Which AI Image Generator Is Better Between Midjourney and DALL-E 3
Midjourney and DALL-E 3 are two of the most famous AI image generators available today, and you can easily get started with either (or both) today. But which of these systems offers an easier-to-use interface, and which produces better results? If you’re trying to choose your first AI image generator, then I can help – I’ve spent a lot of time with both DALL-E 3 and Midjourney since they launched separately, and can tell you everything you want. you need to know to choose between both options to suit all your imaging needs.
How do Midjourney and DALL-E 3 work?
If you haven’t tried out an image generator yet, using it blindly can be a bit difficult, especially when it comes to getting it to do exactly what you want. Luckily, both DALL-E 3 and Midjourney use a text prompt system that allows you to provide a written description of what you want in an image. The generator language model then takes this information and turns it into an image. Results may vary, and depending on the type of tip, the quality may not meet your needs.
Both Midjourney and DALL-E 3 use a process called diffusion to create their images. Essentially, this system runs an image as a field of noise and then adds fragments to it to create an image that it thinks matches what you’re asking for.
But just because both options use a similar process doesn’t mean they produce the same results. How each model interprets your instructions may vary, and while the DALL-E 3 may provide better results with some tips, Midjourney may come out ahead with others. The differences lie in the data the companies behind these systems trained them on and how the models were programmed to respond to cues.
Is it cheaper to use DALL-E 3 or Midjourney? (Only one of them is free)
Like most AI apps, DALL-E 3 and Midjourney have their own pricing, but with some caveats.
How much does DALL-E cost per month?
Typically, DALL-E 3 is included with a $20/month ChatGPT Plus subscription. This means you can pay for one subscription and get access to both ChatGPT Plus and DALL-E 3.
How much does Midjourney cost per month?
Midjourney offers several different pricing options. The most basic plan starts at $10 per month and gives you about 200 minutes of “fast” GPU time, which Midjourney says equates to about 200 image generations per month, but it really depends on what you do with it. If you frequently resize images or create a lot of variations, you will quickly use up those minutes. Midjourney also offers $30/month and $60/month plans, both of which include faster generations and unlimited relaxed generations (relaxed generations are image requests that are queued and processed when GPUs become available). If you plan to use Midjourney frequently, one of these more expensive plans is definitely a better choice.
How to use DALL-E for free
But it’s also worth noting that DALL-E 3 is actually free to use. This is because the system is currently available in many Microsoft Copilot features, including the free Copilot chatbot. Not only does this give you access to ChatGPT Plus features like GPT-4, but it also means you can easily create AI-generated images without even paying a cent.
Midjourney doesn’t offer any free options, although Discord sometimes teams up with the company to offer free one-month trials of the service.
Best Choice: DALL-E (assuming the free options meet your needs)
How to use DALL-E 3 and Midjourney (and which is easier)
Of the two image generators, DALL-E 3 is much easier to use. Part of this is due to its accessibility thanks to its API being used by services like Bing Image Creator, Copilot, and even Microsoft Paint. It also works directly with ChatGPT , giving you access to a full application to use it.
DALL-E 3 is also smart enough to capture what you want by simply saying something like “dog running in the snow.” And if you’re just using it in Copilot or something like that, all you have to say is “create image” and then the query you want to use.
Midjourney, on the other hand, manages everything through Discord. It doesn’t have its own web app, which means you’ll need a Discord account to create AI-generated images. From there, you can create images via DM using Midjourney Bot, or create a dedicated channel on the Discord server that allows you to use hints.
When using Midjourney, you will have to go to Discord, find a channel or private message that allows you to receive hints, and then use the /imagine command. The rest of Midjourney’s functions are also performed using similar commands, so it can be a little confusing at first. However, once you get the hang of it, the process isn’t that difficult, but DALL-E is definitely more user-friendly.
Best choice: DALL-E
Is DALL-E 3 or Midjourney more powerful?
While DALL-E 3 may be easier to use, Midjourney generally gives you a lot more control over your images, making it the more powerful option of the two. This is because you are given access to additional commands, including the ability to scale the image you create. You can also request variations (both strong and subtle) of the image you create, and this will change some aspects of the image and create more for you to choose from. In Midjourney you can zoom in up to 4x. You can even tell Midjourney to scale down your image, allowing you to expand beyond what was originally created.
Midjourney also has a remix feature that allows you to gradually make changes to the image, changing the clue each time. You can also use commands like blend to combine aspects of multiple images. Overall, Midjourney has more power to accommodate a steeper learning curve.
But DALL-E 3 is not very good at variations. If you ask it to change something in an image, it will simply create a new image with your requested parameters added. This is because it doesn’t yet have built-in variation settings, although it’s possible that OpenAI will expand DALL-E’s capabilities in the future.
Top Pick: Midjourney
Which service is better for commercial use?
Both Midjourney and DALL-E 3 will allow you to commercialize your images. However, it is important to note that using these systems for commercial purposes can be a bit challenging. This is because in February 2023, the US Copyright Office decided that images created by Midjourney and other generative AIs could not themselves be copyrighted . So any image you create can be reused, repurposed or edited by anyone else as they see fit.
Ultimately, this means you have very limited protection if you want to prevent your images from being used in malicious ways, and while using someone else’s image is technically against Midjourney’s terms of service , it’s unlikely the company will take any action on this other than banning an account that took your work without your permission. If you want to commercialize your AI-generated images, be sure to disclose up front that you too are using AI, as people deserve to know that the work they receive was not created by human hands.
For the most part, Midjourney is the best option here too. It offers more freedom than DALL-E 3, as the OpenAI image generator blocks things like images of public figures and a host of other types of content, according to its usage policy . It’s also worth noting that images created in any Microsoft service that offers DALL-E 3 are not available for commercial use.
Top Pick: Midjourney
The Downside of Midjourney
If you want to get started with AI image generation and aren’t too keen on sharing your work with the world, then there are a few things you need to understand before purchasing a Midjourney subscription.
First, unless you purchase the $60/month plan, any images you create are automatically added to Midjourney’s public gallery, allowing service members to view, download, and even copy your tips. If you want to be able to create images using Midjourney’s “Hidden Mode”, you’ll have to spend some change to get the privilege.
And then there’s the matter of using Discord. I use Discord a lot, so using it to create images is not a big deal for me. But Discord’s options are still a bit confusing at first, and it’s honestly surprising that a competent AI company like Midjourney hasn’t developed its own infrastructure.
Disadvantage of DALL-E 3
While Midjourney does some strange things in its operation, DALL-E 3 is actually much simpler. However, this does not mean that it does not have shortcomings. First, you’re missing out on a lot of the great control features that Midjourney offers. Secondly, since DALL-E 3 is not actually offered as a separate subscription from ChatGPT Plus, users who don’t need access to the rest of the chatbot will end up spending more money than necessary on things they never use .
Additionally, DALL-E 3 doesn’t always do a good job of executing your prompt the way you want it to, and since there’s no way to customize the prompt without creating an entirely new set of images, you can’t pinpoint where things went wrong and fix it. You just have to keep playing with it until it gets right, or you’ll give up, whichever comes first.
Bottom line: Midjourney is more powerful and versatile (but comes at a price).
Both DALL-E 3 and Midjourney are exceptionally powerful image generators. DALL-E 3 is overall easier to use and is free to use in several places. Midjourney, on the other hand, is more powerful and gives you more control over creating images, but unless you pay for the most expensive subscription plan, all your creations will be publicly available in the members’ gallery for downloading and copying, and you’ll also have to do everything through Discord.
If you’re just curious about AI image generation and want to check it out, try DALL-E 3 using Bing Image Creator or Microsoft Copilot. It won’t cost you a penny. But if you’re already confident in your AI abilities and want to create commercial-grade images with a lot of freedom, then Midjourney is your best choice.