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Reviewed by the Knowara AI Tools team, cross-checked against OpenAI’s official API documentation, Midjourney’s official pricing page, and third-party pricing trackers verified between February and June 2026.
DALL-E is OpenAI’s text-to-image model, now retired from active service and succeeded by GPT Image 1.5 inside ChatGPT. Midjourney is a subscription-only image generator known for cinematic, artistic output and a Discord-based (and now web-based) workflow.
What Is DALL-E?
DALL-E 3 was OpenAI’s third-generation text-to-image model, integrated into ChatGPT and accessible via API until OpenAI retired it on May 12, 2026. OpenAI released DALL-E 3 in October 2023 as an upgrade over DALL-E 2, embedding it directly into ChatGPT’s chat interface so users could generate images through natural-language prompts without a separate app.
OpenAI announced DALL-E 3’s deprecation on November 14, 2025, and pulled it from the ChatGPT interface in December 2025, months ahead of the official API shutdown date. Azure OpenAI Service retired its DALL-E 3 endpoint on March 4, 2026. As of this review, DALL-E 3 no longer accepts new API requests, and ChatGPT’s image button now runs on GPT Image 1.5, an autoregressive image model built directly into the GPT-5 architecture rather than a separate diffusion model called through an API bridge.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Company | OpenAI |
| Original Release Year | 2023 (DALL-E 3) |
| Current Status | Retired May 12, 2026; succeeded by GPT Image 1.5 |
| Platforms | ChatGPT (web, iOS, Android), OpenAI API |
| Legacy API Pricing | $0.04 per 1024×1024 standard image, $0.08 per HD image, $0.12 per 1792×1024 HD image |
| Successor Pricing | GPT Image 1.5 from $0.011 (low quality) to $0.167 (high quality) per image |
| Key Feature | Native ChatGPT integration with conversational, region-specific editing |
Pricing verified as of June 2026.
Marketers who ran DALL-E 3 through the ChatGPT Plus interface hit a documented rate ceiling of roughly 50 images per 3-hour rolling window, a limit OpenAI never listed prominently on its pricing page but that shows up consistently across usage reports from Plus subscribers. That ceiling — not image quality — was the most common complaint filed against DALL-E 3 in its final year of service. The workaround: switch to API billing at $0.04–$0.12 per image, which removes the 3-hour cap entirely but adds a per-image cost that scales with volume.
What Is Midjourney?
Midjourney is a subscription-only AI image generator that produces stylized, high-detail visuals from text prompts, accessed through Discord or Midjourney’s own web interface. David Holz founded Midjourney as an independent research lab in San Francisco, and the tool entered open beta in July 2022. Midjourney removed its free trial in March 2023 and has run on a paid-subscription-only model since.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Company | Midjourney, Inc. (independent lab, self-funded) |
| Release Year | 2022 (open beta) |
| Current Version | V7 (default), V8.1 (opt-in via Personalization Profile) |
| Platforms | Discord, web app (alpha.midjourney.com) |
| Pricing | Basic $10/mo, Standard $30/mo, Pro $60/mo, Mega $120/mo |
| Free Tier | None — no free trial as of 2026 |
| Key Feature | Fast/Relax GPU-hour system with Stealth Mode privacy on Pro and Mega |
Pricing verified as of June 2026.
Midjourney does not bill by image count. Every plan buys a fixed block of Fast GPU hours — 3.3 hours on Basic, 15 on Standard, 30 on Pro, 60 on Mega — and burns through that allotment based on generation speed and resolution, not a simple per-image counter. Standard and higher tiers unlock unlimited Relax Mode, which queues generations at slower speed once Fast hours run out. The friction point here is concrete: Basic subscribers with no Relax Mode access hit a hard wall mid-month during daily use, and the platform gives no warning banner before that cutoff — the generation simply queues indefinitely until the next billing cycle or an upgrade.
How Do DALL-E and Midjourney Compare Feature by Feature?
DALL-E (now GPT Image 1.5) wins on text rendering, prompt accuracy, and conversational editing; Midjourney wins on artistic quality, cinematic lighting, and atmospheric detail.
| Feature | DALL-E / GPT Image 1.5 | Midjourney V7 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | ChatGPT chat window | Discord or web app |
| Prompt style | Natural language, conversational | Structured prompts with parameters (–ar, –stylize, –chaos) |
| Text-in-image accuracy | High — renders logos, signs, labels correctly | Weak — text frequently garbles or misspells |
| Editing workflow | In-conversation regional edits, no re-prompt needed | Vary Region / Vary Subtle tools, requires re-generation |
| Public API | Yes — REST API for app integration | No public API as of 2026 |
| Max resolution | 1792×1024 (DALL-E 3); higher via GPT Image 1.5 | Up to 2K with V8.1’s HD option |
| Video generation | None (Sora shut down permanently in March 2026) | Midjourney Video V1 (image-to-video) |
| Commercial rights | Included by default | Included on all paid tiers; Pro/Mega required above $1M annual revenue |
| Community/gallery | None built-in | Public gallery by default, private only on Pro/Mega |
How Much Do DALL-E and Midjourney Cost?
Midjourney costs $10–$120 per month with no free tier; the DALL-E successor, GPT Image 1.5, is bundled into ChatGPT Plus at $20/month or billed per-image via API from $0.011 to $0.167.
Midjourney pricing (verified June 2026):
- Basic: $10/month ($96/year, ~$8/month annual) — 3.3 Fast GPU hours, no Relax Mode
- Standard: $30/month ($288/year, ~$24/month annual) — 15 Fast GPU hours, unlimited Relax Mode
- Pro: $60/month ($576/year, ~$48/month annual) — 30 Fast GPU hours, Stealth Mode privacy
- Mega: $120/month ($1,152/year, ~$96/month annual) — 60 Fast GPU hours, highest concurrency
ChatGPT / GPT Image 1.5 pricing (verified June 2026):
- ChatGPT Free: limited daily generations, GPT Image 1.5 access capped and queued behind paid users
- ChatGPT Plus: $20/month — roughly 50 images per 3-hour window through the chat interface
- ChatGPT Pro: $200/month — higher generation limits, priority processing
- API (pay-per-image): $0.011–$0.167 per image depending on resolution and quality tier
Annual billing is Midjourney’s only discount mechanism — the company runs no seasonal promotions, referral credits, or trial extensions. OpenAI, by contrast, offers no annual discount on ChatGPT Plus at all; the $20 monthly rate stays flat whether billed monthly or bundled into an annual commitment through a reseller.
Should You Choose DALL-E (GPT Image 1.5) or Midjourney?
Choose GPT Image 1.5 if you need accurate text in images, fast conversational edits, or API access for a product build. Choose Midjourney if you need the highest artistic image quality for creative, cinematic, or brand-illustration work.
- Choose GPT Image 1.5 if you already pay for ChatGPT Plus and want image generation at zero marginal cost.
- Choose GPT Image 1.5 if your workflow requires readable logos, signage, or on-image typography.
- Choose GPT Image 1.5 if you need a public REST API to embed image generation inside your own application.
- Choose Midjourney if visual quality and stylistic range outweigh convenience or cost.
- Choose Midjourney if your work involves concept art, illustration, or marketing visuals judged on aesthetics first.
- Choose Midjourney if you need Stealth Mode privacy for client work and can justify the $60/month Pro tier.
What Are the Best Alternatives to DALL-E and Midjourney?
Adobe Firefly integrates directly into Photoshop and Illustrator, giving designers commercially safe image generation inside tools they already use daily.
Google’s Nano Banana Pro, part of the Gemini 3.1 Pro platform, competes directly with GPT Image 1.5 on prompt accuracy and text rendering while adding native integration with Google Workspace.
Ideogram specializes in text-in-image accuracy, outperforming both DALL-E and Midjourney on logo and typography generation according to side-by-side prompt tests circulating across AI tool review sites in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DALL-E still available in 2026?
No. OpenAI retired DALL-E 3’s API access on May 12, 2026, and had already removed it from the ChatGPT interface in December 2025. ChatGPT’s image button now runs on GPT Image 1.5.
Is Midjourney or ChatGPT better for image generation?
GPT Image 1.5 renders text, logos, and precise spatial instructions more accurately. Midjourney produces more artistically refined, cinematic output. Many professional workflows in 2026 use Midjourney for creative exploration and GPT Image 1.5 for typography and final edits.
Does Midjourney have a free plan?
No. Midjourney removed its free trial in March 2023, and as of 2026 the cheapest entry point is the Basic plan at $10/month.
Can I still use DALL-E 3 through the API?
No. OpenAI’s DALL-E 3 API endpoint stopped accepting new requests on May 12, 2026. Existing integrations must migrate to GPT Image 1 or GPT Image 1.5.
The Bottom Line
DALL-E, as a standalone product, no longer exists in active service as of this review — GPT Image 1.5 replaced it in every meaningful sense, at the same $20/month ChatGPT Plus price point. Midjourney remains the higher-cost, higher-quality option for anyone whose output is judged primarily on visual craft rather than typographic precision or API flexibility.