Midjourney vs Stable Diffusion - Which one is better for you?

Midjourney VS Stable Diffusion: A Detailed Comparison

In this article , we will compare Stable Diffusion and Midjourney, focusing on their key features and benefits. We will also highlight the main differences between these two AI image generation tools.

Getting Started

Midjourney offers a user-friendly interface, making it easier for beginners to get started.

On the other hand, AUTOMATIC1111 (a popular GUI for Stable Diffusion) can be more challenging to install and set up, requiring additional effort to find and install the desired models. However, Midjourney takes the lead in terms of user-friendliness and ease of getting started.

Ease-of-use Generating Good Images

Midjourney is well-known for its ability to generate artistic images effortlessly, often surprising users with fine details and aesthetic results.

In contrast, Stable Diffusion requires users to put more effort into creating a good prompt and experimenting with models to achieve a similar quality. Therefore, Midjourney is the preferred choice for generating high-quality images with minimal effort.

Models Varieties

Stable Diffusion has the advantage of being an open-source model with a vast collection of models available for download. With over a thousand models, users can explore numerous styles, utilizing LoRA models, embedding models, and hypernetworks to further modify and customize their desired outcome.

In comparison, Midjourney offers a more limited selection of models, including v1 to v5 models, and a few special models like niji, test, testp, and HD. Although Midjourney allows for some stylization options, the variety of models offered by Stable Diffusion far exceeds that of Midjourney.

Image Editing

One significant advantage of Stable Diffusion is its extensive image editing capabilities. Users can utilize functionalities like inpainting (regenerating a specific part of an image) and outpainting (extending an image beyond its original boundaries). Additionally, users can simply instruct Stable Diffusion to make specific changes using the instruct-pix2pix model.

In contrast, Midjourney lacks image editing features, limiting the options for modifying generated images. Therefore, if image editing is an important requirement, Stable Diffusion is the preferred choice.

Control Composition and Pose

Stable Diffusion provides multiple methods to control composition and pose, including image-to-image, depth-to-image, instruct-pix2pix, and controlNet.

Midjourney's closest option is using an image prompt that acts as text prompt to influence image generation. Stable Diffusion offers greater flexibility and control in terms of composition and pose manipulation.

Cost

Using Stable Diffusion with AUTOMATIC1111 has the advantage of being free for users who run it on their own computers.

In contrast, Midjourney requires a monthly subscription fee of at least $10. If cost is an important consideration, Stable Diffusion is the more economical choice.

Creating Your Own Models

Stable Diffusion offers the exciting possibility of training your own models. Users can employ tools like dreambooth, textual inversion, LoRA, hypernetwork, or run additional training rounds with their own dataset to create custom models.

Unfortunately, Midjourney does not provide this option. Therefore, if you have the desire and skill to create your own models, Stable Diffusion is the recommended option.

Upscaler

Both Stable Diffusion and Midjourney include upscalers, but AUTOMATIC1111 offers more choices and parameters. In fact, additional upscalers can be easily installed with Stable Diffusion, providing users with greater flexibility and customization.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both Midjourney and Stable Diffusion have their strengths and weaknesses. Midjourney is the ideal choice if you prioritize generating stunning images without the need for extensive technical knowledge. It is suitable for users who prefer an out-of-the-box AI image solution and are willing to pay the subscription fee.

On the other hand, Stable Diffusion is recommended for users who value more control, prefer open-source tools, want to generate images locally, and have a penchant for tinkering with their setup, trying different model combinations, and utilizing image-editing capabilities. Additionally, Stable Diffusion offers the ability to train your own models and is a completely free solution.