Midjourney for Beginners: How to Start Generating in 2026
Midjourney is one of the strongest image generators. Here's how to start: plans, modes, prompt basics and your first generations.
What Midjourney Is
Midjourney generates images from a text description (prompt). You write what you want to see, and the model returns four options you can refine: upscale, vary the style, make variations. For quality and artistry, Midjourney is consistently among the leaders.
It runs on a subscription. There’s no free tier — generation is available only to active subscribers.
Plans Compared
| Plan | Fast generations | Relax mode | Stealth mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | base | no | no |
| Standard | more | unlimited | no |
| Pro | many | unlimited | yes |
| Mega | maximum | unlimited | yes |
Three parameters matter:
- Fast hours — generation in seconds, spends your GPU allotment.
- Relax mode — unlimited by count but queued; available from Standard.
- Stealth mode — your generations aren’t public; on Pro and Mega.
Beginners are fine with Basic or Standard. Pro is for those who generate in volume and value privacy.
Prompt Basics
Result quality depends almost entirely on the prompt. A working structure:
- Subject — what’s in the image: “a ginger cat in glasses.”
- Environment — where and in what light: “on a windowsill, soft evening light.”
- Style — how it looks: “photorealism” / “watercolor” / “cyberpunk.”
- Technical details — angle, lens, aspect ratio.
Example: a ginger cat in glasses on a windowsill, soft evening light, photorealism, 85mm, --ar 3:2
First Steps
- Subscribe and sign in to the web interface.
- Write your first prompt using the structure above.
- Pick the closest of the four options to your idea.
- Use variations and upscale to refine the result.
- Save good prompts — they become your templates.
Payment
Officially Midjourney is paid by card. Access to any plan can also be arranged with payment in USDT — no card or VPN, usually cheaper than the official price.
Frequently asked questions
How do I start using Midjourney?
You need an active subscription. After subscribing, you generate images from a text prompt via the web interface or Discord. Describe the scene you want and Midjourney returns four options you can refine and vary.
How much is Midjourney and what plans are there?
Midjourney has several plans — Basic, Standard, Pro and Mega. They differ in monthly fast generations, an unlimited relaxed mode, and a stealth generation mode. The higher the plan, the more fast hours and privacy.
What's the difference between fast and relax mode?
Fast mode spends your allotted GPU hours and returns results in seconds. Relax mode is available on higher plans without a generation cap but with a queue. For streaming work, a supply of fast hours matters.
Do I need Discord for Midjourney?
Midjourney used to work only via Discord, but now there's a full web interface on the site. You can start right there — Discord is no longer required.