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

Midjourney vs Nano Banana vs ChatGPT Images

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

Midjourney

4.1

Free to start

Best overall

Nano Banana

4.6

From $19.99/mo

ChatGPT Images

4.2

Free to start

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

Midjourney

4.1

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

Nano Banana

4.6
Best overallBest value

Pick it if: Marketers, store owners and creators who need realistic images and edits that stay true to the original person or product.

ChatGPT Images

4.2
Easiest to use

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

Overview

AttributeMidjourneyNano BananaChatGPT Images
In one lineType a description and get striking, artful images that look nothing like stock photos.Google's image model. Describe an edit and it keeps faces and products looking the same.Make and edit images inside ChatGPT by describing what you want, words included.
Pricing modelPaidFreemiumFreemium
Starting priceSee website$19.99/moFree
Free plan No Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code No Yes No

Rating breakdown

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

AttributeMidjourneyNano BananaChatGPT Images
Overall rating4.14.6Winner4.2
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
3.5
4.5
5.0
FeaturesHow much it can do, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.0
4.5
4.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
5.0
5.0
4.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
3.5
4.5
4.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.5
4.5
3.5

Feature comparison

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

AttributeMidjourneyNano BananaChatGPT Images
Access & platform
Free plan No Yes Yes
Mobile app No Yes Yes
Desktop app No No Yes
Browser extension No No Yes
API access No Yes Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace No No Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO No Yes Yes
Connects to other apps No Yes 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 No Yes
Writes code No No Yes
Runs agents or automations No No Yes
Learns your brand or style Yes No Yes
Works in many languages No Yes Yes
Capabilities score5/ 179/ 1716/ 17

Pricing

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

AttributeMidjourneyNano BananaChatGPT Images
Plans

Basic

See website

Trying it out and light monthly use.

Free (Gemini app and AI Studio)

Free

Trying it and occasional images.

Free

Free

A few images a day.

StandardOur pick

See website

Most marketers and creators.

Google AI ProOur pick

$19.99/mo

Marketers and creators making images every week.

Go

See website

Light users who hit the free limits.

Pro

See website

Agencies and anyone doing client work.

Google AI Ultra

From $99.99/mo

Heavy daily image and video makers.

PlusOur pick

See website

Most marketers and business owners.

Mega

See website

Heavy daily production.

Gemini API

From $0.034 per image

Developers and automated workflows.

Pro

See website

Heavy daily users.

Business

See website

Teams who need shared workspaces and admin.

Which plan to pickStandard 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.Start free in the Gemini app to see if it suits your work. If you make images most weeks, Google AI Pro is the one to buy because it unlocks Nano Banana Pro and comes with Gemini, video credits and storage. Developers should use Nano Banana 2 on the API and save Pro for hero images.Free 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.

Key features

AttributeMidjourneyNano BananaChatGPT Images
Standout features
  • Image quality
  • Style and character references
  • Web editor
  • Personalisation
  • Video
  • Stealth mode
  • Edit by describing
  • Consistent characters
  • Blend reference images
  • Sharp text and 4K
  • Grounded in Google Search
  • Gemini API
  • Edit by conversation
  • Accurate text
  • Reference images
  • Thinking mode
  • Lives inside ChatGPT
  • API as gpt-image-2

Pros and cons

AttributeMidjourneyNano BananaChatGPT Images
Pros
  • 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
  • The best at editing a photo while keeping the person or product identical
  • Free to try in the Gemini app
  • Pro renders accurate text and up to 4K
  • Cheap, fast API with a half-price batch mode
  • Built into Canva, Photoshop and Higgsfield as well as Google's apps
  • 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
Cons
  • 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
  • Less artistic flair than Midjourney
  • Free images carry a visible watermark, and every image has an invisible SynthID mark
  • Model names and plan limits change often
  • Safety filters can block harmless requests involving people
  • 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

Who each one is for

AttributeMidjourneyNano BananaChatGPT Images
Best for
  • Hero images for websites
  • Brand and campaign visuals
  • Mood boards and concepts
  • Illustration styles
  • Editing photos by describing the change
  • Product shots and lifestyle scenes
  • Consistent characters across images
  • Posters and graphics with readable text
  • Mockups and signage with real text
  • Editing an image by describing changes
  • Social tiles and quick marketing visuals
  • Multilingual text in images
You'll find it used by
  • Marketers
  • Brand designers
  • Founders
  • Content creators
  • Marketers
  • Ecommerce store owners
  • Content creators
  • Designers
  • Developers
  • Small business owners
  • Marketers
  • Product teams
  • Anyone on ChatGPT

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability. The "Visit" buttons may use affiliate links, which never affect a score.

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