Midjourney vs Ideogram Pricing 2026: Which Costs Less?
Midjourney and Ideogram both start around $10 to $20 a month, but they sell very different things: Midjourney sells GPU time, Ideogram sells credits plus an unlimited slow queue. Here is what each plan really gets you, in US dollars.
Today's prices
Checked automatically · 2026-11-10 23:23| Tool | Plan | Paid monthly | Paid yearly | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midjourney | Basic | $10 | $8 | 200 minutes |
| Midjourney | Standard | $30 | $24 | 900 minutes |
| Midjourney | Pro | $60 | $48 | 1,800 minutes |
| Midjourney | Mega | $120 | $96 | 3,600 minutes |
| Ideogram | Plus | $20 | $15 | 2,400 credits |
| Ideogram | Pro | $60 | $42 | 7,500 credits |
Every paid plan, in US dollars, read from each tool's official pricing page. Prices in tables below update too; some figures in the running text were written when this article was published. Compare these tools side by side →
Cheapest start: Midjourney Basic at $10 a month, but with no unlimited mode and public images.
Cheapest unlimited: Ideogram Plus at $20 ($15 paid yearly), against $30 for Midjourney Standard.
Cheapest private images: Ideogram Plus. On Midjourney you need Pro at $60.
Free plan: only Ideogram, with 30 credits a week.
Last checked: 2026-11-10
Plans side by side
| Tool | Plan | Paid monthly | Paid yearly | Each month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ideogram | Free | $0 | $0 | 30 credits a week |
| Midjourney | Basic | $10/mo | $8/mo | 200 minutes of fast GPU time |
| Ideogram | Plus | $20/mo | $15/mo | 2,400 credits, then unlimited slow queue |
| Midjourney | Standard | $30/mo | $24/mo | 15 hours fast, then unlimited Relax mode |
| Ideogram | Pro | $60/mo | $42/mo | 7,500 credits, then unlimited slow queue |
| Midjourney | Pro | $60/mo | $48/mo | 30 hours fast, unlimited Relax, private images |
Prices update automatically every morning, from each tool's official pricing page.
Feature by feature
| Midjourney | Ideogram | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | Yes, 30 credits a week (public images) |
| Cheapest unlimited plan | Standard, unlimited Relax mode | Plus, unlimited slow queue on Ideogram models |
| Cheapest private images | Pro (Stealth Mode) | Plus |
| Unused allowance | Fast hours expire each month | Monthly credits don't roll over; bought credits last 365 days |
| Best at | Artistic, cinematic images | Text inside images: posters, logos, social graphics |
Which should you pick?
Pick Midjourney if image quality comes first
Midjourney's images are widely seen as the most artistic. Basic is the cheapest way in at $10, but it has no Relax mode, so you stop when the 200 fast minutes are gone. For steady use, Standard at $30 is the plan most people need.
Pick Ideogram for text, privacy and price
Ideogram Plus gives private images and an unlimited slow queue for $20, or $15 paid yearly: about half of what Midjourney charges for unlimited, and a quarter of what it charges for private images. It is also the better tool when your image needs readable text.
Watch out
- Midjourney: images are public below Pro, and companies earning over $1M a year must use Pro or Mega.
- Ideogram: the unlimited slow queue only covers Ideogram's own models. Partner models, image edits and upscales still use credits.
- Ideogram Free: free credits only if you sign in with Google, Apple or Microsoft.
See every plan on the AI image price list, or read about cheaper Midjourney alternatives.
Sources: Midjourney's plan comparison and Ideogram's plans and credits page, read 2026-11-08. Prices change often. Always confirm on the official sites.