Flux vs MidJourney: The Open Source Challenger vs the Reigning King

MidJourney has been the default recommendation for AI image generation since 2023. Ask anyone "what's the best AI image generator?" and you'll hear "MidJourney" more often than not.

Then Flux showed up.

Built by Black Forest Labs (the team behind Stable Diffusion), Flux launched as an open-source model that anyone can run, modify, and deploy. It doesn't require a subscription. It doesn't require Discord. And in many categories, it produces images that rival or beat MidJourney's output.

So which one should you actually use?

The Basics

MidJourney is a closed-source service. You interact with it through Discord (or their new web interface, which is still in limited access). You pay $10-$60/month depending on the plan. The model is proprietary — you can't see the weights, run it locally, or modify it.

Flux is an open-source model available in several variants: Flux.1 Pro (commercial, highest quality), Flux.1 Dev (open weights for non-commercial use), and Flux.1 Schnell (fast, fully open). You can run it locally on your own GPU, use it through APIs, or access it on platforms like Myjourney.

This difference matters more than any spec comparison.

Image Quality: Closer Than You'd Think

MidJourney v6.1 is gorgeous. No argument. It has a distinctive aesthetic — slightly warm, painterly, with excellent composition. You can type a simple prompt and get something that looks like a professional photographer composed the shot.

Flux 1.1 Pro is a different kind of good. It's more literal — it does what you ask rather than interpreting your prompt through an artistic filter. Where MidJourney might add dramatic lighting you didn't request, Flux gives you exactly the scene you described.

For photorealism, Flux 1.1 Pro is competitive with MidJourney v6.1. Skin textures, lighting, fabric detail — they're in the same ballpark. Flux handles complex text rendering in images better than MidJourney, which still struggles with words on signs and shirts.

For artistic/stylized images, MidJourney has an edge. Its training data and post-processing give outputs a polished, editorial look that Flux doesn't match by default. You can get Flux closer with careful prompting, but MidJourney's "default pretty" is hard to beat.

For prompt adherence, Flux wins. If you ask for "a red bicycle leaning against a blue wall with three pigeons on the ground," Flux is more likely to give you exactly three pigeons and exactly the right colors. MidJourney takes more creative liberties.

Speed

MidJourney generates images in about 10-30 seconds depending on your plan (Fast vs Relax mode). Relax mode can take several minutes during peak hours.

Flux Schnell lives up to its name (schnell = fast in German). On optimized hardware, it generates in 1-4 seconds. Flux Pro and Dev take 5-15 seconds depending on the platform.

On Myjourney, Flux 1.1 Pro generations typically complete in 6-10 seconds.

Pricing: This Is Where It Gets Interesting

MidJourney:

• Basic: $10/month (~200 images)
• Standard: $30/month (~900 images + unlimited relax)
• Pro: $60/month (~1800 fast + unlimited relax)
• No pay-per-use option. No free tier.

Flux (on Myjourney):

• $0.03 per image (Flux 1.1 Pro)
• No subscription required
• 5 free images without even creating an account

Flux (self-hosted):

• Free (if you have the hardware)
• Requires an NVIDIA GPU with 12GB+ VRAM for Dev/Schnell
• Pro requires an API license from Black Forest Labs

Let's do the math on 100 images/month: MidJourney costs $10/month minimum. Flux on Myjourney costs $3.00. If you have a capable GPU and run Flux locally, it costs electricity.

At 50 images/month, MidJourney is still $10. Flux on Myjourney is $1.50.

The only scenario where MidJourney's pricing makes sense is if you generate enough to fill the subscription (200+ on Basic, 900+ on Standard) every single month.

The Open Source Factor

This is Flux's secret weapon and MidJourney's biggest vulnerability.

Because Flux's weights are public, an entire ecosystem has grown around it. Fine-tuned versions for specific styles. LoRA adapters that specialize the model for portraits, anime, architecture, product photography. Community tools like ComfyUI workflows that chain Flux with other models.

MidJourney gives you MidJourney. One model, one style, their way. You can use style references and parameters, but you can't fundamentally change how the model works.

For hobbyists and tinkerers who want to experiment, Flux's openness is a massive advantage. For people who just want good images without thinking about it, MidJourney's opinionated defaults are actually a feature.

The Discord Problem

Let's talk about MidJourney's interface. For years, the only way to use it was through Discord bot commands. You'd type /imagine in a channel full of other people's prompts and wait for your result to appear in a chaotic feed.

MidJourney now has a web interface, but it's still rolling out and the Discord workflow remains primary for many users. If you're not already a Discord user, this is a real barrier. Your grandmother is not going to learn Discord to generate a birthday card.

Flux has no native interface — it's a model, not a product. But platforms like Myjourney wrap it in a clean web UI where you type a prompt, pick settings, and click generate. No Discord required.

Why Not Both?

Here's the thing people miss about this comparison: you don't have to choose.

On Myjourney, you can generate with Flux ($0.03/image), Imagen 4 ($0.04/image), and GPT Image 1 ($0.05/image) — all from the same account with pay-per-use pricing. Use Flux when you want speed and prompt accuracy. Switch to Imagen 4 when you want Google's photorealism. No separate subscriptions.

MidJourney locks you into one model. The multi-model approach means you always have the right tool for the job.

The Verdict

Choose MidJourney if: You want the most polished default aesthetic, don't mind subscriptions, generate 200+ images/month consistently, and don't need to customize the model.

Choose Flux if: You want cheaper generation, better prompt adherence, the ability to run locally, access to the LoRA ecosystem, or you simply don't want another subscription.

Choose both via Myjourney if: You want Flux's pricing and flexibility plus access to other models, without managing infrastructure or paying for subscriptions you might not use.

Browse the Explore gallery to see Flux and Imagen 4 outputs side by side — every image shows which model created it. Judge for yourself.