Lesson 9. Midjourney vs DALL·E vs Stable Diffusion: how to choose a model
There are several good AI image generators, and each is better suited for different tasks. In this lesson, we compare them by price, quality, control capabilities, and use cases — to choose the right tool.
Topic breakdown
Midjourney — Discord-based model, best aesthetic quality for art. Price $10-$60 per month. Good parameter control, but interface is only via Discord.
DALL·E 3 (OpenAI) — integrated into ChatGPT, best text understanding and accuracy. Free limits with GPT-4o, ChatGPT Plus $20/mo. Perfectly understands complex natural language descriptions.
Stable Diffusion — open source, local or cloud usage. Free (locally), requires technical setup. Maximum parameter control.
Leonardo.ai — cloud-based, based on SD, professional interface. 150 tokens a day free. Good balance of price and quality for business.
What you'll learn
- Know the strengths and weaknesses of each major model
- Choose the right model based on project type
- Evaluate price/quality ratio for your budget
- Combine models within a single project
Deep dive
When choosing a model, it's better to ask not which is the most powerful, but which gives results with the least resistance in my workflow. Team skills and speed are often more important than absolute quality.
Many teams get tied to one model and thereby narrow their possibilities. In practice, rough concept, final art, visual with text, and post-processing can easily be done in different tools.
Cost must be calculated not only by subscription but also by time. A free or cheap tool that requires complex setup may end up being more expensive for business than a paid and simple one.
Lesson plan
Midjourney: best choice for aesthetics
Best visual aesthetic for art, fashion, and concept art. Interface via Discord is inconvenient for some. Version v6 significantly improved realism.
DALL·E 3: powerful link with ChatGPT
Understands natural language best of all. In tandem with ChatGPT, it can help write prompts. It is vastly superior to others at inserting text into images.
Stable Diffusion: full control, free
Local usage, LoRA/embedding, inpainting/outpainting, img2img — it has everything. But requires technical knowledge to set up.
Hybrid strategy: multiple models
Idea for DALL·E, final aesthetic for Midjourney, verification for Leonardo.ai. Many professionals combine models depending on the task.
Weak vs strong prompt
one universal prompt fits all models (incorrect)
Model adaptation: Midjourney — '...--ar 16:9 --v 6 --stylize 250', DALL·E — natural language: 'Create a detailed illustration of...', SD — '(subject:1.3), (style:1.2), <lora:model:0.8>, CFG 7.5, steps 30'
Each model has its own syntax and parameter system. The same prompt across all models fails to leverage their strengths.
Ready visual prompt template
Copy and adaptModel selection matrix: [goal] + [budget] + [technical skills] + [quality requirements] = [optimal model]
Why it works
Midjourney: best aesthetics, art, fashion, concept art, portrait. Price medium-high.
DALL·E: precise description, text elements, technical/scientific visualization. Has a free version.
Stable Diffusion: full control, free, local use, model tuning. Requires technical knowledge.
Leonardo.ai: business user, medium price, convenient interface, product and marketing photography.
Adobe Firefly: Creative Cloud users, copyright-safe, Adobe integration.
Practice
- Determine the optimal model for three scenarios:
- Scenario 1: startup, 20 images a week for Instagram (budget: limited).
- Scenario 2: fashion brand, high quality aesthetic images (budget: good).
- Scenario 3: technical manual, precise diagrams and illustrations.
- Compare your answers with the analysis in the lesson.
Checklist
Common mistakes
- believing one model is best for all tasks
- putting quality first, ignoring budget and technical requirements
- not knowing paid features while on a free tier
- not trying another model upon failure in the first
Lesson FAQ
Is there a free version of Midjourney?
Midjourney removed its free trial in early 2023. Currently, the minimum plan is $10 a month. Leonardo.ai gives 150 free tokens a day — about 15-30 images.
Do Midjourney and DALL·E work in my region?
Usually they work without VPN. Midjourney — via Discord. DALL·E — via ChatGPT interface. Payment may require an international card.