Looking for the best Midjourney alternatives?
We’ve done a lot of research across the internet to bring all of the reliable and feature-filled alternatives to Midjourney to one place.
The goal was simple: to find other AI image generator tools that could accomplish tasks with similar effect and quality to Midjourney.
Let’s get started!
What Makes a Good Midjourney Alternative
Anytime image generation programs are mentioned on the web, the two most commonly brought up generators are Stable Diffusion (SDXL) and Midjourney.
While SDXL is often talked about, the most commonly recommended and used is the Midjourney, with over 16 million registered users and counting.
It’s a powerful tool, but it’s also very expensive, at $24 per month for an annual fee (the basic plan offers just enough to experiment but not to use the service in its totality).
Sitting behind a paywall can be frustrating for new users interested in experimenting to decide if the program is worth the buy-in.
Midjourney has several characteristics have made it uniquely successful as an art generator.
Factors such as high prompt flexibility, human and photo-oriented realism, powerful versatility, and a user-friendly interface make the platform highly desirable so a good alternative will meet some of these qualifiers.
Above all of these features, though, the trait that makes Midjourney such a desirable generator is that it combines all of these things into one program.
Users can create art with many different styles; they can do it easily, they can do it fast, and it requires minimal training.
In other words, everything is catered to the user to make image creation easy.
Best Midjourney Alternatives
Here are our top recommendations for alternatives to Midjourney.
These best image generators give powerful tools and abilities to people who may or may not have strong creative skills, providing an equal and fair platform for users to create high-quality imagery from scratch.
Reminder
This list is curated after trying the free versions and reading reviews of all the famous AI image generators on the web. However, remember that this list is unranked as we can’t rank the list due to mixed reviews and functionalities. Nevertheless, Stable Diffusion, DALL-E 3, and RunwayML are by far exceptional alternatives to Midjourney that you can try out.
1. Artbreeder
Artbreeder is a web-based generative AI platform that specializes in the community-based part of the art generation, specifically offering the creation and subsequent manipulation of images. It’s freely accessible online, offering a collaborative, user-friendly experience that’s not locked behind a paywall.
Artbreeder possesses a high degree of flexibility in image generation, especially in blending and morphing different styles and features.
While it excels in creating diverse and oftentimes surreal images, it can also create and develop more realistic, human-oriented visuals with a distinct focus on combined work.
The platform’s claim to fame is that it allows users a high degree of user interaction, enabling the tweaking of images automatically posted to its proprietary social media site.
Users can share and modify each other’s creations, adding a unique dimension to its functionality and maneuverability. Artbreeder’s algorithms are specifically adept at handling various image types, offering a broad creative scope.
Key Features:
Pricing:
- Free Version: 3 credits per month; earn additional credits by participating in the community
- Starter: $8.99/month for 100 credits per month, Google Drive sync, privacy controls, and custom genes
- Advanced: 18.99/month for 275 credits per month + previous additional features
- Champion: 38.99/month for 700 credits per month + previous additional features
2. NightCafe Studio
Created in Australia by AI developer Angus Russell, NightCafe Studio is a cloud-based platform that offers its services online. Based on multiple generative models and made flexible by nature, NightCafe is notable for its ability to produce realistic and artistically styled images.
The platform, while distinct, can align with the caliber of tools like Midjourney at some intervals, delivering high-quality, versatile visual outputs. It is particularly appreciated by those seeking an easy-to-use interface for generating a wide array of image types.
The platform allows users to experiment with various styles and techniques by employing advanced algorithms that enable professionals and amateurs to bring their creative visions to life.
Key Features:
Pricing:
NightCafe Studio is free with some basic features, but upgrading to a Pro plan offers a lot. NightCafe Studio allows for monthly or quarterly payments. Quarterly payers receive 20% off the monthly fees, which are as follows:
- AI Beginner: $5.99/month for 100 credits per month
- AI Hobbyist: $9.99/month for 200 credits per month
- AI Enthusiast: $19.99/month for 500 credits per month
- AI Artist: $49.99/month for 1400 credits per month
3. StyleGAN
Developed by a team of special researchers at Nvidia, StyleGAN (short for Generative Adversarial Network) is an open-source generative AI program designed to be trained on custom datasets of images. It’s available on GitHub for free but requires a powerful GPU to run and lots of time to train.
StyleGAN is a professional-grade tool renowned for its ability to create photorealistic images of faces and ranks high in power and low in ease of usage. If you’re looking to generate photorealistic pictures, it’s arguably better than Midjourney but requires dedication and time to develop quality outputs.
StyleGAN is extremely flexible and allows users to tweak images to precise specs. Its mathematical processes and architecture for understanding images are also strong and can conceptualize object-oriented space to an advanced degree.
Key Features:
Pricing:
- StyleGAN is free, but the program requires a powerful computer to run. If you don’t have access to one, you likely need to pay to run it on a remote GPU. Accessing Google’s GPU via Colab Pro is available starting at $9.99 per month.
Check out StyleGAN and Google Colab Pro!
4. RunwayML
RunwayML was released as a versatile and user-friendly generative AI platform specializing in video creation (under its ‘Gen 1’ and ‘Gen 2’ models). It’s a cloud-based service that offers generous capabilities to a wide range of users without the need for high-end computing power.
RunwayML is capable of generating everything from photo-realistic images to abstract art. It combines power with a user-friendly interface that gives newer users the opportunity to get into the hobby.
Additionally, it makes available a diverse array of machine learning models, making it a robust tool for creative professionals and hobbyists. While it is a distinctly different tool from Midjourney, it shares many qualities regarding versatility and high-quality outputs.
What sets RunwayML apart is its ability to create videos. Its distinct and unprecedented capability to turn text into a full-fledged ‘motion picture’ is unique to the space.
Key Features:
Pricing:
- Free: 125 credits with limited features and short video creation
- Standard: $8.99/user/month, 625 credits per month, up to 16 seconds of video, and a range of other features
- Pro: $28/user/month, 2250 credits per month, up to 16 seconds video, more storage than standard
- Unlimited: $78/user/month, infinite creations, unlimited video generations, Pro storage plan (500 GB)
5. DeepArt
DeepArt is an innovative AI art generation platform that stands out in the artistic transformation of images.
Like most platforms on this list, DeepArt is available to a broad audience because it’s a front-end software that can be accessed directly on its website and requires no special hardware training time.
DeepArt specializes in transforming images into artworks that reflect the styles of famous painters, bridging the gap between traditional and modern art and technology.
It’s a very niche tool that fills a specific gap, but it’s excellent at what it does: applying complex artistic styles to photographs.
Its unique sophistication enables people to turn everyday photos into visually stunning masterpieces, and it certainly holds a candle to what users might find in tools like Midjourney – just with a specific usage.
DeepArt’s algorithms are finely tuned to understand and replicate artistic styles, making it an excellent tool for those interested in art and design.
Key Features:
Pricing:
- DeepArt is freely accessible through its website, with no need for powerful computing resources or contracts. There is no upgradeable plan either.
6. TensorArt
TensorArt is an innovative generative AI art tool available for use online. It’s hosted on a user-friendly platform, making it easily accessible without demanding high-end hardware, and suitable for a broad range of users.
TensorArt is lauded for allowing users to easily upload custom models and LORAs to modify their imaging results. It makes up for what it loses in Midjourney’s advanced unique abilities in customizability.
It’s particularly well-suited for users who value high prompt flexibility because its platform allows users to tweak various unique settings to create truly detailed and customized images.
Enabling users to specify and fine-tune their image generation requests has made TensorArt’s underlying technology an adept competitor in generative AI, allowing it to execute complex prompts acting as a powerful tool for creative exploration.
Key Features:
Pricing:
- Free Version: 100 credits/day
- Pro (30 days): $9.90 for 300 credits per day, more advanced upscaling capabilities, more customization, and more features
- Pro (90 days): $14.90 (same as 30-day pro plan, but for 3 months)
7. DALL-E
DALL-E emerged from the same company behind the AI program Chat GPT. Made available for use through a user-friendly web interface, DALL-E 3 produces creatively diverse and imaginative images.
It was also tweaked for high prompt flexibility in its outputs, meaning that DALL-E can produce quality images that are on par with that of Midjourney.
However, DALL-E is more creative and adheres less to the prompt than Midjourney and other programs, making it an effective all-around tool.
The tool’s versatility is its standout feature. Users can explore a vast range of creative possibilities, from generating realistic human portraits to fantastical, surreal scenes. DALL-E’s underlying technology is seriously advanced and capable.
Key Features:
Pricing:
- DALL-E is available through OpenAI’s platform in two forms:
- Credit Purchases: Pay-as-you-go, charging $15 for 115 prompts ($0.035 per image)
- Chat GPT 4.0: Purchase OpenAI’s premium program for $20 per month, and get access to DALL-E for free (40 generations per three hours).
8. VQGAN+CLIP
VQGAN+CLIP is an open-source advanced AI art generation tool available on platforms like GitHub. It can be customized with various datasets, though it demands substantial computing resources and some technical know-how to utilize effectively.
VQGAN+CLIP is similar to Midjourney in numerous ways, creating rich, detailed images that are both artistic and realistic.
For those interested in generating intricate, high-quality images, it offers an experience that, while different, can be parallel to Midjourney’s output quality, though it leans more towards artistic flair.
The flexibility of VQGAN+CLIP is noteworthy. It allows for extensive manipulation of images, enabling users to produce highly specific and detailed results.
The tool’s underlying technology is adept at interpreting and visualizing complex prompts, making it a robust platform for creative exploration.
Key Features:
Pricing:
- Like StyleGAN, VQGAN+CLIP requires significant computational power, and running it might necessitate access to more advanced hardware or cloud computing resources. This generally involves a paywall for users, so again, the tradeoff of more flexibility and power is met with some operational costs. Colab Pro is available starting at $9.99 per month.
9. Photo AI
Photo AI is another great Midjourney alternative designed for creating stunning, photorealistic AI images.
It’s an ideal tool for anyone looking to simulate professional photo shoots without needing a physical camera or expensive photography equipment. With Photo AI, users can generate images in various settings and styles, from casual snapshots to formal portraits.
This AI platform stands out for its ability to create images in virtually any environment or scenario you can imagine. Whether you’re looking for a beach backdrop, a nightclub scene, or a cozy coffee place setting, Photo AI has you covered.
One of the most exciting features of Photo AI is its ability to adapt to various lighting conditions. You can choose from natural sunlight, golden hour, neon lights, and more to create the perfect mood for your images.
The tool also allows you to adjust the emotion, age, and action of the characters in your photos, adding another layer of customization.
Photo AI also offers a unique feature called Sketch2Image, which transforms fashion design sketches into photorealistic images. Check out this video.
Key Features:
Pricing:
- Pro Plan: $39/month, includes 1,000 AI photos, 5 AI characters per month, and self-service support.
- Premium Plan: $99/month, offers 5,000 AI photos, 25 AI characters per month, priority access, and early feature access.
- Business Plan: $299/month for 25,000 AI photos, 100 AI characters per month, and professional usage license.
10. Stockimg.AI
Stockimg.AI is an innovative AI image generation tool, tailored for effortless creation of various visual designs like logos, book covers, album covers, posters, and more. It’s especially beneficial for users who need quick and easy solutions for their design needs.
The tool is packed with various categories, including stock images and specialized options like wallpapers, logos, illustrations, icons, and web and mobile UI designs.
The platform also offers a free trial, a great way for new users to get acquainted with its capabilities without any initial investment.
Key Features:
Pricing:
- Free Plan: $0/month, includes one image credit, one project, ten categories, and 15+ AI models.
- Starter Plan: $34/month, offers unlimited image credits and projects, GPU-enabled fast generation, and commercial usage for digital products.
- Premium Plan: $60/month, includes all features of the Starter plan plus commercial usage for digital and physical products, AI Upscaling to 4x, and AI Remove Background.
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, offers all Premium features plus API access and a special AI model for individual or enterprise needs.
11. Leonardo AI
Leonardo AI emerges as an impressive Midjourney alternative for creating production-quality visual assets with exceptional speed and style consistency. It’s perfect for users who generate distinct art through an easy yet powerful platform.
Leonardo AI excels in cultivating originality, allowing users to explore their imagination with pre-trained AI models or by training their own.
We use Leonardo AI, and we love features like Prompt Magic, Alchemy, and the ton of fine-tuned models it provides that can help you create consistent images, AI influencer, and more.
Key Features:
Pricing:
- Free Plan: Offers basic access with 150 daily tokens, catering to users looking to explore the platform.
- Apprentice Standard Plan: $10/month (billed yearly), with 8,500 monthly tokens and the ability to train 10 models, designed for emerging creators.
- Artisan Unlimited Plan: $24/month (billed yearly), for unlimited image generations and enhanced model training capabilities, suited for dedicated artists.
- Maestro Unlimited Plan: $48/month (billed yearly), providing the most extensive access with unlimited generations, advanced training options, and priority support, perfect for professionals.
12. Bing Image Creator
Bing AI Image Creator, powered by an advanced version of the DALL∙E model from OpenAI, is a standout Midjourney alternative for generating custom images.
It’s designed to enhance the search and chat experience on Bing and Microsoft Edge, making it more visual and intuitive. There are few features to mention for Bing Image Creator as it has none.
You can’t define the aspect ratios, it has harsh NSFW filters and it even sometimes fails to understand the prompts.
But it is still worth trying.
Key Features:
Pricing:
- Free to Use: Bing Image Creator is free to use.
Midjourney Alternatives Comparison Table
| Alternatives | Key Features | Starting Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Artbreeder | Collaboration and image manipulation, User-friendly, Visual capabilities for surreal to realistic images | Free Version; Starter: $8.99/month |
| NightCafe Studio | Versatile artistic styles, Prompt creativity, Accessible and user-friendly | AI Beginner: $5.99/month |
| StyleGAN | High customizability and model stability, Disentangled features, Cutting-edge photorealism | Free; Colab Pro starting at $9.99/month |
| RunwayML | Wide range of models, User-friendly, Text-to-video capability | Free Version; Standard: $8.99/user/month |
| DeepArt | Style transformation, Ease of use, Art-driven realism | Free |
| TensorArt | Prompt flexibility, Strong technological foundation | Free Version; Pro (30 days): $9.90 |
| DALL-E | Prompt flexibility, Accessible online, Imaginative outputs | Credit Purchases: $15 for 115 prompts |
| VQGAN+CLIP | Rich detailing, Artistic versatility, Creative control | Free; Colab Pro starting at $9.99/month |
| Photo AI | Versatile settings and adaptive lighting, Emotion and age customization, Sketch2Image feature | Pro Plan: $39/month |
| Stockimg.AI | Broad range of categories, User-friendly, AI-enhanced features | Free Plan; Starter Plan: $34/month |
| Leonardo AI | Image generation and AI canvas, Fine-tuned models, Community support | Free Plan; Apprentice Standard Plan: $10/month |
| Bing Image Creator | Advanced image generation, Integration with Bing Chat, Simple interface | Free to use |
The End!
A fantastic and wide variety of alternatives to Midjourney is available online, many to the average person.
We hope you can use this list to learn about and explore today’s many artificial intelligence interfaces.
Please don’t forget to comment on your favorite art tool down below. For more useful resources, check out the following:
