Midjourney vs. Stable Diffusion: Best AI Art Generator 2024

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Midjourney and Stable Diffusion are two leading generative AI applications that offer highly advanced functionality in their creation of images.

While these two generative AI image creators share a similar focus, they are significantly different in their approach to AI image generation. Their difference boils down to a preference of artistic nuance versus extensive customization:

• Midjourney: Best for creating artistic, visually compelling images.
• Stable Diffusion: Best for extensive customization and technical control over image generation.

Midjourney vs. Stable Diffusion at a Glance

What is Midjourney?

Midjourney is a generative AI tool that takes in text prompts and translates them into visually stunning, art-like images that push the boundaries of digital creativity. This platform is particularly revered in the artistic community for its ability to generate unique, high-resolution images that often resemble hand-painted artworks. Midjourney provides a major AI platform for exploring artistic possibilities.

Key Features of Midjourney

Among the key features of Midjourney are its ability to artistically interpret prompts, its high-res images and stylized image generation.

Artistic Interpretation of Prompts

Midjourney is incomparable to other AI image generators thanks to its ability to interpret prompts in a highly artistic manner. It often creates images that carry an abstract or surreal quality, unlike more literal artificial intelligence art tools.

Those who’ve been most appreciative of Midjourney are users in creative industries such as digital art, advertising, and conceptual design, where unique visual expression is not only valued but also encouraged. However, Midjourney might not be the first choice for fields requiring precise, photo-realistic renderings.

High-Resolution Image Output

Midjourney’s strength lies in generating high-resolution images, making it a prime choice for professional printing and detailed artwork, a feature not as pronounced in some competing tools.

This high-res output is particularly beneficial for graphic design studios, professional printers and digital artists focusing on high-quality print media.

Stylized Image Generation

With Midjourney, users are assured of a wide array of artistic styles, providing more creative freedom than many competitors, which often focus on a narrower range of visual outputs. Creative artists like concept artists and book illustrators, or use cases like bespoke advertising campaigns that are based on distinct visual styles, are some great beneficiaries of this capability.

Community and Collaborative Environment

Midjourney’s interface is primarily accessible through a Discord-based platform.

Using Discord for community engagement is a unique approach that encourages collaboration and networking among users, which sets it apart from more traditional platforms.

This approach might be unconventional for users unfamiliar with Discord, but it allows even those with little technical expertise to start creating images quickly. This makes it suitable for freelancers, independent artists, and smaller creative studios looking for a community-centric platform for inspiration, critique, and collaboration.

For an additional comparison of generative AI image generators, see our guide: Midjourney vs. DALL-E: Best AI Art Generator 2024

What is Stable Diffusion?

Stable Diffusion is a generative AI app renowned for its ability to not only create realistic, highly detailed images rapidly but also deliver an open-source platform ripe for customization and technical innovation. Unlike the more guided experience of Midjourney, Stable Diffusion offers a more expansive interaction, allowing users to modify its code and customize its capabilities to their needs.

Key Features of Stable Diffusion

Among the key features of Stable Diffusion are its rapid image generation, open source customization and personal data training capability.

Rapid Image Generation

Stable Diffusion’s ability to quickly generate images from text prompts is one of its most notable features. This is achieved through advanced algorithms that often accurately interpret and translate text descriptions into visual content.

Users who need a swift turnaround in creating visual content, such as digital artists, content creators, and marketers, find this feature to be valuable. Plus, the speed of Stable Diffusion does not compromise the quality of the images, making it a reliable tool for both quick prototypes and finished artworks.

Using Stable Diffusion Turbo, it felt like I was generating images in real-time, as compared to the same prompt in Midjourney, which took about 30 seconds.

Open-Source Customization

As an open-source tool, Stable Diffusion offers an unparalleled level of customization. Users can access and modify the source code and model the tool as per their requirements.

This level of customization is advantageous for users like developers and tech enthusiasts who wish to integrate the tool into larger projects or develop new features. The open-source nature also encourages a collaborative approach to development, where the community actively contributes to its improvement and diversification.

Personal Data Training

One of the unique aspects of Stable Diffusion is its capability to be trained on personal data. This means users can feed the AI with specific datasets to generate images that are aligned with their preferences or requirements.

For businesses, this could mean creating brand-specific visuals, while artists could train the model to adhere to their unique style. This feature provides a significant advantage in creating personalized and distinctive AI-generated art.

Advanced Technical Features

Stable Diffusion includes features like negative prompting and options to fine-tune the model to cater to more advanced users. Negative prompting is an approach that allows users to specify elements they want to exclude from their images, giving them finer control over the output.

The more advanced fine-tuning options give users power to adjust various parameters, such as image style, resolution, and more, to enable them to achieve the desired aesthetic or detail in their images.

Best for Pricing: Stable Diffusion

Stable Diffusion is more affordably priced since it’s open source – there’s a free plan – compared to Midjourney’s subscription model.

Budget-conscious users or those who prefer a platform where they can experiment without financial commitment will appreciate the Stable Diffusion’s open-source nature. But it’s important to note that while Stable Diffusion is free, implementing it might require additional resources, especially for those who want to customize or scale its capabilities.

With these additional resources, like APIs, may come different pricing approaches, which make Stable Diffusion’s pricing confusing. However, a Professional membership from Stability at $20 gives some grounding to the pricing of their core models.

Midjourney’s pricing is more straightforward, and is based on how many hours per month a user is given access to fast GPU time:

• $10 Basic plan: 3.3 hours per month.
• $30 Standard plan:  15 hours per month.
• $60 Pro plan: 30 hours per month.
• $120 Mega plan: 60 hours per month.

At the time of writing, Midjourney was unable to provide a free trial as a result of high demand. This makes it a challenge for any user who has to go through the process of setting up their Discord to then have to subscribe to Midjourney without getting a chance to test the tool.

To find additional AI tools that can boost your creative output, read our guide: Top Generative AI Apps and Tools

Best for Core Features: Stable Diffusion

Midjourney’s strength lies in its ability to produce highly artistic and nuanced images. It excels in creating visuals that are rich in detail and texture.

On the other hand, Stable Diffusion’s open-source nature makes it incredibly flexible. It allows users to modify, improve, and adapt the tool to what they need. Tech-savvy users, such as developers who enjoy tinkering with the software to explore its full potential, may prefer Stable Diffusion’s core features as a result.

Best for Image Output: Midjourney

Midjourney and Stable Diffusion differ in their approaches to image generation. Both tools show an abundance of creativity in the images they generate. However, the creative in me prefers Midjourney due to the extremity of some of its outputs and options that double down on the artistic nuances of these outputs.

Here’s a comparison of how Midjourney (below) and Stable Diffusion (the image underneath) responded to a prompt for a cloudpunk version of Nairobi city.

Comparing the outputs, though they both have abstract elements, Stable Diffusion’s image looks more grounded.

Midjourney, on the other hand, looks nothing like Nairobi city, but the heavy leaning on the abstract pushes the limits on what’s possible. For instance, from the image, this certainly isn’t Nairobi, but perhaps it’s an artistic interpretation of the city.

Best for Ease of Implementation: Stable Diffusion

Stable Diffusion’s ease of use stands out straight away. It’s available through various interfaces and caters to both beginners and advanced users. Its DreamStudio app, in particular, is user-friendly, which makes it accessible to a wider audience, while the Clipdrop platform allows users to use Stable Diffusion straight away.

This is in contrast to Midjourney, which is currently limited to Discord, giving it a steeper learning curve and making it less intuitive for new users. Although it’s expected that Midjourney will be available through a much more intuitive user interface, at the moment, its exclusivity through Discord may prove to be a head-scratcher for users.

Best for Community Support: Midjourney

Midjourney and Stable Diffusion both have active communities, but they differ in their nature and accessibility.

The one obvious upside of Midjourney’s exclusivity through Discord is that users are by default dropped into an active community. Midjourney’s community is vibrant and engaging. Users share their creations, offer tips, and provide feedback in a dynamic environment that creates a sense of community and collaboration. The constant direct engagement with the Midjourney team and other users on Discord offers a unique, community-driven experience.

Stable Diffusion, being open-source, has a widespread community across various platforms, including GitHub, forums, and social media groups. Its community is diverse, ranging from developers and hobbyists to artists and researchers. However, this diversity can sometimes lead to a less cohesive community experience compared to the more focused and artist-centric community of Midjourney.

To see a full list of apps that can you help you create text for your images, see our guide: Best AI Writing Tools

Which Users are Midjourney or Stable Diffusion Not Suited For? 

Both Midjourney and Stable Diffusion have their specific niches, which means that each will not be the ideal choice for everyone. Here’s why they may be unpopular with some users – this includes issues like comfort with artistic output, and overall technical skills.

Who Shouldn’t Use Midjourney

Midjourney, with its focus on high-quality, artistic outputs, might not be the best fit for users who prioritize speed and volume over artistic flair. It’s less suited for those who need to quickly generate a large number of images, such as for extensive content creation or rapid prototyping.

Additionally, its user interface, primarily based on Discord, might not appeal to those seeking a more traditional, straightforward software experience. Users who require deep technical customization and control over the image generation process might also find Midjourney limiting, as it doesn’t offer the same level of technical tweakability as an open-source tool like Stable Diffusion.

Who Shouldn’t Use Stable Diffusion

Stable Diffusion, on the other hand, might not be the best choice for users who are not technically inclined. Its strength lies in its flexibility and the ability to be customized, which require a certain level of technical expertise.

Those looking for a more guided, straightforward AI art generation experience without the need to delve into technical details might find Stable Diffusion overwhelming. Additionally, if the primary requirement is for highly artistic, nuanced images with a focus on aesthetic quality, users might find Stable Diffusion’s outputs less consistent compared to Midjourney’s artistically-focused results.

To learn about the larger landscape of leading AI software, read our guide: Best Artificial Intelligence Software 2024

If Midjourney or Stable Diffusion isn’t ideal for you, check out these alternatives

Jasper Art

Jasper Art is known for its intuitive user interface, as it blends speed and simplicity, making it very user-friendly. It specializes in generating unique, watermark-free images directly from simple text prompts.

This tool is particularly suited for users who prioritize ease of use and quick, straightforward image creation, unlike Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, which cater to a more technically inclined audience.

DALL-E 2

DALL-E 2, developed by OpenAI, distinguishes itself with its exceptional ability to interpret and visualize complex, nuanced prompts.

Just type in your vision, and within seconds, you’ll receive four unique images that reflect your ideas. For users who require detailed and diverse visual interpretations of their ideas, DALL-E 2 offers capabilities that may surpass those of Midjourney and Stable Diffusion.

Dream by WOMBO

Dream by WOMBO offers a unique take on AI image generation, focusing on abstract design possibilities.

This platform is perfect for users looking to explore more experimental and unconventional visual styles without the complexities often associated with AI art generation tools like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion. Its focus on abstract and experimental art distinguishes it from the more realistic or stylized approaches of Midjourney and Stable Diffusion.

How We Evaluated Midjourney vs. Stable Diffusion

As we evaluated Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, our analysis of these two generative AI tools was based on their core features, pricing, ease of use, and community support.

• Core features: We evaluated what each tool offered to deliver their AI image outputs. These included prompting, ability to make edits, overall customization, and flexibility.
• Images: As they are AI image generation tools, we examined how they responded to the same prompt and judged which one provided the better response.
• Pricing: Our approach was based on understanding the pricing models each AI tool uses and how effective they are for their target audience.
• Ease of use: We tested the generative AI apps to understand how intuitive they are to use. This cuts across how easy it is to access the tool, sign up, prompt, and get the desired output.
• Community support: Being a huge part of these two AI tools, we sought to understand how both approach community. This hinged on whether the communities of the two tools were diverse or cohesive and how effective each approach was for each tool.

Bottom Line: Midjourney vs. Stable Diffusion

The choice between Midjourney and Stable Diffusion will hinge upon your needs and preferences. Midjourney is unparalleled for artistic, stylized imagery, while Stable Diffusion excels in producing realistic, detailed images efficiently while enabling you to have extensive customization and technical control.

Ultimately, the decision rests on whether you value artistic finesse and community interaction, which favors Midjourney, or technical customization and versatility, which point to Stable Diffusion.

For a full portrait of the vendors moving AI forward, read our in-depth guide: 150+ Top AI Companies 2024