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Side-by-side comparison · Image, Logo & Design

ChatGPT Images vs Midjourney vs OpenArt

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Best overall

ChatGPT Images

4.2

Free to start

Midjourney

4.1

Free to start

OpenArt

3.5

From $14/mo

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

Best overallBest valueEasiest to use

Pick it if: Anyone who already uses ChatGPT and wants quick, accurate images without learning another tool.

Pick it if: Marketers, founders and creators who want imagery that doesn't look like generic stock.

Pick it if: Creators and small brands making story-led content with recurring characters: social series, music videos, ads and picture books.

Overview

AttributeChatGPT ImagesMidjourneyOpenArt
In one lineMake and edit images inside ChatGPT by describing what you want, words included.Type a description and get striking, artful images that look nothing like stock photos.Make consistent characters, short stories and videos using over 100 AI models in one app.
Pricing modelFreemiumPaidPaid
Starting priceFreeSee website$14/mo
Free plan Yes No No
Works with Claude Code No No Yes

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeChatGPT ImagesMidjourneyOpenArt
Overall rating4.2Winner4.13.5
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
5.0
3.5
4.0
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.0
4.0
4.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.5
5.0
3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
4.0
3.5
3.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
3.5
4.5
3.0

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeChatGPT ImagesMidjourneyOpenArt
Access & platform
Free plan Yes No No
Mobile app Yes No No
Desktop app Yes No No
Browser extension Yes No No
API access Yes No Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace Yes No Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes No Yes
Connects to other apps Yes No Yes
Open source or self-hosted No No No
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes Yes
Understands images Yes Yes Yes
Makes images Yes Yes Yes
Makes video Yes Yes Yes
Writes code Yes No No
Runs agents or automations Yes No Yes
Learns your brand or style Yes Yes Yes
Works in many languages Yes No No
Capabilities score16/ 175/ 1710/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeChatGPT ImagesMidjourneyOpenArt
Plans

Free

Free

A few images a day.

Basic

See website

Trying it out and light monthly use.

Free trial

Free

A quick look before paying.

Go

See website

Light users who hit the free limits.

StandardOur pick

See website

Most marketers and creators.

Starter

$14/mo, or $13/mo billed yearly

Personal projects only.

PlusOur pick

See website

Most marketers and business owners.

Pro

See website

Agencies and anyone doing client work.

PlusOur pick

$34/mo, or $27/mo billed yearly

Creators and small brands publishing weekly.

Pro

See website

Heavy daily users.

Mega

See website

Heavy daily production.

Pro

$56/mo, or $44/mo billed yearly

Channels publishing video several times a week.

Business

See website

Teams who need shared workspaces and admin.

Wonder

$240/mo, or $175/mo billed yearly

Studios and heavy video producers.

Which plan to pickFree is enough to find out if the quality suits you. Plus is the one to buy if you make images most days, because the limits stop getting in the way and you get the whole assistant too. Pro is only for people living in ChatGPT all day.Standard is the sweet spot because relax mode means you never run out. Go to Pro if you make images for clients, since Basic and Standard publish everything you make to the public gallery. Yearly billing takes a chunk off every plan.Skip Starter if the work is for a business, because it has no commercial rights. Plus is the sensible plan for most creators. Pay monthly until you know how fast you use credits, since refunds are hard to get.

Key features

AttributeChatGPT ImagesMidjourneyOpenArt
Standout features
  • Edit by conversation
  • Accurate text
  • Reference images
  • Thinking mode
  • Lives inside ChatGPT
  • API as gpt-image-2
  • Image quality
  • Style and character references
  • Web editor
  • Personalisation
  • Video
  • Stealth mode
  • Consistent characters
  • One-Click Story
  • Director
  • Many models
  • Editing tools
  • MCP and CLI

Pros and cons

AttributeChatGPT ImagesMidjourneyOpenArt
Pros
  • No learning curve: describe it, then describe the fix
  • Reliable text and faithful use of your logo and product photos
  • Included in every ChatGPT plan, including Free
  • Handles many languages well
  • Thinking mode makes complex layouts and infographics workable
  • Consistently the most attractive output of any generator
  • Style and character references keep a campaign looking like one set
  • Relax mode on Standard and above means unlimited generations
  • The editor handles extending and fixing parts of an image well
  • Consistent characters that hold up across images and video
  • One-Click Story makes a short story video from a single prompt
  • Over 100 models with the credit cost shown before you run
  • Chat Mode picks models and settings for beginners
Cons
  • Slower than dedicated generators
  • Free plan limits run out quickly on a busy day
  • Less distinctive artistic style than Midjourney
  • Limited fine control over composition compared with a design tool
  • No vector output
  • No free plan or trial
  • Text in images and exact layouts are unreliable
  • Your images are public unless you are on Pro or Mega
  • The learning curve is real if you want control rather than luck
  • No API or integrations with other tools
  • Credits drain quickly on video and don't roll over month to month
  • Many complaints about charges after cancelling and refused refunds
  • Users report paying for failed or unusable Director results
  • No commercial rights on the cheapest plan
  • Bugs, downtime and features that change between updates

Who each one is for

AttributeChatGPT ImagesMidjourneyOpenArt
Best for
  • Mockups and signage with real text
  • Editing an image by describing changes
  • Social tiles and quick marketing visuals
  • Multilingual text in images
  • Hero images for websites
  • Brand and campaign visuals
  • Mood boards and concepts
  • Illustration styles
  • Consistent characters across images and video
  • Short story and music videos
  • Faceless social media channels
  • Picture book illustrations
You'll find it used by
  • Small business owners
  • Marketers
  • Product teams
  • Anyone on ChatGPT
  • Marketers
  • Brand designers
  • Founders
  • Content creators
  • Content creators
  • YouTubers
  • Musicians
  • Small brands
  • Authors

Questions people ask

Which is better, ChatGPT Images, Midjourney or OpenArt?

ChatGPT Images scores highest overall in our ratings (ChatGPT Images 4.2/5, Midjourney 4.1/5 and OpenArt 3.5/5). ChatGPT Images is best for mockups and signage with real text and editing an image by describing changes. Midjourney is best for hero images for websites and brand and campaign visuals. OpenArt is best for consistent characters across images and video and short story and music videos.

Which is cheaper, ChatGPT Images, Midjourney or OpenArt?

ChatGPT Images: It's free to use. Midjourney: Pricing isn't published; check the vendor's site for a quote. OpenArt: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $14/mo.

Which is easier to use, ChatGPT Images, Midjourney or OpenArt?

ChatGPT Images rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who already uses ChatGPT and wants quick, accurate images without learning another tool.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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