Best Midjourney alternatives in 2026

Midjourney is #16 of 28 in our AI image generators ranking. Here are the other 27, on the same score, with what each does differently from Midjourney — every fact read from the maker's own pages on Oct 24, 2026.

Midjourney from: $10/mo
Free plan: No

Krea

✓ Champion

Creators mixing many models with upscaling up to 22K

9.8

from $5/mo · yearly

Compared with Midjourney

$5/mo cheaper entry plan ($5/mo · yearly)
Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Confirms API

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
✓Upscaling
✓Commercial use
✓API

Adobe Firefly

Best free

Teams that want Adobe's models plus an API for upscaling and editing

9.3

from $9.99/mo

Compared with Midjourney

$0.01/mo cheaper entry plan ($9.99/mo)
Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Confirms API

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
✓Upscaling
✓Commercial use
✓API

Midjourney vs Adobe Firefly

Pixlr

Best for editing images

Cheap all-in-one photo editing plus an AI image generator

9.0

from $1.99/mo · yearly

Compared with Midjourney

$8.01/mo cheaper entry plan ($1.99/mo · yearly)
Free plan (Midjourney: none)

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
✓Upscaling
✓Commercial use
–API

Leonardo.Ai

Free-plan users who need canvas inpainting and a paid API

8.9

from $12/mo

Compared with Midjourney

$2/mo more entry plan ($12/mo)
Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Confirms API

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
✓Upscaling
✓Commercial use
✓API

Dzine

Designers who want generative fill and consistent characters

8.6

from $7/mo · yearly

Compared with Midjourney

$3/mo cheaper entry plan ($7/mo · yearly)
Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Confirms API
Doesn't confirm Upscaling

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
–Upscaling
✓Commercial use
✓API

Google Gemini (Nano Banana)

Best value

Free chat-based image generation and editing in the Gemini app

7.9

from $4.99/mo

Compared with Midjourney

$5.01/mo cheaper entry plan ($4.99/mo)
Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Confirms API
Doesn't confirm Upscaling and Commercial use

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
–Upscaling
–Commercial use
✓API

OpenArt

Canvas editing with reference images and consistent characters

7.8

from $13/mo · yearly

Compared with Midjourney

$3/mo more entry plan ($13/mo · yearly)
Free plan (Midjourney: none)

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
✓Upscaling
✓Commercial use
–API

Ideogram

Text-heavy designs with masks, references and an image API

7.6

from $15/mo · yearly

Compared with Midjourney

$5/mo more entry plan ($15/mo · yearly)
Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Confirms API
Doesn't confirm Commercial use

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
✓Upscaling
–Commercial use
✓API

Picsart

Editing-first creators who also want 65 image models and an API

7.5

from $10.50/mo · yearly

Compared with Midjourney

$0.50/mo more entry plan ($10.50/mo · yearly)
Confirms API

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
✓Upscaling
✓Commercial use
✓API

DeepAI

Developers wanting simple image generation, editor and upscale APIs

7.5

from $89.99/yr

Compared with Midjourney

$2.50/mo cheaper entry plan ($89.99/yr)
Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Confirms API
Doesn't confirm Reference images and Commercial use

✓Image editing
–Reference images
✓Upscaling
–Commercial use
✓API

ChatGPT Images (OpenAI)

Editing and remixing images by chat, or via OpenAI's image API

7.4

from $8/mo

Compared with Midjourney

$2/mo cheaper entry plan ($8/mo)
Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Confirms API
Doesn't confirm Upscaling and Commercial use

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
–Upscaling
–Commercial use
✓API

getimg.ai

Inpainting and up to 16K upscaling across many third-party models

7.1

from $15/mo · yearly

Compared with Midjourney

$5/mo more entry plan ($15/mo · yearly)
Confirms API

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
✓Upscaling
✓Commercial use
✓API

Mage

Unlimited generations with a commercial license on every plan

7.1

from $10/mo

Compared with Midjourney

Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Confirms API
Doesn't confirm Reference images and Upscaling

✓Image editing
–Reference images
–Upscaling
✓Commercial use
✓API

Bing Image Creator (Microsoft)

Free, sign-in-only image generation from Microsoft

7.0

from Free

Compared with Midjourney

Free to use
Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Doesn't confirm Upscaling and Commercial use

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
–Upscaling
–Commercial use
–API

Playground

Template-led social graphics and logos with royalty-free use

6.9

from $12/mo · yearly

Compared with Midjourney

$2/mo more entry plan ($12/mo · yearly)
Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Doesn't confirm Reference images

✓Image editing
–Reference images
✓Upscaling
✓Commercial use
✕API

Fotor

Free multi-model generation with commercial use and an API

6.5

from Not published

Compared with Midjourney

Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Confirms API

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
✓Upscaling
✓Commercial use
✓API

Magnific (formerly Freepik)

Stock-plus-AI users who need upscaling, image extension and an API

6.0

from $20/mo

Compared with Midjourney

$10/mo more entry plan ($20/mo)
Confirms API
Doesn't confirm Reference images

✓Image editing
–Reference images
✓Upscaling
✓Commercial use
✓API

Dreamina (CapCut)

Seedream image generation with a free upscaler and scene expansion

5.6

from $15/mo

Compared with Midjourney

$5/mo more entry plan ($15/mo)
Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Doesn't confirm Reference images and Commercial use

✓Image editing
–Reference images
✓Upscaling
–Commercial use
–API

Recraft

Brand and vector work where paid plans need full commercial rights

5.5

from Not published

Compared with Midjourney

Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Confirms API
Doesn't confirm Reference images

✓Image editing
–Reference images
✓Upscaling
✓Commercial use
✓API

SeaArt

Community model hub with free daily stamina and commercial use

5.5

from Not published

Compared with Midjourney

Free plan (Midjourney: none)

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
✓Upscaling
✓Commercial use
–API

Stability AI

Developers who want pay-per-call inpaint, outpaint and upscale APIs

5.0

from Not published

Compared with Midjourney

Confirms API

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
✓Upscaling
✓Commercial use
✓API

Runway

Video-first teams that also generate Gen-4 images

4.9

from $12/mo · yearly

Compared with Midjourney

$2/mo more entry plan ($12/mo · yearly)
Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Confirms API
Doesn't confirm Image editing, Reference images, Upscaling and Commercial use

–Image editing
–Reference images
–Upscaling
–Commercial use
✓API

Midjourney vs Runway

Clipdrop

Quick uncrop, cleanup and x16 upscaling with an API

4.5

from Not published

Compared with Midjourney

Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Confirms API
Doesn't confirm Reference images and Commercial use

✓Image editing
–Reference images
✓Upscaling
–Commercial use
✓API

Black Forest Labs (FLUX)

Developers building on FLUX models with multi-reference editing

4.0

from Not published

Compared with Midjourney

Confirms API
Doesn't confirm Upscaling

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
–Upscaling
✓Commercial use
✓API

Hotpot.ai

Pay-once credit packs for occasional images and photo fixes

4.0

from $12 one-time

Compared with Midjourney

Doesn't confirm Reference images and Commercial use

✓Image editing
–Reference images
✓Upscaling
–Commercial use
–API

starryai

Casual users who want daily free images without watermarks

3.5

from Not published

Compared with Midjourney

Free plan (Midjourney: none)
Doesn't confirm Image editing and Reference images

–Image editing
–Reference images
✓Upscaling
✓Commercial use
–API

Grok Imagine (xAI)

Developers wanting flat per-image pricing and reference-based edits

3.0

from Not published

Compared with Midjourney

Confirms API
Doesn't confirm Upscaling and Commercial use

✓Image editing
✓Reference images
–Upscaling
–Commercial use
✓API

Midjourney and all 27 alternatives side by side

#	Product	Score	Free plan	Trial	Paid from	Image editing	Reference images	Upscaling	Commercial use	API
1	Krea	9.8	✓Yes	Not published	$5/mo · yearly	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
2	Adobe Firefly	9.3	✓Yes	Not published	$9.99/mo	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
3	Pixlr	9.0	✓Yes	Not published	$1.99/mo · yearly	✓	✓	✓	✓	–
4	Leonardo.Ai	8.9	✓Yes	No	$12/mo	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
5	Dzine	8.6	✓Yes	Not published	$7/mo · yearly	✓	✓	–	✓	✓
6	Google Gemini (Nano Banana)	7.9	✓Yes	Not published	$4.99/mo	✓	✓	–	–	✓
7	OpenArt	7.8	✓Yes	Not published	$13/mo · yearly	✓	✓	✓	✓	–
8	Ideogram	7.6	✓Yes	Not published	$15/mo · yearly	✓	✓	✓	–	✓
9	Picsart	7.5	–Not published	Not published	$10.50/mo · yearly	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
10	DeepAI	7.5	✓Yes	Not published	$89.99/yr	✓	–	✓	–	✓
11	ChatGPT Images (OpenAI)	7.4	✓Yes	Not published	$8/mo	✓	✓	–	–	✓
12	getimg.ai	7.1	–Not published	Not published	$15/mo · yearly	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
13	Mage	7.1	✓Yes	Not published	$10/mo	✓	–	–	✓	✓
14	Bing Image Creator (Microsoft)	7.0	✓Yes	Not published	Free	✓	✓	–	–	–
15	Playground	6.9	✓Yes	Not published	$12/mo · yearly	✓	–	✓	✓	✕
16	Midjourney	6.6	✕No	Not published	$10/mo	✓	✓	✓	✓	–
17	Fotor	6.5	✓Yes	Not published	Not published	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
18	Magnific (formerly Freepik)	6.0	–Not published	Not published	$20/mo	✓	–	✓	✓	✓
19	Dreamina (CapCut)	5.6	✓Yes	Not published	$15/mo	✓	–	✓	–	–
20	Recraft	5.5	✓Yes	Not published	Not published	✓	–	✓	✓	✓
21	SeaArt	5.5	✓Yes	Not published	Not published	✓	✓	✓	✓	–
22	Stability AI	5.0	–Not published	Not published	Not published	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
23	Runway	4.9	✓Yes	Not published	$12/mo · yearly	–	–	–	–	✓
24	Clipdrop	4.5	✓Yes	Not published	Not published	✓	–	✓	–	✓
25	Black Forest Labs (FLUX)	4.0	–Not published	Not published	Not published	✓	✓	–	✓	✓
26	Hotpot.ai	4.0	–Not published	Not published	$12 one-time	✓	–	✓	–	–
27	starryai	3.5	✓Yes	Not published	Not published	–	–	✓	✓	–
28	Grok Imagine (xAI)	3.0	–Not published	Not published	Not published	✓	✓	–	–	✓