Midjourney
From ~$10 per mo (Basic)
DALL-E
Via ChatGPT (free limited / Plus $20 per mo)
Midjourney is the benchmark for striking, artistic image quality from a dedicated tool. DALL-E lives inside ChatGPT, so it is the most convenient and best at understanding plain-language prompts and edits. Midjourney wins on raw beauty; DALL-E wins on convenience and prompt-following.
Pick Midjourney if you want the most beautiful, artistic images and you are happy using a dedicated image tool.
Pick DALL-E if you want convenient image generation inside ChatGPT, with the best plain-language prompting and editing, especially if you already pay for ChatGPT.
Midjourney and DALL-E are two of the best-known AI image generators, but they fit into your workflow differently. Midjourney is a dedicated image tool famous for the sheer aesthetic quality of its output, the images many consider the most beautiful in the category. DALL-E is OpenAI's generator, now built directly into ChatGPT, which makes it extremely convenient and very good at following natural-language prompts and conversational edits.
On price, Midjourney starts around $10 a month as a standalone subscription. DALL-E does not have its own subscription; you access it through ChatGPT, with limited free use and full access on ChatGPT Plus at $20 a month. So if you already pay for ChatGPT, DALL-E comes at no extra cost.
We compare image quality, convenience, prompt-following, price, and editing.
| Quick facts | Midjourney | DALL-E |
|---|---|---|
| How you access it | Dedicated app | Inside ChatGPT |
| Price | From ~$10/mo | Free limited / ChatGPT Plus $20/mo |
| Raw image quality | Best-in-class | Very good |
| Prompt-following | Good | Best-in-class |
| Best for | Artistic quality | Convenience + editing |
Each row reflects the feature on each product's current public release.
| Feature | M Midjourney | D DALL-E |
|---|---|---|
| Top-tier artistic quality | Best-in-class | Very good |
| Natural-language prompting | Good | Best-in-class |
| Conversational editing | Limited | Yes |
| Built into a chat assistant | No | Yes |
| Fine creative control | Strong | Moderate |
| Standalone subscription | Yes | No |
| Free access | No | Limited (in ChatGPT) |
| Commercial use (paid) | Yes | Yes |
Pricing and features change often. Always verify the current details on each product's official site. Last reviewed 2026-06-22.
Things neither product's marketing page leads with.
Midjourney usually wins on raw aesthetic quality; DALL-E wins on convenience and understanding what you ask for.
DALL-E has no separate subscription, so if you already pay for ChatGPT Plus it effectively costs nothing extra.
For precise artistic results Midjourney rewards effort; for quick, accurate images from a description DALL-E is faster.
The average person juggles a dozen subscriptions and forgets at least one. Subkept is a privacy-first subscription tracker: add Midjourney, DALL-E, and everything else, then get renewal reminders, price-hike alerts, and a clear monthly total, with no bank connection, ever. Free for up to 5 subscriptions, no time limit.
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