DALL-E vs Midjourney: Which Is Better?

Artificial intelligence has transformed the creative world, especially with tools that generate images just from words. Among these AI tools, DALL-E and Midjourney have become two of the most talked-about platforms. Whether you’re a graphic designer, marketer, content creator, or simply an enthusiast, picking the right AI art generator can drastically impact your projects. But which one is truly better? Let's unpack their features, strengths, and real-world use cases to help you make an informed choice.

I’m Riten, founder of Fueler — a platform that helps freelancers and professionals get hired through their work samples. Today, we’ll explore DALL-E and Midjourney, two cutting-edge AI art generators shaping the future of creativity. While mastering these tools is important, presenting your AI-generated work smartly in your portfolio is what really seals the deal. Your portfolio isn’t just a collection of images — it’s your proof of skill, your credibility, and your shortcut to trust. The way you showcase your AI art can open doors to clients who are eager to hire innovators.

What Is DALL-E?

DALL-E is a product of OpenAI, designed to generate images from natural language prompts. Named after the artist Salvador Dalí and Pixar’s WALL-E, it was first introduced in 2021 and has evolved rapidly since then. Its AI understands complex language and can translate abstract ideas into highly detailed images.

How DALL-E Works:

At its core, DALL-E uses a neural network trained on millions of images and captions, allowing it to “imagine” and create visuals based on textual input. The technology behind it is a variation of GPT-3, optimized for image generation, which means it excels at understanding context, style, and composition.

Notable Features:

• Photorealism: DALL-E creates images that often look like professional photos or 3D renderings, making it perfect for product mockups, architectural visualizations, and realistic concept art.
• Wide Variety: From everyday objects to fantastical creatures, DALL-E can produce a huge variety of visuals.
• Image Editing: The newer versions allow “inpainting,” meaning you can edit parts of an image by describing changes in text.
• API and Integration: DALL-E can be accessed via OpenAI’s API, allowing developers to build custom apps or integrate image generation into websites and platforms.

Who Should Use DALL-E?

Marketers, product designers, e-commerce businesses, and developers benefit from DALL-E’s ability to generate professional-looking, versatile images quickly. For example, an online store can generate product images for items not yet manufactured, helping with early marketing campaigns.

What Is Midjourney?

Midjourney launched later but gained popularity quickly because of its unique approach to AI art. Unlike DALL-E’s photorealistic style, Midjourney focuses on creativity, style, and mood, generating images that often resemble fine art or concept sketches.

How Midjourney Works:

Midjourney uses its own proprietary AI model to interpret text prompts and produce images that feel more like paintings or digital art pieces. It operates primarily through a Discord server, where users submit prompts and receive images in real time.

Notable Features:

• Artistic Focus: The images have a painterly, surreal, or fantasy-like quality. This is ideal for creating concept art for games, movies, or book covers.
• Community Interaction: The Discord-based platform encourages users to share ideas, collaborate, and improve prompts. This sense of community helps users learn and push creative boundaries.
• Prompt Flexibility: Users can guide the style, detail, and composition using advanced prompt parameters, giving them fine control over the art’s look and feel.
• Subscription Model: Users pay monthly fees to generate unlimited images or based on their usage tier.

Who Should Use Midjourney?

Artists, illustrators, storytellers, and anyone looking for inspiration in digital art find Midjourney invaluable. For example, a fantasy author can generate rich, atmospheric cover art or character sketches without hiring an expensive artist.

In-Depth Comparison: Image Quality and Style

1. Realism vs. Artistry:

DALL-E shines when you need realistic images that could be mistaken for photos. For instance, if you want to create a marketing banner for a new coffee brand, DALL-E can generate lifelike cups, steam, and café settings that look like professional photographs.

Midjourney, however, excels when you want images that feel artistic and evocative — such as a dreamlike forest or a sci-fi cityscape. Its outputs often have rich textures and creative lighting that go beyond realism to evoke emotion.

2. Versatility:

DALL-E’s training on diverse datasets means it can generate images of anything from everyday objects to surreal ideas. This makes it highly versatile for business, education, and entertainment purposes.

Midjourney’s focus is narrower but deeper — it is specialized for imaginative, creative projects where the visual style is a priority.

3. Customizability:

Midjourney offers more advanced prompt tweaking options, allowing users to change image aspect ratios, styles, and even artist inspirations. DALL-E is evolving to add such features but is currently more straightforward.

User Experience and Interface

DALL-E:

Its web platform is clean and user-friendly. You type your prompt, adjust a few settings, and get images. It is suitable for beginners and professionals who want fast results without much technical overhead.

Midjourney:

Requires joining the Discord server and understanding some commands. The interactive nature means users get instant feedback and suggestions from the community, which can speed up learning but also presents a small entry barrier.

Pricing and Accessibility

Understanding the cost structure of DALL-E and Midjourney is crucial because it affects how often and for what projects you can use these tools. Both platforms offer different pricing models tailored to varied user needs, from casual hobbyists to professionals and businesses.

DALL-E Pricing

DALL-E operates on a credit-based pay-as-you-go system. When you create an image, it costs a certain number of credits depending on the resolution and features used. Here is the latest pricing information (as of May 2025):

Free Trial: New users receive free credits (typically 15 credits) to try out image generation. This lets you explore the tool risk-free.

Credit Cost:

• Standard image (1024x1024 px) costs 1 credit per image.
• Higher resolution or inpainting features might cost 2 credits or more per image.

Credit Pricing:

• You can buy credits in bundles, for example, 115 credits for $15, 400 credits for $50, or 1150 credits for $125, offering better value at higher quantities.
• API Access: Businesses and developers can access DALL-E through OpenAI’s API, priced separately based on usage and integration needs, enabling large-scale or automated image generation within apps or services.

This flexible credit system makes DALL-E accessible for beginners and scalable for professional use, with no subscription commitment required.

Midjourney Pricing

Midjourney uses a subscription-based pricing model designed to encourage regular users and artists. The current pricing plans (updated May 2025) are:

Free Trial: New users get 25 free image generations through their Discord server to test the platform.

Basic Plan:

• Costs $10 per month.
• Includes 200 image generations per month.
• Access to standard GPU speed and basic community features.

Standard Plan:

• Costs $30 per month.
• Offers unlimited image generations (with some fair use limits).
• Faster GPU processing speeds.
• Access to private jobs and priority support.

Pro Plan:

• Costs $60 per month.
• Includes all Standard features plus commercial license for all images created.
• Highest priority on GPU speed and community perks.
• Best for professionals and businesses requiring heavy usage.

Midjourney’s subscription plans focus on consistent creative work, making it ideal for artists, designers, and agencies who use AI art generation regularly.

Which Pricing Model Works Best for You?

• If you prefer to pay per use without monthly commitments, DALL-E’s credit system is ideal. You only pay when you generate images and can control your spend precisely.
• If you are a heavy user or professional artist, Midjourney’s unlimited subscription plans offer better value, faster image creation, and commercial licensing options.
• Both platforms provide free trial periods, so I recommend trying each before committing to understand which suits your creative process and budget.

Practical Use Cases and Industries

Marketing:

DALL-E’s realistic images can help marketers produce compelling ad visuals without photography costs. Midjourney’s artistic images can enhance brand storytelling, especially for lifestyle or luxury products.

Freelancing and Portfolios:

Freelancers can use both tools to build portfolios that demonstrate their creativity and adaptability. On Fueler, I see how showing AI-generated art alongside traditional work helps professionals attract forward-thinking clients who value innovative skills.

Education and Content Creation:

Teachers and content creators use these tools to generate illustrations for presentations, books, and digital content, making learning more engaging.

Entertainment and Gaming:

Midjourney is especially popular in game design for concept art, character design, and environment creation, while DALL-E’s versatility supports storyboard creation and visual assets.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations

While AI art is powerful, it’s important to consider copyright and ethical issues. Both platforms have rules about using generated images commercially, especially if the output resembles copyrighted content. Creators must also be aware of AI biases and use the tools responsibly.

Fueler’s Role in This AI Art Revolution

At Fueler, we help freelancers showcase innovative skills like AI-generated art. If you’re an artist or designer experimenting with DALL-E or Midjourney, uploading your best AI creations to Fueler’s portfolio platform can attract clients who want cutting-edge creativity. This helps bridge the gap between AI tools and real-world job opportunities by proving your ability to produce quality work that solves client needs.

Final Thought

Both DALL-E and Midjourney are revolutionizing creativity in their unique ways. Your choice depends on whether you want realistic versatility or artistic expression. The key is not just creating images but presenting them well. Using AI-generated art to build strong portfolios, like on Fueler, can set you apart in the competitive freelance world. As AI evolves, mastering these tools and showcasing your best work will be crucial for success.

FAQs

1. Which AI art generator is better for beginners: DALL-E or Midjourney?

DALL-E is easier for beginners due to its simple web interface, while Midjourney requires learning Discord commands but offers a creative community.

2. Can I use AI-generated images from DALL-E and Midjourney for commercial purposes?

Yes, but always check the latest licensing terms on each platform to ensure compliance.

3. How does Fueler help freelancers showcase AI-generated art?

Fueler allows professionals to upload and present AI art projects alongside other work samples, improving credibility and client trust.

4. What kind of projects suit Midjourney better than DALL-E?

Midjourney is ideal for fantasy, concept art, and artistic images where style and mood are more important than realism.

5. Are there costs associated with using DALL-E and Midjourney?

Yes, DALL-E uses pay-as-you-go credits, and Midjourney has monthly subscription plans. Pricing depends on your usage needs.

What is Fueler Portfolio?

Fueler is a career portfolio platform that helps companies find the best talents for their organization based on their proof of work.

You can create your portfolio on Fueler, thousands of freelancers around the world use Fueler to create their professional-looking portfolios and become financially independent. Discover inspiration for your portfolio

Sign up for free on Fueler or get in touch to learn more.