playground.
- FLUX by Black Forest Labs has a free plan. Midjourney does not.
- FLUX by Black Forest Labs is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
Krea
Free plan · from $5.25/mo
Image, video and 3D generation with real-time canvas and plugins.
- Krea has a free plan. Midjourney does not.
- Only Krea lists an iOS app.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Midjourney free?
No. Midjourney is a paid product, starting at $8 per month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly).
How much does Midjourney cost?
Midjourney lists 4 plans. Basic: $8 per month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly).
What platforms does Midjourney work on?
Midjourney is available on Web.
Does Midjourney have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Midjourney is listed for Web.
Does Midjourney have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Midjourney is listed for Web.
Is Midjourney open source?
Midjourney is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
What does Midjourney integrate with?
Midjourney's listing names Discord. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Midjourney?
Midjourney is made by Midjourney.
What are the alternatives to Midjourney?
The closest alternatives to Midjourney in our directory are Ideogram, Leonardo.Ai, Adobe Firefly, FLUX by Black Forest Labs and Krea.
How does Midjourney compare with other AI image and video generators?
Midjourney's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 2 of the 21 other AI image and video generators we grade, and level with 3.
Is Midjourney good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Midjourney B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $8 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 2 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Midjourney?
To replace Midjourney you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Midjourney’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Midjourney's own update pages and, for prices, a third-party summary on 17 October 2026. Midjourney's help pages turned our reader away again, so no price could be checked. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Midjourney. Prices change, so check midjourney.com before you buy.
- eesel.ai/blog/midjourney-pricing
- updates.midjourney.com/
- updates.midjourney.com/v8-1-is-now-the-default-model/
- updates.midjourney.com/version-8-2/
- updates.midjourney.com/edit-model-for-v8/
- updates.midjourney.com/introducing-our-v1-video-model/
- updates.midjourney.com/looping-and-end-frame-for-video-video-in-the-discord-bot/
- updates.midjourney.com/relax-mode-for-v8-alpha/
- updates.midjourney.com/web-updates-5/
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,880
Tools graded, in 47 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,880
tools graded
47
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Midjourney, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/midjourney
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Midjourney: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/midjourney
Know someone choosing between AI image and video generators?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/midjourney/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI image and video generators after Midjourney, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Image & Video Generators Insider's GuideEvery one of the 22 AI image and video generators we grade, compared
- Adobe Firefly Insider's GuideAdobe's image, video and audio generator, with partner models3.0 GPA
- Leonardo.Ai Insider's GuideImage, video and 3D generator with its own and partner models3.0 GPA
- Magnific Insider's GuideFormerly Freepik: AI image, video and audio tools plus stock library3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Midjourney’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Midjourney is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Midjourney. Prices and plans change: check midjourney.com before you buy.