Midjourney — free plan, limits and what it is good for
No free tier at all. The free trial ended in 2023 and has not returned, so ignore any guide that says otherwise.
| Pricing | From $10/mo |
|---|---|
| Free tier | No |
| Account required | Discord or Google account |
| Watermark on free output | No (paid) |
| Limits | Nothing without a subscription |
| Platforms | Web, Discord |
| Best for | Stylised art, concept images, mood boards |
| Last checked | October 2026 |
What the free plan actually gives you
Every plan is paid, starting around $10/month for a small number of fast generations. There is no watermarked free mode, no trial credits, and no way to evaluate it without paying — which is why most "free Midjourney" pages online are affiliate bait.
If you need free image generation, the realistic substitutes are Gemini (limited, watermarked) or a local Stable Diffusion install. Midjourney earns its price on aesthetics, not on accessibility.
Where it breaks
- Zero free usage
- Discord workflow still required for some features
- Commercial rights depend on plan and revenue tier
What we would use instead
If the limits above are a problem, the closest free substitutes are Gemini and Canva. They are not identical — each one trades something different — but all of them let you finish a job without paying.
Free alternatives
Questions people actually ask
Is there any way to try Midjourney free?
No. The trial was withdrawn in 2023 and has not been reinstated. Anything offering free access is reselling accounts, which violates their terms.
Can I sell images I generate?
Paid subscribers get commercial rights; companies above a revenue threshold need the Pro tier.
What is the cheapest free alternative?
For quick images, Gemini or Canva's free tier. For volume, a local Stable Diffusion setup costs nothing but time.