Adobe's commercially-safe generative AI (Firefly) plus Express design app, integrated with Creative Cloud.
Midjourney vs Recraft
Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.
The verdict
Summary
Midjourney is best for highly aesthetic, artistic images and concept art, while Recraft is best for editable vector graphics, icons and brand-consistent illustrations. Only Recraft offers background removal and aPI. Recraft has a free plan, while Midjourney has no free plan.
Which should you choose?
Choose Midjourney if…
- You need highly aesthetic, artistic images and concept art
- You're one of: artists and illustrators, art directors and concept designers, creators wanting distinctive visuals
- Output quality and aesthetics are among the best available
Choose Recraft if…
- You need editable vector graphics, icons and brand-consistent illustrations
- Background removal matters to you
- API matters to you
- You're one of: brand and graphic designers, marketing teams needing icon and illustration sets, merch creators
- You want a free plan (Midjourney doesn't have one)
At a glance
| Midjourney | Recraft | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Highly aesthetic, artistic images and concept art | Editable vector graphics, icons and brand-consistent illustrations |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Starting price | From $10/mo | From $12/mo |
| Learning curve | Medium | Medium |
| Platforms | Web, Discord | Web, iOS, Android, API |
| Ideal for | Artists and illustrators, Art directors and concept designers, Creators wanting distinctive visuals | Brand and graphic designers, Marketing teams needing icon and illustration sets, Merch creators |
Feature comparison
| Midjourney | Recraft | |
|---|---|---|
| Text-to-image | Yes | Yes |
| AI editing / inpainting | Yes | Yes |
| Background removal | No | Yes |
| Upscaling / enhancement | Yes | Yes |
| Image-to-video | Yes | Yes |
| Commercial use allowed | Paid plans | Paid plans |
| Design templates | No | Limited |
| API | No | Yes |
| Mobile app | — | Yes |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Midjourney | Recraft | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | No | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | No | Enterprise plan |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | — |
| SOC 2 | — | Type II |
| ISO 27001 | — | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | — | Yes |
| Data residency options | — | — |
| No training on your data | — | Opt-out available |
| Audit logs | — | Enterprise plan |
| Admin controls | No | Enterprise plan |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud, API |
From each vendor's security documentation. "—" = not confirmed. What to ask vendors · Compare all tools
What each tool does
Midjourney
Midjourney is a subscription text-to-image generator known for stylised, high-quality output, used through its web app and Discord. The V8 model family adds 2K output, better prompt adherence and an Edit Model for instruction-based editing, inpainting and outpainting, alongside style references, moodboards and image-to-video clips extendable to about 21 seconds. It is popular with artists, designers, art directors and hobbyists.
Key features- Text-to-image with V8 models and HD output
- Edit Model for instruction-based editing, inpainting and outpainting
- Style references, moodboards and personalization profiles
- Image-to-video with extendable clips
- Upscaling and variations
- Web app and Discord bot
Recraft
Recraft is an AI design tool that generates both raster images and editable SVG vectors, with its V4 model family (released February 2026) focused on design quality. It includes a vector editor, image vectorization, background removal, creative upscaling, mockups, brand style and colour controls, and image-to-video via models such as Kling and Veo. Designers, marketers and brand teams use it for icons, illustrations and on-brand assets.
Key features- Text-to-vector (SVG) and raster image generation
- Vectorizer that converts PNG/JPG to SVG
- Custom styles and brand colour palettes
- Background remover and creative upscaler
- Mockups for merch and packaging
- Image-to-video and a developer API
Pricing
Midjourney
No free plan; Basic $10/mo ($8/mo annual); Standard $30, Pro $60, Mega $120
Recraft
Free plan; Pro from ~$12/mo (annual) / ~$10-12 entry
Prices last checked September 2026. Plans change often — confirm on each vendor's site.
Pros and cons
Midjourney
Strengths- Output quality and aesthetics are among the best available
- Strong style controls and consistency tools
- Active community and public gallery for inspiration
- Video generation included in subscriptions
- No free plan
- No public API
- Images are public unless you pay for Stealth mode on higher plans
- No templates, text layout or design tools for finished graphics
Not ideal for: Businesses needing an API, private-by-default output on a budget, or accurate text in images should consider Ideogram, Leonardo or Adobe Firefly.
Recraft
Strengths- Vector output is editable and print-ready
- Style controls keep a series of assets consistent
- Has a free plan
- Web, iOS and Android apps plus an API
- Free plan outputs are public and limited in credits
- Photorealism is less of a focus than Midjourney or Leonardo
- Fewer ready-made layout templates than Canva
- Video generation relies on third-party models and uses credits quickly
Not ideal for: Photographers and those wanting cinematic photoreal images or full layout editing should look at Midjourney or Canva.
Integrations
Midjourney
Recraft
FAQ
What is the main difference between Midjourney and Recraft?
Midjourney is built for highly aesthetic, artistic images and concept art; Recraft is built for editable vector graphics, icons and brand-consistent illustrations. Key differences: Recraft offers background removal and aPI.
Is Midjourney or Recraft cheaper?
Midjourney starts from $10/mo and Recraft starts from $12/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, Midjourney is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Midjourney and Recraft have free plans?
Recraft has a free plan, while Midjourney has no free plan.
Which is easier to use, Midjourney or Recraft?
Both have a medium learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Midjourney and Recraft?
Other image & design tools worth comparing include Adobe Firefly / Adobe Express, Photoroom and Magnific.
Alternatives
