Midjourney suits people who want striking images from a hosted service with no setup, but none of its four plans is free, and Stealth Mode, which keeps your images private, is only on Pro and Mega. Stable Diffusion suits people who want to run a model on their own computer or server, and Stability AI's Community licence is free for individual creators and smaller businesses. Choose hosted convenience or local control.
These two get compared constantly, though they work in very different ways. I read Midjourney's help article comparing its plans, and Stability AI's Stable Diffusion and licence pages, so the facts below are each company's own.
Midjourney and Stable Diffusion compared
| Midjourney | Stable Diffusion | |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | No free plan listed; four plans | Yes, Community licence for individual creators and smaller businesses |
| How you use it | Hosted by Midjourney | Self-hosted, Stability AI API, cloud partners or Stable Assistant |
| Runs on your own hardware | Not covered on the plans page | Medium is designed to run on consumer hardware |
| Private images | Stealth Mode on Pro and Mega only | Not covered on the pages I read |
| Speed options | Fast GPU time from 3.3 hours on Basic to 60 on Mega | Turbo makes images in four steps |
| Unlimited images | Relax mode from Standard | Not covered on the pages I read |
| Video | SD video; HD on Standard and above | Separate video models listed |
| Latest model named | Not named on the plans page | Stable Diffusion 3.5: Large, Turbo, Medium |
Midjourney: a hosted studio
Midjourney's help centre lists four plans, Basic, Standard, Pro and Mega, and all of them renew automatically. Fast GPU time runs from 3.3 hours on Basic to 60 hours on Mega, and Relax mode gives unlimited images from Standard, with unlimited SD video in Relax on Pro and Mega.
Video comes in SD on Basic and in SD and HD on the other plans. You can rate images to earn extra fast time, and work solo in Discord direct messages. Larger companies are asked to use Pro or Mega under Midjourney's terms.
Stable Diffusion: a model you can run yourself
Stability AI describes Stable Diffusion 3.5 as its most powerful image model family. Large gives the highest quality at 1 megapixel, Turbo produces images in just four steps, and Medium balances quality and customisation and is designed to run on consumer hardware.
You can deploy it on your own infrastructure, use it through the Stability AI API or a cloud partner, or create in its web apps. The Community licence covers Stable Diffusion 3.5 and SDXL Turbo for researchers, developers, small businesses and creators, and Stability's FAQ says individual creators making content at home can create away.
The privacy setting buried in Midjourney's plans
Here's the line in Midjourney's plan comparison I'd read before you start. Stealth Mode, which keeps your images and videos private, is only available on the Pro and Mega plans. On Basic and Standard, that switch isn't there.
If you're making client mock-ups or product images before a launch, that matters. With Stable Diffusion running on your own hardware, the images are made on your machine rather than in someone else's gallery, though setting that up takes more effort than typing a prompt.
Which creator each one suits
Midjourney suits designers, marketers and creators who want polished images fast and don't want to manage software. Stable Diffusion suits developers, tinkerers and businesses that want control, custom models or images made on their own kit. For a wider view, read this comparison of AI image generators for business and these tips on writing better AI image prompts.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
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My advice for business images
If you need good images this week and have no technical help, Midjourney is the easier start, but choose Pro if the work must stay private before launch. If you or someone on your team is comfortable installing software, try Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium on your own computer under the Community licence and see whether the results suit your brand.
Do you make AI image generators? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Midjourney free?
No free plan is listed. Midjourney's help centre lists four plans, Basic, Standard, Pro and Mega, which all renew automatically.
Is Stable Diffusion free?
Stability AI's Community licence is free for researchers, developers, small businesses and creators, and covers Stable Diffusion 3.5.
Can I keep Midjourney images private?
Yes, with Stealth Mode, which Midjourney says is only available on the Pro and Mega plans.
Can Stable Diffusion run on my own computer?
Stability AI says Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium is designed to run on consumer hardware, and you can self-host the models.
Does Midjourney make videos?
Yes. Midjourney's plans include SD video, with HD on Standard and above.
