What you get with a Midjourney subscription
Midjourney is an AI image generation tool that creates images from text descriptions you write. To use it, you need a paid subscription — there is no free tier. The subscription gives you a monthly allowance of GPU minutes, which is the computing power the tool uses to generate images. When your minutes run out, you stop generating images until the next billing cycle.
You access Midjourney through Discord, a chat platform. You type commands into a Discord server, and Midjourney generates images based on what you describe. The subscription covers the cost of the computing power behind those generations, not a seat license or membership card.
Billing happens monthly on the same date you subscribe. If you subscribe on the 15th, you are charged on the 15th of every month. You can pause or cancel anytime, and paused subscriptions do not charge you.
Key Takeaways
- Midjourney offers four subscription tiers: Basic ($10/month), Standard ($30/month), Pro ($60/month), and Mega ($120/month), each with different monthly GPU minute allowances.
- GPU minutes are the currency of the service — when you run out, you cannot generate new images until your next billing cycle, even if you pause and resume.
- You access Midjourney through Discord and must have a Discord account to sign up and use the service.
- All subscriptions include access to the same image generation model; the difference is how many minutes per month you receive and whether you can make images private.
- You can pause your subscription to stop monthly charges without losing your account, and resume it later.
The four subscription tiers and their GPU minute allowances
Midjourney publishes the starting GPU minute amounts for each tier, but the actual minutes you receive can vary based on how efficiently the system is running on any given day. The company does not publish a fixed conversion rate between prompts and minutes consumed.
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Approximate Monthly GPU Minutes | Image Privacy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $10 | 3.3 hours (200 minutes) | Public |
| Standard | $30 | 15 hours (900 minutes) | Public |
| Pro | $60 | 30 hours (1,800 minutes) | Private |
| Mega | $120 | 60 hours (3,600 minutes) | Private |
The Basic and Standard plans make your generated images public by default, meaning other Midjourney users can see them in the platform's gallery. The Pro and Mega plans let you make images private, so only you see them.
A single image generation typically uses between 0.5 and 1 minute of GPU time, depending on the complexity of your prompt and the settings you choose. Upscaling an image (making it higher resolution) costs additional minutes. If you use the fast generation setting, minutes are consumed faster than with the standard setting.
How GPU minutes work and what happens when you run out
GPU minutes are not the same as clock minutes. They represent the amount of computing power Midjourney allocates to your request. A single prompt might use anywhere from a fraction of a minute to several minutes depending on what you ask for and how you configure the generation.
When your monthly GPU minute allowance runs out, you cannot generate new images. You can still view your past images and use other features like the web gallery, but image generation stops. Your minutes reset on your billing date each month. Pausing your subscription does not carry over unused minutes to the next month — if you have 50 minutes left and pause, those minutes disappear when you resume.
If you need more minutes before your billing date, you can purchase additional minutes as a one-time add-on. Midjourney calls these fast hours. The cost varies but is typically higher per minute than your subscription rate, so buying a higher tier subscription is usually more economical if you consistently run out.
How to set up and manage your subscription
To start, you need a Discord account. Go to the Midjourney website, click the sign-up button, and authenticate with Discord. You will be added to the Midjourney Discord server. From there, you can navigate to the billing section and choose your subscription tier.
Payment is by credit card or debit card. Midjourney processes the charge on the same day each month. You can update your payment method, pause your subscription, or cancel anytime from your account settings. There is no cancellation fee.
Once subscribed, you generate images by typing commands in any Discord channel where the Midjourney bot is active. The most common command is /imagine followed by your image description. The bot responds with four image options, and you can upscale one of them or ask for variations.
Private versus public images
Basic and Standard subscribers generate public images by default. This means your images appear in the Midjourney gallery and other users can see them. You cannot change this setting on these tiers.
Pro and Mega subscribers can toggle between private and public for each image they generate. Private images are visible only to you. This matters if you are generating images for commercial work, client projects, or anything you want to keep confidential.
Even on public tiers, Midjourney does not sell your images or claim ownership. You retain the rights to what you generate. The public gallery is simply a showcase of what the community has created.
When to upgrade or downgrade your plan
If you are new to Midjourney, the Basic plan ($10/month) is a low-cost way to test the tool. At roughly 200 GPU minutes per month, you can generate about 200 to 400 images depending on prompt complexity. That is enough to explore what the tool can do.
The Standard plan ($30/month) is the most common choice for hobbyists and people generating images regularly. It provides 900 minutes, roughly 900 to 1,800 images per month. This tier is where most users find a balance between cost and usage.
The Pro plan ($60/month) is for people who generate images daily or use Midjourney for client work. It includes private images, which is essential if you are creating commercial content. The 1,800 monthly minutes support heavy daily use.
The Mega plan ($120/month) is for teams, agencies, or individuals who generate hundreds of images per month. It offers double the minutes of Pro and is rarely necessary for individual creators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Midjourney without a subscription?
No. Midjourney does not offer a free trial or free tier. You must have an active paid subscription to generate images. The company previously offered a limited free trial, but that ended.
Do unused GPU minutes roll over to the next month?
No. Your GPU minute allowance resets on your billing date each month. Unused minutes do not carry forward. If you pause your subscription, any remaining minutes are lost when you resume.
What happens if I pause my subscription?
Pausing stops your monthly charge immediately. You can still view your past images and access your account, but you cannot generate new images. When you resume, you start fresh with a new monthly allowance. There is no fee to pause or resume.
Can I share my subscription with someone else?
No. Each subscription is tied to one Discord account. Sharing login credentials violates Midjourney's terms of service. If multiple people need access, each person needs their own subscription.
How do I know how many GPU minutes I have left?
You can check your remaining minutes by typing /info in any Discord channel where Midjourney is active. The bot will display your current subscription tier and minutes remaining for the month.