Midjourney vs DALL-E 2 - Which AI Art Generator Should You Choose?
I spent the last month generating over 200 images with both Midjourney and DALL-E 2. Here’s an honest comparison to help you choose the right AI art generator for your needs.
Table of contents
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Midjourney | DALL-E 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $10-60/month | $15 for 115 credits |
| Image Quality | Artistic, dreamlike | Photorealistic, precise |
| Interface | Discord bot | Web interface |
| Speed | ~60 seconds | ~15 seconds |
| Resolution | 1024x1024 (upscaled) | 1024x1024 |
| Commercial Use | ✅ Yes (paid plans) | ✅ Yes |
| Learning Curve | Moderate | Easy |
Image Quality Comparison
Test 1: Photorealistic Portrait
Prompt: “professional headshot of a business woman, studio lighting, sharp focus, 50mm lens”
DALL-E 2 Result:
- Extremely photorealistic
- Accurate lighting and shadows
- Natural skin tones
- Could pass as a real photo
Midjourney Result:
- More artistic interpretation
- Slightly stylized features
- Beautiful but less realistic
- “Too perfect” look
Winner: DALL-E 2 for photorealism
Test 2: Fantasy Landscape
Prompt: “magical forest with glowing mushrooms, ethereal atmosphere, fantasy art”
Midjourney Result:
- Stunning artistic composition
- Rich colors and atmosphere
- Dreamlike quality
- Gallery-worthy aesthetics
DALL-E 2 Result:
- More literal interpretation
- Good but less magical
- Cleaner but less atmospheric
Winner: Midjourney for artistic/fantasy content
Test 3: Product Photography
Prompt: “modern minimalist watch on marble surface, product photography, studio lighting”
DALL-E 2 Result:
- Clean, professional look
- Accurate product details
- Suitable for e-commerce
- Realistic materials
Midjourney Result:
- Artistic but less precise
- Sometimes adds unwanted elements
- Beautiful but not always usable for products
Winner: DALL-E 2 for product photography
Prompt Engineering
DALL-E 2 Prompts
DALL-E 2 works best with clear, descriptive prompts:
Good: "a golden retriever puppy playing in a park, sunny day,
professional photography, shallow depth of field"
Bad: "cute dog vibes aesthetic"
Tips:
- Be specific about style and medium
- Mention lighting and composition
- Use photography terms for realistic images
- Keep prompts under 400 characters
Midjourney Prompts
Midjourney excels with artistic, evocative language:
Good: "ethereal goddess of the forest, flowing robes,
bioluminescent plants, magical atmosphere, fantasy art,
highly detailed --ar 2:3 --q 2"
Bad: "woman in forest"
Tips:
- Use artistic style references
- Add quality modifiers (highly detailed, masterpiece)
- Leverage parameters (—ar for aspect ratio, —q for quality)
- Reference artists or art movements
Pricing Analysis
DALL-E 2 Pricing
Initial: 50 free credits (expires after 1 month)
Purchase: $15 for 115 credits
Cost per image: ~$0.13 per generation
Calculation:
- 4 variations per prompt = 1 credit
- 115 credits = 460 images
- $15 / 460 = $0.033 per image
Midjourney Pricing
Basic Plan: $10/month (~200 images)
Standard Plan: $30/month (~900 images)
Pro Plan: $60/month (~1800 images + stealth mode)
Calculation:
- Standard plan: $30 / 900 = $0.033 per image
- Similar to DALL-E 2 for regular users
Cost Comparison for Different Use Cases
Casual User (50 images/month):
- DALL-E 2: ~$7 (pay as you go)
- Midjourney: $10 (Basic plan)
- Winner: DALL-E 2
Professional (500 images/month):
- DALL-E 2: ~$65
- Midjourney: $30 (Standard plan)
- Winner: Midjourney
Heavy User (1500 images/month):
- DALL-E 2: ~$195
- Midjourney: $60 (Pro plan)
- Winner: Midjourney
User Experience
DALL-E 2 Interface
Pros:
- Clean, intuitive web interface
- Easy to use for beginners
- Built-in editing tools (inpainting, outpainting)
- Download history accessible
Cons:
- No community features
- Limited organization tools
- Can’t see others’ creations
My Experience:
# Typical workflow
1. Enter prompt in web interface
2. Wait ~15 seconds
3. Get 4 variations
4. Select favorite
5. Generate variations or upscale
6. Download
Midjourney Interface
Pros:
- Active community for inspiration
- See others’ prompts and results
- Discord integration (if you like Discord)
- Remix and iterate on others’ work
Cons:
- Discord-only (no web interface yet)
- Overwhelming for beginners
- Public by default (Pro plan for privacy)
- Harder to organize results
My Experience:
# Typical workflow
1. Type /imagine in Discord
2. Enter prompt with parameters
3. Wait ~60 seconds
4. Get 4 variations in grid
5. Upscale favorites (U1-U4)
6. Create variations (V1-V4)
7. Save from Discord
Advanced Features
DALL-E 2 Unique Features
1. Inpainting
Edit specific parts of an image:
1. Upload image
2. Select area to modify with brush
3. Describe what you want
4. Generate variations
Example: Change a person’s outfit, modify background, add objects.
2. Outpainting
Extend images beyond their borders:
1. Upload image
2. Extend canvas in any direction
3. Describe what should fill the space
4. Generate seamless extension
Example: Turn portrait into landscape, add context to cropped images.
Midjourney Unique Features
1. Advanced Parameters
--ar 16:9 # Aspect ratio
--q 2 # Quality (0.25, 0.5, 1, 2)
--s 750 # Stylization (0-1000)
--chaos 50 # Variation (0-100)
--no text # Negative prompting
--seed 12345 # Reproducible results
2. Remix Mode
Iterate on any image with modified prompts:
/imagine original prompt --seed 12345
# Then modify prompt while keeping seed
/imagine modified prompt --seed 12345
3. Blend Command
Combine multiple images:
/blend
# Upload 2-5 images
# Midjourney creates hybrid
Real-World Use Cases
Use Case 1: Blog Post Headers
Best Choice: DALL-E 2
Reason:
- Faster generation
- More predictable results
- Better for specific concepts
- Easier to match brand guidelines
Example Prompt:
"modern tech workspace with laptop and coffee,
overhead view, minimalist, professional photography"
Use Case 2: Book Cover Art
Best Choice: Midjourney
Reason:
- More artistic and eye-catching
- Better at creating mood
- Unique, gallery-quality aesthetics
- Stands out on shelves
Example Prompt:
"epic fantasy book cover, dragon flying over medieval castle,
dramatic lighting, highly detailed, trending on artstation --ar 2:3"
Use Case 3: Social Media Content
Best Choice: Tie (depends on brand)
DALL-E 2 for:
- Product-focused brands
- Professional services
- News/information content
Midjourney for:
- Creative brands
- Entertainment
- Lifestyle content
Use Case 4: Concept Art for Games
Best Choice: Midjourney
Reason:
- Better at imaginative concepts
- More artistic interpretation
- Great for mood boards
- Inspires creative direction
Quality Consistency
DALL-E 2 Consistency
Pros:
- Very consistent quality
- Predictable results
- Reliable for specific needs
Cons:
- Less “wow” factor
- Can be generic
- Limited artistic flair
Consistency Score: 9/10
Midjourney Consistency
Pros:
- Often exceeds expectations
- Surprising creative results
- High artistic quality
Cons:
- More variable results
- Sometimes misses the mark
- Requires more iterations
Consistency Score: 7/10
Learning Curve
DALL-E 2
Time to Proficiency: 1-2 hours
Learning Path:
- Understand basic prompting (30 min)
- Experiment with variations (30 min)
- Learn inpainting/outpainting (30 min)
- Master advanced prompts (30 min)
Midjourney
Time to Proficiency: 5-10 hours
Learning Path:
- Learn Discord basics (1 hour)
- Understand parameters (2 hours)
- Study community prompts (2 hours)
- Master advanced techniques (3 hours)
- Develop personal style (ongoing)
My Recommendation
Choose DALL-E 2 if you:
- ✅ Need photorealistic images
- ✅ Want quick, predictable results
- ✅ Prefer simple interface
- ✅ Need editing features (inpainting/outpainting)
- ✅ Generate fewer than 200 images/month
- ✅ Work on product photography or professional content
Choose Midjourney if you:
- ✅ Create artistic/creative content
- ✅ Need fantasy or stylized images
- ✅ Generate 500+ images/month
- ✅ Want community inspiration
- ✅ Enjoy experimenting with parameters
- ✅ Work on book covers, game art, or creative projects
My Personal Choice
I use both:
- DALL-E 2 for: Blog headers, product mockups, realistic scenes
- Midjourney for: Creative projects, concept art, artistic content
Monthly Cost: $15 (DALL-E credits) + $30 (Midjourney Standard) = $45
Conclusion
Both tools are revolutionary, but they excel at different things:
DALL-E 2: The precision tool
- Better for: Realism, specific concepts, quick results
- Rating: 8.5/10
Midjourney: The artistic tool
- Better for: Creativity, artistic quality, fantasy
- Rating: 9/10
The “best” choice depends entirely on your use case. For most creative professionals, having access to both is ideal.
Final Verdict:
- For beginners: Start with DALL-E 2
- For artists: Choose Midjourney
- For professionals: Use both strategically
The AI art revolution is here, and these tools are just the beginning. Choose based on your needs, not hype.