Midjourney is still the image generator other image generators are judged against — but the Midjourney of late 2026 is not the Midjourney most reviews describe. The current model is V8.2 (default since 24 July 2026), the pricing is metered by GPU time rather than per image, and there is still no free tier. This review covers what V8.2 actually does, what each plan costs, what you own, and the refund rule that catches new users out. Quick verdict: the best-looking image generator you can buy, with the worst billing experience in its class. Overall rating: 4.3/5 — the model earns the score, the customer experience drags it down.
This review is part of our AI Image cluster. For the wider field, see our Best AI Image Generators in 2026 pillar; for head-to-heads, our Midjourney vs DALL-E comparison; and for the tools that finish what Midjourney starts, our Recraft review and Krea review.
What Is Midjourney?
Midjourney is a text-to-image AI generator that turns written prompts into images. It runs primarily as a web app at midjourney.com, with a Discord bot that still works for image generation and settings that sync between web and Discord. There is no native iOS, Android, Mac or Windows app, and no official API — the terms forbid automated tools, and one user per account is the rule, with no team seats, SSO or admin management.
The current model, V8.2, has been the default since 24 July 2026 and is described by Midjourney as focused on aesthetics, image quality and personalisation, with a new Edit Model that replaces Omni Reference, Character Reference and the Retexture tool. V8.1 was the default from 10 June to 23 July 2026 and was billed as the fastest model so far, roughly 4–5× faster than earlier versions, with native HD 2K output. V7 (April 2025, default June 2025–June 2026) introduced Draft Mode and Omni Reference and is still selectable, as is V6.1. Niji 7, for anime styles, launched on 9 January 2026.
Midjourney Pricing (Verified November 2026)
Midjourney charges by GPU time, not per image — and that is the first thing to understand. A standard-definition image costs about 0.8 GPU-minutes and an HD (2K) image about 1.3 GPU-minutes on V8, so a Basic plan’s 3.3 Fast GPU hours is roughly 250 standard images or 150 HD images a month before variations, upscales and video. Fast time does not roll over.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (per month) | Fast GPU time | Relax mode | Stealth mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $10 | $8 ($96/year) | 3.3 hours (~200 min) | No | No |
| Standard | $30 | $24 ($288/year) | 15 hours | Unlimited | No |
| Pro | $60 | $48 ($576/year) | 30 hours | Unlimited | Yes |
| Mega | $120 | $96 ($1,152/year) | 60 hours | Unlimited | Yes |
Annual billing is 20% off on all tiers. Extra Fast GPU time costs $4 an hour on every tier. There is no free plan and no free trial — the trial was removed in 2023/2024, and the docs confirm there is no free trial on midjourney.com or in Discord. Note there is no pricing page at midjourney.com/pricing; prices live in the docs under “Comparing Midjourney Plans”. Verify pricing on the official docs before buying, as AI tool prices change monthly.
Key Features
Image generation. Text-to-image on web and Discord; Draft Mode (V7/V8: 24-image batches at 512px, 0.4 GPU-minutes per prompt, web-only on V8); Conversational Mode (voice or text iterative prompting, V7/V8.1); personalisation profiles that learn your aesthetic (V8.2 has a larger and better profile pool); and Moodboards for collecting a style.
Editor and Edit Model (V8.2). Inpainting and outpainting (Pan, Zoom Out, Edit/Vary Region) through the Edit Model; HD 2K native output (V8.1 and later); and upscalers (Subtle and Creative on V6, V6.1 upscalers on V7).
Video — V1 Video Model. Launched 18 June 2025 and still current, with no V2 announced. It turns an image into four 5-second clips, extendable 4 seconds at a time to 21 seconds, with Auto or Manual motion prompts, low/high motion, looping and end-frame options. Video is web-only — Discord commands do not work for it — and costs roughly 8× an image (about 8 GPU-minutes per 5-second clip). Relax video is available only on Pro and Mega. Sources conflict on video resolution, so we do not state one here.
Parameters. The general parameter set includes --seed, --chaos, --stylize, --ar (aspect ratio) and --v (version). Note that --sref and --cref are V6/V7-era controls: V8.2’s Edit Model replaces Character and Omni Reference, so do not assume those parameters work the same way on V8.2. The --q (quality) parameter applies to V6/V7 only, not V8.x.
Commercial Use and Ownership
You own what you create “to the fullest extent possible under applicable law”, and ownership continues after cancellation. The exception matters: companies (or employees of companies) with more than $1,000,000 a year in gross revenue must be on Pro or Mega to own assets. Midjourney gives no copyright advice. Images are public by default; Stealth Mode (private generations) is available only on Pro and Mega.
Refund and Cancellation Policy
You can cancel anytime and the plan stays active to the end of the billing cycle, with no early-termination fee. The refund rule is strict and catches people out: a refund is available only if your lifetime GPU usage is under 20 minutes (Fast, Turbo and Relax combined) — a lifetime threshold, not per cycle. Once you cross it, refund eligibility is gone permanently. If you are eligible, the refund option appears automatically during cancellation; if it does not appear, no refund is available. Processing takes up to 10 business days, with a confirmation email within minutes. There is no refund if the account was suspended or terminated for terms or community-guidelines violations, and there is no proration for unused time — cancelling an annual plan stops renewal but does not return unused months unless the 20-minute test is met. Test the product on a monthly plan before committing to annual billing.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Best-in-class artistic and aesthetic quality — composition, mood and lighting that other generators still chase
- V8.2 personalisation profiles that genuinely learn your style over time
- Draft Mode for fast, cheap iteration before committing GPU time
- V1 video turns still images into short clips without leaving the app
- Strong community and a huge library of shared styles and prompts to learn from
Cons:
- No free tier or trial — you pay from the first image, and the 20-minute lifetime refund window is easy to burn through
- GPU-time metering makes real costs opaque, especially for light users
- Weakest of the top tools at exact text and lettering in images (Ideogram is far better here)
- Steep learning curve — prompting, parameters and the Discord/web workflow take real time to learn
- Images are public by default below Pro; private generation costs $60 a month
- No API and no team plan, and support (via Discord and billing email) is widely criticised for slow responses
What Users Say
The two public scores measure different things, and averaging them would be misleading. On G2, Midjourney scores about 4.4/5 (roughly 88–102 reviews depending on read date in 2026), with reviewers praising output quality, composition and lighting — G2 judges the model. On Trustpilot, it scores 1.6/5 (366 reviews, read August 2026; 77% are 1-star, 10% are 5-star), with complaints clustering on billing: charges after cancellation, refunds refused under the 20-minute rule, suspended accounts, unanswered support and images deleted without notice — Trustpilot judges being a customer. Both are true at once: the generator is excellent, and the billing and support experience is the weakest part of the product.
Who Is Midjourney Best For?
Best for: creators, artists and designers who want the most beautiful, stylised images and are willing to learn prompting to get them — concept art, editorial illustration, branding mood work and book covers. If the image itself is the deliverable, Midjourney is still the first tool to try.
Not ideal for: anyone who needs accurate text in images (use Ideogram), photorealistic product shots at a known per-image price (use Flux), a free tier (use Nano Banana or Krea’s free plan), or a team workflow with an API (use Stable Diffusion or Krea). It is also a poor fit for a business over $1 million in revenue that is not prepared to pay for Pro or Mega, since ownership of assets requires those tiers.
FAQ
What is the current Midjourney version?
V8.2, the default since 24 July 2026. V7 and V6.1 are still selectable with the –v parameter. There is no V7.1.
Is Midjourney free?
No. There is no free plan and no free trial. The cheapest way in is Basic at $10 a month ($8 billed annually).
How many images do I get on Basic?
Basic includes 3.3 Fast GPU hours a month — roughly 250 standard-definition images or 150 HD images before variations, upscales and video, which all consume GPU time too.
Can I use Midjourney images commercially?
Yes, you own what you create — except that companies with over $1 million a year in gross revenue must be on Pro or Mega to own assets. Images are public by default; Stealth Mode (private generations) needs Pro or Mega.
Does Midjourney have an affiliate program?
No. Midjourney has no public affiliate program, partner portal or referral links. This article links to the official site only.
Can Midjourney make videos?
Yes — the V1 Video Model turns an image into four 5-second clips, extendable to 21 seconds. It is web-only, costs about 8× an image in GPU time, and Relax video is limited to Pro and Mega.
Verdict
Midjourney V8.2 is still the best-looking image generator you can buy — for concept art, editorial work and anything where the image needs to feel designed rather than rendered, nothing in this price range matches it. The personalisation profiles and Draft Mode make it faster to get to a result you actually like, and the V1 video model is a genuine bonus for creators who animate their stills. But buy with your eyes open: there is no free tier, GPU-time metering hides the real cost, your images are public unless you pay $60 a month, and the refund policy gives you 20 lifetime minutes of GPU time to change your mind. Start on Basic monthly, learn the parameters, and only move to annual billing once you know your monthly GPU usage. If you need text in images, photorealism or a free tier, the right tool is elsewhere in our Best AI Image Generators in 2026 guide — but if you need beauty, this is still the one.
Affiliate Disclosure: This article contains no affiliate links. Links go to the official site of Midjourney, and we earn nothing if you buy through them.