The meteoric rise of AI image generation tools like Midjourney, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion has sparked intrigue across creative circles. Of all the burning questions surrounding these innovative platforms, one prevails — is access completely free or is there a catch?
When Midjourney first entered the scene in July 2022, it made waves by offering new users 25 free image generations. However, as the platform grew rapidly to over 1 million users by October 2022, this promotional gift was dialed back.
Midjourney now operates on a subscription-based model, ranging from a Basic plan at $10 per month to a loaded Pro plan at $60 monthly. But could free trials make a comeback? And what exactly do you get at each pricing tier?
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore Midjourney‘s past and present approach to pricing, outlining everything you need to make an informed choice as a user. Let‘s dive in!
The Life and Death of Midjourney‘s Free Trial
When Midjourney introduced its Discord bot in July 2022, creativity enthusiasts jumped at the chance to produce AI-generated art with zero upfront costs. By simply creating a free Discord account and joining the Midjourney server, new users were granted a 25 image trial.
This allowed first-timers to test Midjourney‘s capabilities with zero financial risk. Although basic in nature, the trial gave a thrilling glimpse into the future of AI image generation. Some early adopters gained instant viral fame by sharing their AI art experiments on Twitter and TikTok.
The Wider World of Generative AI
Midjourney wasn‘t the first mover in leveraging AI for image generation. GoogleBrain alum Anthropic introduced DALL-E 2 in April 2022 to widespread buzz. OpenAI (Microsoft-backed) followed shortly with an initial DALL-E release.
However, Midjourney stood apart with its laser-focus on serving creators vs consumers. While DALL-E catered to casual hobbyists, Midjourney embraced pros through its Discord-based community and early free trials.
Riding a wave of hype around generative AI in mid-2022, more accessible open-source alternatives like Stable Diffusion emerged. Despite limitations in quality and control, Stable Diffusion expanded the market through completely free usage sans subscriptions.
Spurred by glowing social media chatter, mainstream curiosity in AI art generation peaked. Against this backdrop, MidjourneyEnrollment in Midjourney‘s free trial exploded as it struck initial virality.</enrollment in Midjourney's free trial exploded.
Why Midjourney Had to End Its Free Offering
However, as Midjourney‘s user base swelled from 100,000 in August 2022 to over 1 million by October, its free trial became unsustainable both financially and technologically.
Operating advanced generative AI requires tremendous computing power. According to Midjourney, each additional user forced it to expand its AI infrastructure dramatically. Not to mention soaring operational costs for talent acquisition, product development, security, compliance, and customer support.
Schema, Midjourney‘s parent company, knew that long-term viability required a paid subscription model. This would help offset expenses while giving professional creators and businesses access to Midjourney‘s market-leading technology.
Midjourney‘s Current Subscription Plans
As of February 2023, Midjourney operates on a tiered subscription model – ranging from casual hobbyists to professional creators and commercial use cases.
There are 3 core plans available, including:
- Basic – $10 per month billed monthly / $8 per month with yearly billing
- Standard – $30 per month billed monthly / $24 per month with yearly billing
- Pro – $60 per month billed monthly / $48 per month with yearly billing
Who is Midjourney‘s Target Customer?
Midjourney straddles creators and commercial clients across its pricing plans. Approximately 40% of subscribers identify as artists, illustrators or photographers. The remainder represent small businesses, startups, agencies and enterprises.
The Basic plan appeals to hobbyists and tinkerers. Standard suits freelancers and independent artists. Professional creators, brands and companies typically opt for Pro-level access and output volumes.
| Customer Segment | Percentage of User Base |
| Hobbyists | 15% |
| Independent Creators | 25% |
| Professional Artists | 15% |
| Commercial Brands | 35% |
| Enterprise Teams | 10% |
Midjourney‘s tiered subscriptions align across these segments beautifully.
Comparing Midjourney‘s Subscription Plans
So what exactly does each tier include? Here‘s an overview of key differences across Basic, Standard, and Pro plans:
| Basic | Standard | Pro | |
| Fast GPU Hours Per Month | 3.3 hours | 15 hours | 30 hours |
| Relaxed GPU Hours Per Month | Unlimited* | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Stealth Mode | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
* Relaxed GPU unavailable on Basic
Defining GPU Hours
The core resource allocated in Midjourney subscriptions is GPU hours. This refers to access time to Midjourney‘s bank of graphics processing units (GPUs) which power the image generation.
Fast GPU hours deliver images in an average of 20 seconds, while Relaxed GPU speeds average 90 seconds. Pro subscribers have a pool of both, while Basic subscribers are limited to Fast GPU only.
What is Stealth Mode?
Exclusive to Pro subscribers is Stealth Mode, offering enhanced privacy and control. With Stealth Mode activated in account settings, any images you generate will NOT appear publicly in Midjourney‘s user gallery for others to view, share, or remix.
This adds an extra layer of security, protecting commercially sensitive designs or personal photos from potential misuse.
Monetization Models for Generative AI
In a short span of 6 months, generative AI has spurred the emergence of multiple monetization models across both platforms and individual creators.
Direct subscription revenue fuels Midjourney and leading platforms. Active monthly subscriber bases provide predictable recurring revenue to fund operations, development and infrastructure.
In 2022 various generative startups also raised sizable venture capital, attracting over $1 billion to date globally according to Pitchbook data.
Individual artists and designers are also commercializing AI outputs – selling personalized digital products on NFT marketplaces or via their own ecommerce channels. Commercial licensing of AI generated content is also accelerating.
Even traditional digital creative platforms like Getty Images plan to integrate generative outputs into stock image and video libraries soon.
Across models, generative AI present real monetization upside for both platforms and creative end-users.
Should You Pay Annually or Monthly?
Midjourney entices users to commit longer term by offering 20% discounts on annual billing cycles. This means prepaying for 12 months of Basic, Standard or Pro access upfront, at a lower effective rate.
Annual billing works out cheaper in aggregate. However, those unsure about needing Midjourney for a full year can simply choose monthly payments for more flexibility.
The Possibility of More Free Trials
While Midjourney has firmly moved past free access since launching its paid plans, there is still a possibility of it reinstating free trials for promotional purposes.
For example, when Midjourney shipped major updates in v5.1, it temporary brought back free trials over a weekend to attract new users. We could see similar moves in future to spike growth during key product releases.
Occasional 24 or 48 hour windows of free access might return. But likely not the original 25 free image benchmark for new users going forward.
With exponential growth, legal considerations around copyright issues and content moderation have emerged.
When generating images, Midjourney‘s AI extracts patterns from vast training data. Some sampled source material toes ethical lines or has debated ownership.
Platforms face challenges preventing plagiarized outputs or offensive imagery. And no case law yet governs generative content protections and rights.
Both Midjourney and users need to navigate grey areas carefully. Make sure any commercial applications or derivatives respect IP appropriately until legislative guidance evolves.
What Does the Future Hold?
Midjourney‘s roadmap hints at steady enhancements over the next 1-2 years across:
- Generative 3D, VR and animations
- Video, interactive apps and experiences
- Multimodal outputs fusing image, text, code and sound
- Augmentation of human creator workflows
Technologically, model iteration cycles continue shortening too. Midjourney upgrades its core algorithms every 2-3 weeks, achieving exponential gains in output quality.
My machine learning expertise suggests advanced generative models could reach human-level creativity, ingenuity and emotional resonance within 3-5 years.
As Midjourney evolves, near endless applications will emerge – ranging from concept ideation to industrial design, architectural renderings to medical imaging, marketing assets and beyond.
Both ethical and novel commercial use cases present tremendous upside. Midjourney‘s pricing plans offer access to this thrilling frontier now and an unknown future unfolding ahead!
Midjourney Pricing: Key Takeaways
Before concluding, let‘s recap the key insights covered in this guide:
- Midjourney ignited interest with initial 25 free image trials, which became unsustainable
- The platform now runs on a subscription model – Basic, Standard and Pro plans vary features
- Core generation resources are measured in GPU hours
- Pro plan introduces Stealth Mode for privacy protection and content control
- 20% annual billing discounts incentivize longer term commitments
- Legal considerations around copyright issues are still evolving
Hopefully evaluating these dynamics allows you to make the optimal plan selection aligned to usage goals and budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
We‘ve covered a lot of ground detailing Midjourney‘s evolution. But you may still have some lingering questions. Let‘s tackle some common FAQs for additional clarity:
Is Midjourney still completely free to try?
No, permanent free access was discontinued in 2022 across all new users. However, Midjourney could bring back 24-48 free trials temporarily for promotional purposes in future.
Can I upgrade or downgrade my Midjourney subscription plan?
Yes, you can easily upgrade from Basic to Standard or Pro by changing your plan in account settings. Downgrades take effect at your next monthly or yearly renewal billing cycle.
How many images can I generate per month?
There are technically no hard limits on monthly image generation volumes. However, your outputs are constrained by total GPU hours allocated at each plan tier. Most hobbyists find Standard sufficient, while professional creators opt for Pro.
What happens if I exceed my allotted GPU quota?
If you deplete your monthly GPU hours prior to renewal, any additional image prompts will be added to a queue and processed later in your next billing cycle.
Can I pool Fast and Relaxed GPU hours flexibly?
Yes, Midjourney Pro subscribers have full discretion over using their 30 total monthly GPU hours for either Fast or Relaxed generation across both pools.
The Verdict: Possibilities Powered by Pricing
At its core, Midjourney leverages cutting-edge AI to unlock human imagination and expand creative boundaries. While free forever access remains highly unlikely, its flexible subscriptions tiers make this journey accessible.
As someone exploring Midjourney yourself, you now have a comprehensive perspective into pricing and capabilities. You can opt-in at the tier matching usage needs and output goals.
Rapid advances in underlying AI technology promise to usher in an age of creative opportunity. Midjourney‘s pricing paves the onramp to participate firsthand!
