Midjourney Pricing 2024: All Plans & API Costs Explained

Midjourney Pricing 2024: All Plans & API Costs Explained

This guide provides a complete breakdown of Midjourney's official subscription plans and the true cost of API access for developers and designers.

Midjourney Pricing at a Glance: Quick Comparison Table (2024)

For those who need a quick overview, here is a direct comparison of the current Midjourney subscription plans.

Feature	Basic Plan	Standard Plan	Pro Plan	Mega Plan
Monthly Price (Billed Monthly)	$10	$30	$60	$120
Monthly Price (Billed Annually)	$8 / month	$24 / month	$48 / month	$96 / month
Fast GPU Hours	~3.3 hours/month	15 hours/month	30 hours/month	60 hours/month
Relax GPU Hours	No	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Stealth Mode (Private Visibility)	No	No	Yes	Yes
Max Concurrent Jobs	3 Jobs, 10 in queue	3 Jobs, 10 in queue	12 Fast Jobs, 3 Relaxed	12 Fast Jobs, 3 Relaxed
Commercial Use License	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Is Midjourney Free? The End of the Free Trial Explained

One of the most common questions is whether Midjourney can be used for free. As of early 2023, Midjourney no longer offers a free trial. Previously, new users could generate a limited number of images (around 25) without a subscription. However, due to overwhelming demand and misuse of the trial system, Midjourney discontinued this offering.

To use the image generation bot today, you must purchase a paid subscription. There is currently no free tier or trial period available.

A Detailed Breakdown of Official Midjourney Subscription Plans

Choosing the right plan depends entirely on your usage patterns, professional needs, and budget. Here’s a closer look at the midjourney subscription cost for each tier and who it's best for.

Basic Plan ($10/month) - Who Is It For?

The Basic Plan is the entry point into the Midjourney ecosystem. For $10 per month (or $8/month with annual billing), you get approximately 200 image generations (~3.3 Fast GPU hours).

• Best for: Casual hobbyists, individuals testing the platform for the first time, or users with very infrequent image generation needs.
• Key Limitation: The biggest drawback is the lack of "Relax Mode." Once you exhaust your monthly Fast GPU hours, you cannot generate any more images until the next billing cycle unless you purchase more hours.

Standard Plan ($30/month) - The Best Value for Most Users

The Standard Plan is often considered the sweet spot for a wide range of users. At $30 per month ($24/month annually), it offers 15 Fast GPU hours and, most importantly, unlimited Relax Mode generations.

• Best for: Regular users, graphic designers, content creators, and developers who need a consistent and flexible workflow.
• Key Feature: Unlimited Relax Mode is a game-changer. It allows you to generate as many images as you want without eating into your high-speed quota, although generation times are longer (typically 1-10 minutes per job). This is perfect for experimentation and iteration. The midjourney basic vs standard plan cost difference is easily justified by this single feature for anyone who uses the service regularly.

Pro Plan ($60/month) - For Power Users & Professionals

The Pro Plan doubles the Fast GPU hours to 30 and introduces Stealth Mode for private image generation. For $60 per month ($48/month annually), it's tailored for professionals who require privacy and higher throughput.

• Best for: Freelancers, agencies, and commercial artists who handle client work and need to keep their generations private. It's also ideal for developers who need to run a high volume of quick tests.
• Key Feature: Stealth Mode ensures your images are not publicly visible on the Midjourney website. The plan also allows for 12 concurrent fast jobs, significantly speeding up large projects.

Mega Plan ($120/month) - For Heavy-Duty Commercial Use

The Mega Plan is designed for enterprises and power users with extreme generation needs. For $120 per month ($96/month annually), it provides a substantial 60 Fast GPU hours.

• Best for: Large businesses, AI application developers, and commercial studios that rely on a massive volume of high-speed image generations daily.
• Key Feature: This plan is all about volume and speed. With 60 Fast GPU hours, you can generate thousands of images quickly without ever touching Relax Mode.

Understanding Key Features: Fast Hours, Relax Mode & Commercial Use

To truly understand Midjourney's pricing, you need to grasp these core concepts:

• Fast GPU Hours: This is the "currency" you spend to generate images quickly, typically in under a minute. Each plan comes with a monthly allotment. You can purchase more Fast Hours at a rate of $4 per hour if you run out.
• Relax GPU Hours: Available on the Standard, Pro, and Mega plans, this mode allows for unlimited image generations at no additional cost. The trade-off is that your jobs are placed in a lower-priority queue, so generation takes longer.
• Commercial Use: According to the Midjourney Terms of Service, any paid subscriber (including those on the Basic Plan) is granted a license to use their generated images for commercial purposes. You own the assets you create.

Midjourney Cost for Developers: The API Question

Many developers are surprised to learn about the complexities of integrating Midjourney into their applications. This is a critical area where understanding the full cost is essential.

Does Midjourney Have an Official API?

No, as of late 2024, Midjourney does not offer an official, public-facing API. The team has stated that an API is on their roadmap, but there is no firm release date. This lack of official access has created a market for third-party solutions.

The Cost of Unofficial APIs (A Look at the Market)

To fill the gap, several third-party services have emerged that provide programmatic access to Midjourney. These services typically work by managing a pool of Discord accounts in the background to execute your prompts. When considering midjourney API pricing for developers, you are looking at two separate costs: the third-party service fee and the mandatory Midjourney subscription.

Platforms like imaginepro.ai offer a streamlined way to access the Midjourney API, managing the complex infrastructure for you and providing a stable endpoint for your applications. These services charge their own fees, which might be based on a per-call basis, a monthly subscription, or a combination of both.

Calculating Your True Total Cost: API Fee + Subscription Plan

This is the most crucial point that competitors often fail to clarify. To use a third-party Midjourney API, you must pay for both services.

Here is a simple formula to calculate your total monthly cost:

(Your Midjourney Subscription Cost) + (Third-Party API Provider Fee) = Your True Monthly API Cost

For example, if you need the privacy of the Pro Plan and use a third-party API service that costs $20 per month for your usage tier:

$60/month (Midjourney Pro Plan) + $20/month (API Service Fee) = $80/month (Total Cost)

Failing to account for both components will lead to an inaccurate budget and unexpected expenses.

Which Midjourney Plan is Right for You?

Let's break down the best choices for specific professional personas.

The Best Plan for Graphic Designers & Artists

Recommendation: Standard Plan ($30/month)

The Standard Plan is the undisputed winner for most creative professionals. The 15 Fast Hours are sufficient for client drafts and urgent work, while the unlimited Relax Mode is invaluable for ideation, experimentation, and refining concepts without the pressure of a ticking clock.

Pro Tip for Designers: Lean heavily on Relax Mode for your exploratory work. Use /remix mode and /tweak features to iterate on a single concept dozens of times without ever touching your precious Fast Hours.

The Best Plan for Developers & Prototyping

Recommendation: Standard Plan or Pro Plan

• For Prototyping & Internal Tools: The Standard Plan is often enough. Unlimited Relax Mode is great for generating placeholder assets, icons, or UI mockups where speed isn't the absolute priority.
• For API-Driven Applications: The Pro Plan is the safer bet. When using a third-party API, you need reliable performance. The 30 Fast Hours and 12 concurrent jobs ensure your application's requests are processed quickly. Furthermore, the included Stealth Mode is essential if your application generates images on behalf of users and needs to maintain their privacy.

The Best Plan for Small Businesses & Agencies

Recommendation: Pro Plan ($60/month)

For any business creating assets for multiple clients, the Pro Plan is the minimum requirement. The key feature is Stealth Mode, which prevents your work for Client A from being publicly visible to Client B. The higher number of concurrent jobs and Fast Hours also supports a more demanding agency workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions about Midjourney Costs

1. How much does Midjourney cost per month? Midjourney's monthly pricing starts at $10 for the Basic Plan, $30 for the Standard Plan, $60 for the Pro Plan, and $120 for the Mega Plan. You can get a 20% discount on these prices by opting for an annual subscription.

2. Is Midjourney free to use anymore? No, Midjourney discontinued its free trial in March 2023. A paid subscription is now required to generate any images.

3. What is the difference between Midjourney's Basic, Standard, and Pro plans? The main differences are the number of Fast GPU hours (3.3 vs. 15 vs. 30), access to unlimited Relax Mode (only on Standard, Pro, and Mega), and access to Stealth Mode for privacy (only on Pro and Mega).

4. How can developers get API access to Midjourney? Since there is no official API, developers must use third-party API providers. This requires paying for both a Midjourney subscription (Standard or higher is recommended) and the separate fee for the third-party API service.

5. Is the Midjourney Pro Plan worth the cost for a professional designer? It depends on your client needs. If you require absolute privacy for your image generations and work on multiple projects simultaneously, the Pro Plan's Stealth Mode and increased concurrency are worth the investment. If privacy is not a concern, the Standard Plan offers better value.