Midjourney Review 2025
The AI image generator that revolutionized digital art – but is it still worth it?
What is Midjourney?
Midjourney is the AI image generator that took the world by storm, creating stunning, artistic images through Discord commands. Version 6 brings photorealistic capabilities that rival traditional photography, while maintaining the artistic flair that made it famous.
Unlike browser-based tools like DALL-E 3 or Leonardo AI, Midjourney operates exclusively through Discord, which can be intimidating for beginners but offers unparalleled community features and real-time inspiration from other creators.
Key Features That Set Midjourney Apart
What Can You Create?
Midjourney excels at various styles, from photorealistic portraits to fantasy landscapes:
Honest Assessment: Pros and Cons
✓ Pros
- Best-in-class artistic quality
- Incredible photorealism in V6
- Active community for inspiration
- Consistent style across generations
- Excellent for commercial use
- Regular updates and improvements
- Unlimited generations on paid plans
✗ Cons
- Discord-only interface
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- No free tier (only trial)
- Can’t edit specific parts of images
- Text in images still challenging
- No API for developers
- Privacy concerns (public by default)
Who Should Use Midjourney?
Perfect For:
- Digital Artists: Create stunning artwork for portfolios and commissions
- Content Creators: Generate unique visuals for social media and blogs
- Game Developers: Concept art and asset creation
- Marketing Teams: Eye-catching visuals for campaigns
- Authors & Publishers: Book covers and illustrations
Not Ideal For:
- Complete Beginners: The Discord interface has a learning curve
- Privacy-Focused Users: All images are public unless you pay for Pro
- Developers: No API access for integration
- Quick Edits: Can’t modify specific parts like in Photoshop
Midjourney vs Alternatives
Feature | Midjourney | DALL-E 3 | Stable Diffusion | Leonardo AI |
---|---|---|---|---|
Image Quality | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Ease of Use | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Price | $10-60/mo | $20/mo | Free | $12-60/mo |
Speed | ~60 sec | ~30 sec | Varies | ~45 sec |
Style Control | Excellent | Limited | Full | Good |
Community | Massive | Growing | Technical | Moderate |
Commercial | Yes (Paid) | Yes | Yes | Yes (Paid) |
Midjourney
DALL-E 3
Stable Diffusion
Leonardo AI
Getting Started with Midjourney
Quick Start Guide:
- Join Discord: Create a free Discord account if you don’t have one
- Join Midjourney Server: Visit midjourney.com and click “Join the Beta”
- Subscribe: Use /subscribe command to choose a plan (trial available)
- Start Creating: Use /imagine prompt: [your description] to generate images
- Refine Results: Use U1-U4 to upscale, V1-V4 for variations
Essential Commands:
/imagine
– Generate new images/settings
– Adjust quality, style, and model version/info
– Check remaining fast hours/blend
– Combine multiple images--ar 16:9
– Set aspect ratio (add to prompt)--v 6
– Use specific version (add to prompt)
Pro Tips for Better Results
Advanced Techniques:
- Lighting Terms: “golden hour”, “rim lighting”, “volumetric fog”
- Art Styles: Reference specific artists or movements
- Camera Settings: “shot on 85mm lens”, “shallow depth of field”
- Quality Boosters: “highly detailed”, “award-winning”, “8k resolution”
- Negative Prompts: Use –no to exclude unwanted elements
Final Verdict: Is Midjourney Worth It in 2025?
Yes, if you’re serious about AI art. Despite the Discord-only interface and learning curve, Midjourney remains the gold standard for AI image generation. The quality, especially with V6, is unmatched for both artistic and photorealistic outputs.
The $10/month basic plan offers excellent value for hobbyists, while professionals will find the $30 Standard plan’s unlimited generations essential. The massive community and constant updates ensure you’re always learning and improving.
However, if you need a simpler interface or are just experimenting, start with DALL-E 3 through ChatGPT Plus or try Leonardo AI which offers a more traditional web interface with a free tier.
✓ Bottom Line
Midjourney is the professional’s choice for AI image generation. The learning curve pays off with industry-leading results that consistently outperform alternatives. Start with the Basic plan and upgrade as your needs grow.