Best Midjourney Alternative in 2026, by Cost per Video
For most people, Leonardo is the best Midjourney alternative: it has a free plan, a plain web app and many image models in one place. If you also need video, Hooked runs image and video models such as Nano Banana Pro, Veo, Kling and Seedance under one $29 plan. Midjourney stays the pick for its own stylized look.
★★★★★ 4.9/5 · 27,000+ users
Prices and costs checked on September 25, 2026. USD, US prices.
Priced on the same unit
5
Tools worth switching to
$0.13
Midjourney: one output, from
$0.93
Hooked Pro: one output, from
Why switch
Why people look for a Midjourney alternative
- There is no free plan; the cheapest is Basic at $10/month ($8 billed yearly).
- Reviewers report that it ignores detailed prompt instructions, so a usable image takes many retries.
- Reviewers report accounts suspended without explanation and refunds refused on the grounds of GPU usage.
- Support runs through Discord moderators who reviewers say are slow to answer.
- Video is image-to-video only, SD only on Basic, and there is no public API.
From public reviews: Reviewers report that it ignores detailed prompt instructions, so a usable image takes many retries.; Reviewers report accounts suspended without explanation, sometimes hours after paying.; Reviewers report refunds refused on the grounds of GPU usage, even after very little use.; Reviewers report that support runs through Discord moderators who are slow to answer..
The shortlist
The shortlist at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Paid plans from | Cheapest cost per 8-second output | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardo AI | Image generation with many models and a free tier | $10/mo | $0.60 | Yes |
| Krea AI | Real-time image generation and upscaling | $5/mo | $0.25 | Yes |
| Hooked | Images and video from several models in one plan | $29/mo | $0.93 | No; Studio is a one-time purchase |
| Freepik (Magnific) | Stock assets plus 30+ AI models | $11/mo | $0 | No |
| Canva | Turning images into finished social designs | $12/mo | $0.52 | Yes |
For reference, Midjourney itself starts at $8/month and one output costs from $0.13 (full Midjourney pricing breakdown). Paid prices are the lowest per-month figure, billed yearly where that is cheaper.
One plan, every model
Replace Midjourney without adding another subscription
Hooked Pro is $29 a month for 1,000 credits across Veo 3.1, Kling 3.0, Seedance 2.0, Nano Banana Pro and GPT Image 2, plus AI UGC ads, captions and TikTok slideshows in the same plan. Or pay $89 once for the Studio and run it on your own API keys, at the provider's price.
Tool by tool
The 5 best Midjourney alternatives
1.Leonardo AI
From $10/mo · $0.60 per output
Best for: Image generation with many models and a free tier
Leonardo has its own models and third-party ones in a web app. The free plan gives 150 tokens a day, and Essential is $12/month ($10 billed yearly) for 8,500 Fast Tokens.
Watch out: Reviewers report over-aggressive moderation, and token costs per video are shown only in the app.
Leonardo AI pricing, plan by plan →2.Krea AI
From $5/mo · $0.25 per output
Best for: Real-time image generation and upscaling
Krea offers real-time image generation, its own Krea 2 model, upscaling and LoRA training. The free plan gives 100 compute units a day, and Basic is $9/month ($5 billed yearly).
Watch out: Reviewers report charges that continued after cancelling, and unused units expire each billing cycle.
Krea AI pricing, plan by plan →3.Hooked
From $29/mo · $0.93 per output
Best for: Images and video from several models in one plan
A Nano Banana Pro image is 13 credits ($0.38) and an 8-second Veo 3.1 Lite video is 32 credits ($0.93) on Hooked Pro at $29/month. Studio is $89 once with your own API keys, where you pay provider price.
Watch out: Midjourney is much cheaper for animating images (about $0.13 to $0.20 per 9-second SD clip), and Hooked does not have Midjourney's own style.
On Hooked Credits Pro, monthly Pro, yearly Studio, your own key 100 a month Veo 3.1 Lite, 720p 32 $0.93 $0.77 $0.32 to the provider $116 (Pro + 1 × 1,500-credit pack + 2 × 500-credit pack) Kling 3.0, 1080p 72 $2.09 $1.74 $0.72 to the provider $235 (Pro + 1 × 4,000-credit pack + 1 × 1,500-credit pack + 2 × 500-credit pack) Veo 3.1 Fast, 720p 80 $2.32 $1.93 $0.80 to the provider $246 (Pro + 1 × 4,000-credit pack + 2 × 1,500-credit pack) Seedance 2.0 Fast 88 $2.55 $2.13 $0.96 to the provider $267 (Pro + 2 × 4,000-credit pack) Pro is $29/month or $290/year for 1,000 credits a month; extra credits come in packs from $19 for 500. The Studio is $89 once and runs on your own API keys, so you pay the model provider directly at their rate.
Try Hooked instead of Midjourney
- 8-second AI videos from $0.93 each on Pro (Veo 3.1 Lite, 720p)
- Veo 3.1, Kling 3.0, Seedance 2.0, Nano Banana Pro and GPT Image 2 in one plan: no second subscription per model
- Or $89 once for the Studio with your own API keys
4.Freepik (Magnific)
From $11/mo · $0 per output
Best for: Stock assets plus 30+ AI models
Freepik, now Magnific, pairs a 250M+ asset library with AI image and video models. Premium is reported at $16/month ($11 billed yearly) for 240,000 credits a year, and a Nano Banana 2 image at 2K is 75 credits.
Watch out: USD prices come from third parties, and reviewers report plan upgrades and renewals without consent.
Freepik (Magnific) pricing, plan by plan →5.Canva
From $12/mo · $0.52 per output
Best for: Turning images into finished social designs
Canva combines AI tools with templates and a design editor. Pro is $18/month or $12/month billed yearly, and the free plan includes up to 20 Standard or Premium AI uses.
Watch out: The AI allowance is shared across all of Canva's AI tools.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free Midjourney alternative?
Leonardo's free plan gives 150 tokens a day, and Krea's gives 100 compute units a day. Midjourney has no free plan.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Midjourney?
Krea Basic is $9/month ($5 billed yearly), against $10 for Midjourney Basic. For animating images, Midjourney is already cheap at about $0.13 to $0.20 per 9-second SD video.
Which Midjourney alternative also makes video?
Hooked runs Veo 3.1, Kling 3.0 and Seedance 2.0 next to image models, with an 8-second Veo 3.1 Lite clip at 32 credits ($0.93). Leonardo and Freepik also offer third-party video models.
Does Midjourney have an API?
No. Midjourney has no public API.
Two ways in · pick yours
Everything they charge monthly for — yours for one payment.
Pay monthly and we run the AI for you, credits included — or pay $89 once, own the app for life and bring your own keys.
Pro
Most flexibleWe run the AI for you. No API keys, nothing to set up — open the app and generate.
1,000 credits a month · cancel anytime
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- About 10 UGC ads or 250 images a month
- Every video format: UGC, avatars, slideshows…
- 83 AI avatars & 76 voices in 25 languages
- Publish to TikTok, Instagram & YouTube
- 3 channels, 3 auto-channels, API included
Need more? One-time credit packs from $19. They never expire.
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