Midjourney vs ChatGPT: which AI image generator is worth it?

Two routes to an AI image

Midjourney is a specialised image generator. You enter a description and get several variants, which you develop further with buttons, style references and parameters. According to Midjourney, V8.2 has been the default model since 24 July 2026. Midjourney also creates short videos and has an image editor.

In ChatGPT, images are created in the normal conversation. According to OpenAI, the Images 2.5 model has been rolling out on every plan since 8 September 2026. You can describe an image, draw a sketch, upload a photo as a reference or comment on individual parts of the image to have them changed.

What both cost (as of October 2026)

Midjourney is subscription only. According to its own help pages there is currently no free trial on the website or in Discord; only the niji·journey phone app offers a limited free trial. Basic costs 10 dollars, Standard 30 dollars, Pro 60 dollars and Mega 120 dollars a month, 20 per cent less when paid annually. Midjourney does not state a euro price; billing is in dollars. Depending on where you live, VAT or sales tax is added, calculated at checkout from your billing details; you only see the final amount before you pay. Basic includes 200 minutes of fast GPU time a month; from Standard you can create unlimited images in the slower Relax mode.

According to the German pricing page, ChatGPT creates images even on the free version, but only to a limited extent. Go at 8 euros allows more, Plus at 23 euros more complex and precise images, Pro from 103 euros unlimited ones. OpenAI does not give exact numbers of images per day.

Image quality: what can be shown

An independent assessment comes from the Arena leaderboard, where people compare images from different models blind. As of 7 October 2026, OpenAI's image models hold places 1 to 3 there. Midjourney is not listed in this leaderboard, so a direct comparison on this basis is not possible.

In a comparison by the software site Zapier, ChatGPT does better when text has to appear in the image or quantities and positions need to be right. According to Zapier, Midjourney offers more control over style and design but takes more learning. That is the assessment of Zapier's editors, not a standardised test.

Usage rights and privacy

With Midjourney, its terms say the images are yours as far as the law allows. Companies with more than one million dollars in annual revenue need Pro or Mega for this. At the same time Midjourney receives a perpetual, worldwide licence to your inputs and images. Your images are publicly visible by default and others may remix them; only Stealth mode on Pro and Mega largely prevents this. You have to switch it on yourself. Images made in public Discord channels stay visible anyway, and images that are already public do not become private automatically when you upgrade; you have to change them yourself. In the US, major film studios have a copyright lawsuit against Midjourney, which according to The Art Newspaper was still undecided in July 2026.

With ChatGPT, OpenAI's EU terms of use say you own the output. You control whether your chats are used for training in Data controls. According to OpenAI, ChatGPT images carry digital origin information inside the image file (following the C2PA standard) and an invisible watermark so they can be identified as AI images.

Important for Germany: according to the Federal Ministry of Justice, purely AI-generated images are not protected by copyright because no human created them. That does not mean any use is allowed, though: according to the ministry, you have to check whether existing works by others are recognisable in the image. If so, using it can infringe their rights, and you may need their permission. Midjourney's terms also explicitly forbid using the service to infringe others' copyrights or trademarks.

Who should pick which?

The following is an editorial recommendation based on the providers' information, the Arena leaderboard and the Zapier comparison, not our own test.

ChatGPT fits almost all everyday purposes: invitations, greeting cards, flyers for a club or an edited family photo. You simply describe what you want and refine it in conversation.

Midjourney fits if you are after a very distinctive style, want to compare many variants and are willing to learn parameters and style references. Then plan for at least Standard if you create a lot, and Pro with Stealth mode switched on if your images should not be public.