Hey there! If you‘ve been wondering whether it‘s worth paying for a Midjourney subscription, then you‘ve come to the right place.
In this guide, we‘ll walk through everything you need to know about getting access to Midjourney and deciding if a paid subscription is right for your needs.
We‘ll cover:
- What Midjourney is and key things it can do
- Breakdown of the subscription pricing plans
- Step-by-step instructions for purchasing
- Tips to maximize the value from your subscription
- An assessment of whether Midjourney is worth it for different use cases
Let‘s get started!
What is Midjourney and What Can It Do?
For those new to the world of AI art creation, Midjourney is one of the leading AI image generators out there.
It uses artificial intelligence to create unique images and art simply from text descriptions that you provide it.
Some key things Midjourney is capable of:
- Generate photorealistic images from scratch based on text prompts
- Combine concepts and elements into surreal or imaginative art
- Mimic different art styles like paintings, cartoons, anime, pixel art
- Edit or modify existing images by adding or changing elements
- Upscale images to increase resolution and detail
The AI behind Midjourney learns from the massive amount of text and image data it is trained on, allowing it to produce incredibly creative visuals.
People are using Midjourney to create logos, concept art, marketing materials, character designs, artworks to print and sell, and more.
Demand for AI art generation is absolutely exploding – the industry is predicted to grow from $2.1 billion in 2022 to $20 billion by 2027.
Midjourney is at the forefront of this growth.
Midjourney Subscription Plans and Pricing
Okay, so now that you know what Midjourney can do, let‘s look at the subscription options available.
There are currently 3 pricing tiers:
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price (20% discount) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $10 | $96 |
| Standard | $30 | $288 |
| Pro | $600 | $5760 |
Here is an overview of what you get with each Midjourney plan:
| Basic | Standard | Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image Credits Per Month | 25 | 100 | Unlimited |
| Max Image Resolution | 512×512 | 1024×1024 | 1024×1024 |
| Text Prompts Access | /imagine | /imagine, /edit | All prompts |
| Upscales Per Month | 0 | 2 | Unlimited |
| Early Access to New Features | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Image credits determine how many images you can generate per month. Once you use up the credits, you can‘t make any more images until the next billing cycle starts.
Image resolution refers to the max dimensions of generated images – higher is more detailed.
Text prompts are commands Midjourney supports to create and modify images:
/imaginegenerates an image from text/editmodifies an existing image
Upscales let you increase image resolution 2x for more detail.
And early access provides first hands-on with new Midjourney features before public release.
A couple things to note:
- Annual plans get a 20% discount compared to paying monthly
- Midjourney credits do NOT roll over month to month
- Multiple people can share a single Midjourney account
Below are some examples of the image quality you can expect at different resolution tiers:
512×512 (Basic):
1024×1024 (Standard/Pro):
As you can see, the higher resolution provides a lot more detail and crisper image quality.
Step-by-Step Guide to Buying Midjourney Subscription
Ready to get Midjourney access? Here is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to purchase a subscription:
Step 1: Join the Midjourney Discord Server
Since Midjourney is still in beta, access is provided through an invite-only Discord server.
To join the Discord:
- Go to Midjourney‘s website and click "Request Beta Access" in the top right.
- This will open a Discord invite link. Click "Accept Invite" to join the server.
- Complete the human verification by clicking "I‘m not a bot" and solving the simple captcha puzzle.
- You will now have access to the Midjourney Discord!
Step 2: Activate Your Account
Next, you need to activate your account within Discord:
- On the left sidebar, look for and select the #newbies channel.
- Type any message in #newbies, for example "hello" and send it.
- Midjourney will prompt you to accept the Terms of Service. Click "Accept TOS".
- This will activate your Midjourney account so you can now purchase a subscription.
Step 3: Open Your Subscription Link
To view pricing plans and subscribe, you first need to open your personal Midjourney subscription page:
- In the #newbies channel, type
/subscribeand send the message. - Midjourney will DM you a unique link to your subscription portal.
- Click on "Open subscription page" in the DM from Midjourney.
Step 4: Select Your Subscription
On the subscription page, you‘ll see pricing and plan details for Basic, Standard, and Pro.
- Choose whether you want a monthly or annual subscription.
- Click "Subscribe" on the plan you want to purchase.
Step 5: Enter Payment Details
After selecting your plan, you‘ll be prompted to enter payment information:
- Enter your email address and payment details. Midjourney accepts major credit/debit cards.
- Confirm your billing address is correct.
- Optionally save payment info for faster future checkouts.
- Click "Subscribe" to complete the payment.
Step 6: Verify Subscription
Once payment processes successfully:
- Wait a few seconds for Midjourney to activate your subscription on their end.
- You‘ll see confirmation when payment and activation is complete.
- Click "Close window" to finish up and close the browser tab.
And that‘s it, you now have Midjourney subscription access based on your plan tier!
Tips to Maximize Your Midjourney Value
Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your Midjourney subscription:
-
Use all your monthly image credits – credits don‘t rollover, so be sure to generate up to your limit each billing cycle.
-
Experiment extensively with prompts – try different text, modifiers, and styles to see what produces the best results.
-
Browse the Discord for inspiration – the #prompts channel has great examples from other users.
-
Leverage /edit – with Standard/Pro access, use /edit to incrementally improve images.
-
Strategically use upscales – with Standard, prioritize your best images for the 2 free monthly upscales.
-
Optimize images – run images through optimization tools before use to improve quality.
-
Stay active in the Discord – engage with the community and share learnings/examples.
-
Follow #news and #updates – keep up with new Midjourney capabilities as they release.
Using these tips will help maximize the value and results you get from your specific Midjourney subscription tier.
Is Midjourney Worth the Cost? Assessment by Use Case
Whether Midjourney is "worth it" depends largely on your use case and needs. Here is an assessment of the value for different common use cases:
For Hobbyists
If you‘re an art hobbyist looking to casually explore AI art, Basic is very cost effective at $10/month.
Pros
- 25 credits per month allow decent hobby usage
- Can create AI art just for fun without commercial use
- Cheapest way to access and experiment with Midjourney
Cons
- Limited to 512×512 resolution makes images less sharper
- Lack of /edit hampers ability to refine images
Verdict: The Basic plan is a steal for hobbyists to enjoy Midjourney recreationally.
For Digital Artists
For artists who want to enhance their workflows with AI tools, Standard unlocks more creative flexibility at $30/month.
Pros
- 100 image credits offer room for experimentation
- 1024×1024 resolution gives print-worthy quality
- /edit allows perfecting images incrementally
Cons
- Costlier than Basic plan
- Only 2 free upscales still quite limiting
Verdict: Standard strikes the ideal balance for artists to fuse AI into their creative workflows.
For Professionals and Commercial Use
The Pro plan is best suited for commercial and professional use cases at $600/month.
Pros
- Unlimited high resolution generation
- Unlimited upscales for best final image quality
- Early access to new Midjourney features
Cons
- Much higher cost than other tiers
- Overkill capabilities for non-pro users
Verdict: For professionals, unlimited generation and early access warrant Pro‘s premium pricing.
For Teams and Companies
For teams and companies evaluating Midjourney, a single Standard plan can be cost effective.
Pros
- Allows multiple employees to share access
- Sufficient image allowance for testing use cases
- Reasonable cost compared to multiple Pro plans
Cons
- Credits consumed faster with more users
- May eventually need more Pro subscriptions
Verdict: A Standard plan enables companies to cost efficiently try Midjourney before scaling up.
For Students
Given their limited budgets, the Basic plan is a viable option for students to explore AI art.
Pros
- At $10/month, most affordable Midjourney access
- Student usage is likely hobbyist level anyway
Cons
- Very limited image resolution and generation capabilities
Verdict: Basic lets students dip their toes into AI art at a student-friendly price point.
As you can see, Midjourney is positioned quite competitively for a range of use cases. Evaluate your own needs to decide which tier provides the right mix of capabilities and cost.
Key Takeaways
To recap the key points we covered in this guide on accessing Midjourney and whether a paid subscription is worthwhile:
- Midjourney utilizes AI to generate images, art, and graphics from text prompts
- There are 3 pricing tiers – Basic, Standard, and Pro – with varying capabilities
- You must join Discord and activate your account before subscribing
- Step-by-step process to purchase a subscription with payment
- Tips to maximize the value from your specific Midjourney plan
- The worth varies depending on use case, from hobbyists to professionals
The field of AI art is evolving extremely quickly. By starting with Midjourney, you get affordable access to experiment with an industry leading AI art generator.
I hope this guide gave you a comprehensive overview of how Midjourney subscriptions work and the value they provide. Let me know if you have any other questions!
