Midjourney starts at $10/mo with no free tier, and images stay public unless you pay $60/mo for stealth mode. Its looks are hard to beat; its text rendering and precise edits are not.
Ideogram is the best alternative when your images need readable text. Adobe Firefly ($9.99/mo) undercuts Midjourney Basic with unlimited standard generations and a commercially safe licence. Leonardo AI has the most useful free tier for general image work.
| App | Free tier | Paid from | Top plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midjourney | No | $10/mo | $120/mo | Concept art, illustration, moodboards, stylized brand imagery |
| Ideogram | Yes | $20/mo | $60/mo | Logos, posters, memes, and any image that needs accurate, readable text inside it |
| Adobe Firefly | Yes | $9.99/mo | $199.99/mo | Creative pros in Photoshop or Express who need indemnified, IP-safe generative fill and image models |
| Leonardo AI | Yes | $12/mo | $60/mo | Game assets, product mockups, and creators who want fine-tuned custom models |
| Recraft AI | Yes | $12/mo | $22/mo | Designers and brand teams who need editable vector graphics, icons, and illustrations, not just raster art |
| Krea AI | Yes | $9/mo | $200/mo | Creators who want to experiment across many image and video models without juggling separate subscriptions |
Monthly prices in US dollars before tax, from each vendor's official pricing (US list price; weekly-billed plans converted to a monthly figure). Updated October 7, 2026
Ideogram exists to fix the thing Midjourney is weakest at: legible, accurate typography for logos, posters and memes. Plus ($20/mo) gives 1,000 priority credits a month and quality PNG export.
Pick it if: your images need words in them: logos, posters, thumbnails, social graphics.
Full Ideogram pricing →Firefly is trained only on licensed content. Standard ($9.99/mo) includes unlimited standard generations, Generative Fill and some video clips; Pro adds Photoshop on web and mobile.
Pick it if: you create for clients or brands and need IP-safe output, or already work in Adobe apps.
Full Adobe Firefly pricing →Leonardo gives 150 fast tokens a day for free, and Essential ($12/mo) makes generations private, the thing Midjourney charges $60/mo for. Fine-tuned custom models suit game assets and product mockups.
Pick it if: you want to start free, or need private images without paying for a top Midjourney tier.
Full Leonardo AI pricing →Recraft produces editable vector art, icons and brand-consistent assets, which Midjourney's raster images can't. Basic ($12/mo) adds full commercial rights and private generations.
Pick it if: you're a designer who needs SVG-style assets rather than illustrations.
Full Recraft AI pricing →Krea puts dozens of image and video models on one real-time canvas. Basic ($9/mo) unlocks all image models, LoRA training and a commercial licence.
Pick it if: you'd rather try many models than commit to one house style.
Full Krea AI pricing →Yes. Leonardo AI (150 fast tokens a day), Krea (100 units a day), Recraft (50 credits a day) and Ideogram (10 slow credits a week) all have free tiers, though free images are usually public or non-commercial.
Krea Basic ($9/mo) and Adobe Firefly Standard ($9.99/mo) both start below Midjourney Basic ($10/mo), and Firefly's standard generations are unlimited.
How we choose: prices come from each vendor's official pricing page and are re-checked every week. We take no affiliate fees, so rankings aren't for sale.