Verdict
Which Midjourney tier fits regular image work, and what do the usage rights allow?
Basic is $10 a month ($8 on annual billing) with 3.3 fast GPU hours; Standard ($30) adds unlimited Relax image generations; Pro ($60) and Mega ($120) add Stealth Mode and Relax video. All tiers use General Commercial Terms, with Pro or Mega required for companies above $1,000,000 USD in gross yearly revenue.
Who should consider it. Consider it if you generate images regularly and want unlimited Relax generations on Standard or above.
Start here: first steps with Midjourney
Editorial guidance based on the vendor details we recorded. We have not tested Midjourney, and we do not describe its screens or settings.
- Who should start with it
- Creators who want stylised image generation and accept a paid subscription from the start.
- Before you create an account
- Pick one real job, for example "Generate images", and prepare invented or non-sensitive input for the first try.
- Read the vendor's data and privacy terms. Our privacy review checklist lists what to look for.
- Commercial use, as we recorded it: All plans use General Commercial Terms. If you have subscribed at any point you may use your images and videos in most ways, but companies with more than $1,000,000 USD in gross revenue a year must buy Pro or Mega, per the vendor.
- Which plan to start with
- No free plan or trial is confirmed. The cheapest paid plan with a recorded price is From $8/mo (currency not named), billed annually. If a monthly option exists, consider it for the first cycles.
- A first small task
- Try a small version of a real case like this one: A designer generating mood boards who wants unlimited Relax generations (Standard).
- How to tell whether it helps
- Time the job by hand first. Then record minutes taken, minutes of editing and credits or usage used. Use the trial scorecard.
- Common first-week mistakes
- Spending credits or usage on experiments without noting how much one job used.
- Paying for a year before testing one real job.
- Putting private or customer data in before reading how the vendor handles it.
- When to consider another tool
- Anyone who wants a free tier: the plan comparison lists four paid tiers only.
- Companies above $1,000,000 USD in gross yearly revenue on Basic or Standard: the page says they must buy Pro or Mega.
Alternatives: Ideogram, Leonardo.Ai. Reasons to switch.
What Midjourney actually does
- Generates images and video from prompts, with a fast mode that uses GPU time and a Relax Mode that does not.
- Standard, Pro and Mega include unlimited image generations in Relax Mode; Pro and Mega add unlimited standard-definition video in Relax Mode.
- Stealth Mode keeps images and videos private and is available only on Pro and Mega.
- Extra fast GPU time can be bought at $4 an hour on every plan.
Source: Comparing Midjourney Plans (Midjourney docs) (opens in a new tab).
Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere
Good fits
- A designer generating mood boards who wants unlimited Relax generations (Standard).
- An agency that needs Stealth Mode for client work (Pro).
Scenarios are illustrative, based on plan limits and documented features.
Consider alternatives if
- Anyone who wants a free tier: the plan comparison lists four paid tiers only.
- Companies above $1,000,000 USD in gross yearly revenue on Basic or Standard: the page says they must buy Pro or Mega.
Practical workflows
Illustrative: built from documented features, not from testing.
Build a mood board for a client
Outcome: A set of reviewed images that show a visual direction
- Write short prompts that describe the style, palette and subject.
- Generate batches in Relax Mode to save fast GPU time (Standard and above).
- Pick the strongest images and rerun variations in fast mode.
- Use Pro or Mega with Stealth Mode if the work must stay private.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths Vendor-documented
- Monthly and yearly prices are both stated
- Per-plan GPU hours, concurrency and queue limits are tabulated
- Usage rights and the revenue threshold are spelled out
Limitations and cautions Documented limits and editorial guidance
- No free tier is listed
- Fast GPU time is capped per plan
- Stealth Mode and Relax video are limited to Pro and Mega
Hands-on testing
Not tested by us yet, so this page describes what the vendor documents. How testing is recorded.
Pricing
Free
No free planListed as paid only.
Free trial
Not statedA trial is separate from a free plan.
Cheapest paid plan
BasicFrom $8/mo (currency not named), billed annually, or $10 (currency not named) month-to-month
Show all 4 plans and limits
| Plan | Price and billing | Limits and inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Basic |
| 3.3 fast GPU hours a month; standard-definition video; 3 concurrent fast image prompts |
| Standard |
| 15 fast GPU hours; unlimited Relax image generations; standard and high-definition video |
| Pro |
| 30 fast GPU hours; unlimited Relax images and standard-definition video; Stealth Mode; 12 fast concurrent image prompts |
| Mega |
| 60 fast GPU hours; unlimited Relax images and standard-definition video; Stealth Mode |
How usage is counted
- Fast GPU time per month: 3.3 hours (200 minutes) on Basic, 15 hours on Standard, 30 hours on Pro and 60 hours on Mega.
- Maximum concurrent image prompts: 3 fast on Basic, 3 fast or relax on Standard, and 12 fast or 3 relax on Pro and Mega. Video concurrency is lower.
- Basic produces standard-definition video only; Standard, Pro and Mega produce standard and high definition.
- Pricing model
- Usage-based
- Currency
- Shown as "$"; the vendor's page does not name the currency
- Commercial use
- All plans use General Commercial Terms. If you have subscribed at any point you may use your images and videos in most ways, but companies with more than $1,000,000 USD in gross revenue a year must buy Pro or Mega, per the vendor.
- API
- Not confirmed · The plan comparison does not mention an API.
- Pricing checked
- 21 Oct 2026 · Vendor pricing page (opens in a new tab)
- The vendor says a 20% discount applies when you commit to a year and pay upfront.
- The plan comparison lists four paid tiers and no free tier. All plans renew automatically unless cancelled.
- The page shows "$" without naming the currency, though the revenue threshold names USD.
Prices are shown as each vendor lists them. Where a vendor shows only a "$" sign, its page does not name the currency, and vendors may show a local currency or regional price. Confirm on the vendor's page before buying.
Alternatives
Ideogram
Reason to consider it: Credit-based plans with per-image credit costs published, and an API with credit-based usage.
- Free access: Ideogram is "free options not stated"; Midjourney is "paid only".
- API: Ideogram documented; Midjourney not verified.
- Paid prices are in different, unnamed or not comparable currencies, so they are not compared here.
- Platforms documented for Ideogram but not for Midjourney: ios.
- Commercial-use terms are recorded for Midjourney only.
Leonardo.Ai
Reason to consider it: A free daily token plan, which Midjourney does not list, and paid plans from $12 a month.
- Free access: Leonardo.Ai is "free plan" (150 fast tokens a day; token bank of 150; public creations; basic quality settings; 1 personal collection); Midjourney is "paid only".
- API: Leonardo.Ai documented; Midjourney not verified.
- Paid prices are in different, unnamed or not comparable currencies, so they are not compared here.
- Commercial-use terms are recorded for Midjourney only.
Adobe Firefly
Reason to consider it: A free plan, video and audio generation, and stated commercial-use terms for Firefly models.
- Free access: Adobe Firefly is "free plan" (Free daily generations across image, video and audio with access to some models; daily limits are not quantified); Midjourney is "paid only".
- Paid prices are in different, unnamed or not comparable currencies, so they are not compared here.
- Platforms documented for Adobe Firefly but not for Midjourney: ios, android.
Frequently asked questions
Does Midjourney have a free plan?
No free plan is listed on the vendor's pricing page. Whether a free trial exists is not stated.
How much does Midjourney cost?
The lowest-priced paid plan is Basic: from $8/mo (currency not named), billed annually, or $10 (currency not named) month-to-month. Annual-billing prices are shown per month but are paid yearly. Pricing was checked 21 Oct 2026.
Does Midjourney have an API?
We could not confirm this from an official page. The plan comparison does not mention an API.
Can I use Midjourney output commercially?
All plans use General Commercial Terms. If you have subscribed at any point you may use your images and videos in most ways, but companies with more than $1,000,000 USD in gross revenue a year must buy Pro or Mega, per the vendor.
Keep comparing
Sources and update history
| Source | What it covered | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Comparing Midjourney Plans (Midjourney docs) (opens in a new tab) | Plans, monthly and annual prices, GPU time, Relax and Stealth modes, usage rights | 21 Oct 2026 |
Not yet verified
These are gaps in our research, not claims about the product.
- Whether a free trial exists
- Platform and API availability
- The full Terms of Service for commercial use
- The currency code
Research note
- Vendor-documented: prices, plan limits, features and terms are taken from the sources above on the dates shown.
- Editorial interpretation: the verdict, good fits, tradeoffs and workflows are our reading of those facts. None of it comes from testing the tool.
- Unverified: anything listed under "Not yet verified" is a gap in our research, not a claim about the product.
Update history
- 21 Oct 2026 · Added after research from the vendor's official pages.
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