ChatGPT Images vs Midjourney
AI Image Generation
| C ChatGPT Images | M Midjourney | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | ✓ Free tier | Paid only |
| Pricing model | subscription+usage | subscription |
| Price | $20 (ChatGPT Plus) | $10 (Basic) |
| Features | ||
| Languages | — | — |
| API | ✓ Available Docs ↗ | ✗ Not available |
| Homepage | ChatGPT Images ↗ | Midjourney ↗ |
| Pricing Plans | Free$0ChatGPT無料プランで回数制限付きの画像生成 ChatGPT Plus$20/月チャット内で画像生成 API（GPT Image）トークン課金画像サイズと品質で費用が変わる。旧DALL-E 2/3は2026年5月にAPIから削除 | Basic$10/月3.3時間のfast GPU、年払は月$8 Standard$30/月15時間のfast GPU、relaxモード無制限 Pro$60/月30時間のfast GPU、ステルスモード Mega$120/月60時間のfast GPU |
| Platforms | ||
| Integrations | ChatGPT, OpenAI API, Microsoft Copilot, Bing Image Creator, Azure OpenAI | Discord, Midjourney Web (alpha) |
- Images can be created and revised by conversation in ChatGPT, including on the Free plan within limits
- The same family of image models is available through the API with published per-token prices
- Sketch input and templates in ChatGPT let users start from a rough drawing or a format such as a poster
- Outputs carry C2PA metadata and invisible watermarking, which helps where provenance must be shown
- API models are retired on a schedule (gpt-image-1 ends on 23 October 2026), forcing migrations
- Cloud only; there are no weights to run on your own infrastructure
- Token billing makes per-image cost depend on size and quality settings, so estimates need OpenAI's calculator
- OpenAI's prompt and image safety checks may refuse some creative requests
- Unlimited Relax-mode image generation from the Standard plan up, so volume is limited by wait time rather than by credits
- Web app and Discord share one account, with editing and image-to-video in the same gallery
- Personalization profiles steer output toward the styles a user has rated
- Paid plans grant broad commercial use of generated images
- No public API, and the Terms of Service forbid automated access, so it cannot be built into products
- No free plan; every tier is a paid subscription
- Images are public by default; Stealth mode requires the Pro plan or higher
- Companies with over $1M in annual gross revenue must buy Pro or Mega
Our Verdict
- You need images that match a brief, and want to fix them by asking in conversation.
- You are integrating via API. Midjourney has none.
- You want to try it free. ChatGPT's free plan generates images within limits, and Plus ($20/month) raises them.
- Aesthetic finish comes first — style and texture are what this tool is built around.
- Volume is high. Basic starts at $10/month ($8 billed annually), which beats per-use billing once you are making hundreds a month.
- You like starting from the public gallery to find a style. It can also turn images into short videos.
Overview
This entry covers OpenAI's image generation, which has replaced DALL·E: the DALL·E models were removed from the API in May 2026. In ChatGPT, images are made and revised through conversation, and every tier including Free can generate them, with higher limits on paid plans. Developers call GPT Image models through the API, billed per token for text input, image input and image output; OpenAI recommends GPT-Image-2.5 Flare as the default for most applications. Older GPT Image models are retired on a schedule, so integrations need periodic migration. There is no self-hosted option.
Midjourney suits individuals and small teams who create images by hand and care most about look and mood. All use goes through the website or Discord: there is no public API, and the Terms of Service forbid automated access, so it cannot sit inside a product pipeline. Plan choice turns on two points. Unlimited Relax-mode image generation starts at Standard, and Stealth mode, which keeps work out of the public gallery, comes only with Pro and Mega. Companies with more than $1M in annual gross revenue must be on Pro or Mega. Generated images can also be animated into short clips.
