Black Forest Labs vs Midjourney: which one to choose in 2026?

Community ratings, features, pricing and free plans: the complete head-to-head between Black Forest Labs and Midjourney to find the right tool for your needs.

Screenshot of Black Forest Labs
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Black Forest Labs

4.7 (109)

Black Forest Labs is an AI research and development company specializing in advanced text-to-image generation. Their flagship product, FLUX, offers high-quality image synthesis with tools for inpainting, structural conditioning, and customization, catering to both developers and creative professionals.

Text to ImagePhoto & Image GeneratorImage EnhancerDesign GeneratorArt Generator
View detailsOfficial site
Screenshot of Midjourney
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Midjourney

4.6 (735)

A benchmark in AI image generation, Midjourney turns simple text descriptions into visuals of remarkable artistic quality. Its distinctive, carefully crafted aesthetic has won over graphic designers, art directors and content creators around the world. The tool can now also animate images into short video clips.

Text to ImageArt Generator
View detailsOfficial site

Comparison table

CriterionBlack Forest LabsMidjourney
Average rating4.74.6
Number of reviews109735
Free planNoNo
PlansFLUX.1 [dev], FLUX.1 [pro], FLUX1.1 [pro]Basic, Standard, Pro
CategoriesText to Image, Photo & Image Generator, Image Enhancer, Design Generator, Art GeneratorText to Image, Art Generator
Last updatedMay 2, 2025July 8, 2026

See all tools in these categories: Text to Image, Art Generator

Our verdict

Black Forest Labs or Midjourney?

Black Forest Labs (4.7/5) and Midjourney (4.6/5) earn very similar ratings from our community: the choice mostly comes down to your use case.

Black Forest Labs also covers Photo & Image Generator, Image Enhancer and Design Generator, ground that Midjourney does not directly address.

Features head to head

Black Forest Labs

  • FLUX.1 [pro]: High-resolution image generation with fast processing times.
  • FLUX.1 [dev]: Open-access model with guidance-distilled efficiency.
  • FLUX Fill: Advanced inpainting and outpainting capabilities.
  • FLUX Depth & Canny: Structural conditioning using depth maps and edge detection.
  • FLUX Redux: Image variation and restyling through prompt mixing.
  • FLUX Pro Finetuning API: Customize models with user-provided images for brand-specific content.

Midjourney

  • Some of the most polished artistic rendering on the market
  • Web interface with editing and organization of your creations
  • Control over style, framing and aspect ratios
  • Variation, upscaling and region-based editing tools
  • Image and style references to maintain visual consistency
  • Animate images into short video clips
  • Latest models are faster, with high-resolution image generation

Pricing compared

Black Forest Labs

FLUX.1 [dev]

  • Free under non-commercial license
  • Access to model weights and inference code
  • Suitable for research and personal projects

FLUX.1 [pro]

  • High-resolution image generation
  • Fast processing times
  • API access for integration
  • Pay-per-use pricing starting at $0.05 per image

FLUX1.1 [pro]

  • Enhanced image quality and prompt adherence
  • Ultra mode for 4MP outputs
  • Raw mode for natural aesthetics
  • API access with pricing starting at $0.06 per image

Midjourney

Basic

  • Around $10 per month
  • Around 200 generations per month
  • Commercial usage rights

Standard

  • Around $30 per month
  • Extended fast generation time
  • Unlimited relax mode

Pro

  • Around $60 per month
  • Stealth mode to keep your images private
  • More concurrent generation queues

Prices are indicative and may change — check the official sites for up-to-date pricing.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Black Forest Labs and Midjourney?

Both tools share the Text to Image and Art Generator space, but Black Forest Labs also covers Photo & Image Generator, Image Enhancer and Design Generator.

Black Forest Labs or Midjourney: which one is rated higher?

The two tools are neck and neck: Black Forest Labs shows 4.7/5 (109 reviews) and Midjourney 4.6/5 (735 reviews).

Can you use Black Forest Labs or Midjourney for free?

Black Forest Labs does not offer a free plan as far as we know, and Midjourney does not offer a free plan as far as we know.

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