Cloud service vs local generation
Midjourney is easier and more consistent. SD is free and infinitely customizable. Neither is strictly better.
Choose Midjourney if you want beautiful results with zero setup and can afford $10-30/month.
Choose Stable Diffusion if you have a GPU, want free unlimited generation, or need full control.
Midjourney offers polished results via Discord, while Stable Diffusion runs free on your own hardware. Which is right for you?
| Specification | Midjourney v6 | Stable Diffusion (SDXL/Flux) |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Midjourney Inc | Stability AI / BFL |
| Parameters | Unknown | 6-12B |
| Context Length | N/A | 77+ tokens |
| VRAM (Minimum) | Cloud (no GPU needed) | 8GB |
| VRAM (Recommended) | Cloud | 12-24GB |
| Release Date | December 2023 | 2022-2024 |
| License | Subscription service | Open (various) |
| Category | Midjourney v6 | Stable Diffusion (SDXL/Flux) | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | Excellent | Moderate | Midjourney v6 |
| Image Quality (Default) | Excellent | Good | Midjourney v6 |
| Cost (1 year) | $120-1,440 | $0 (own GPU) | Stable Diffusion (SDXL/Flux) |
| Customization | Limited | Unlimited | Stable Diffusion (SDXL/Flux) |
| Privacy | Cloud processed | 100% local | Stable Diffusion (SDXL/Flux) |
| Speed (with GPU) | Queue-dependent | Instant | Stable Diffusion (SDXL/Flux) |
Check our GPU buying guides to find the right hardware for running LLMs locally.