Recraft vs Midjourney: What Private Generation Costs
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Recraft is the lower-cost route to private generation in this comparison. Basic includes private generations for $12 month to month or $10 per month when $120 is billed annually. Midjourney does not unlock Stealth Mode until Pro at $60 monthly or $48 per month when $576 is paid for the year. Midjourney therefore costs $48 more for one month and $456 more for a prepaid year. This is a research-only comparison of vendor documentation, not an image- quality or in-product test.
The Short Answer
- Recraft — Recraft includes private generations on Basic for $12 monthly, or $10 per month when $120 is billed annually.
- Midjourney — Midjourney requires Pro for Stealth Mode at $60 monthly, or $48 per month when $576 is billed annually.
What this comparison measures
We compared the cheapest published subscription that can keep a new generation out of the vendor’s public discovery surface. We did not compare image quality, prompt adherence, editing tools, model availability, or credit efficiency. Those questions need equivalent output tests or normalized workloads; plan prices alone cannot answer them.
Recraft’s current pricing page says Free images are public and puts private generations on Basic, its first paid plan. Basic costs $12 on monthly billing or $10 per month when $120 is billed annually.
Midjourney’s current plan comparison lists Stealth Mode only on Pro and Mega. Basic and Standard are paid plans, but neither buys the privacy control. Pro is the first qualifying plan at $60 monthly or $48 per month when $576 is paid upfront for a year.
The entry prices answer the wrong question
Midjourney Basic starts at $10 per month, which is lower than Recraft Basic at $12. That comparison does not answer the privacy question because Midjourney Basic and Standard do not include Stealth Mode. The relevant purchase is Recraft Basic against Midjourney Pro:
| Billing choice | Recraft Basic | Midjourney Pro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Month to month | $12/month | $60/month | Midjourney costs $48 more, or 5x |
| Annual prepay | $120/year | $576/year | Midjourney costs $456 more, or 4.8x |
The annual figures are prepaid totals, not month-to-month contracts. Recraft charges $120 for a year to advertise $10 per month. Midjourney charges $576 for a year to advertise $48 per month. A buyer who needs privacy for a short project should compare the $12 and $60 monthly prices instead.
Private Generation for $12 Monthly
1. Recraft — Private Generation for $12 Monthly
Recraft reaches the privacy outcome on Basic, its first paid plan. Basic includes private generations, commercial rights, and image ownership. No higher Recraft tier is required solely to keep a new generation out of the community gallery.
The Free-to-Basic boundary affects earlier work too. Recraft’s ownership FAQ says Free images are public, owned by Recraft, and unavailable for commercial use. Upgrading does not make those earlier images private. Work created during a paid subscription remains private and under the user’s ownership after cancellation.
Paid plans from $10/mo (annual). Free plan: Limited free credits, up to 3 generations per style per day, public images, and no commercial use.
- Basic — $12/mo, or $10/mo billed annually · 1 seat
- Pro — $20/mo, or $16/mo billed annually · 1 seat
- Teams (per seat) — $22/mo, or $18/mo billed annually
Free-tier privacy Public by default — Recraft's pricing page says all Free-plan images are public and not licensed for commercial use. Basic is the first paid plan and includes commercial rights and private generations. Images created during a paid subscription remain private after cancellation.
Pros
- Private generation and commercial rights start on Basic at $12 monthly or $10 per month with annual billing
Skip it if
- Free-plan images are public, owned by Recraft, and not licensed for commercial use
Stealth Mode for $60 Monthly
2. Midjourney — Stealth Mode for $60 Monthly
Midjourney separates paid access from private access. Basic costs $10 monthly and Standard costs $30 monthly, but the plan table gives neither tier Stealth Mode. Pro at $60 monthly or $576 annually is the first plan that qualifies.
The workflow still matters after paying. Midjourney’s Stealth Mode documentation says creations made in public Discord channels remain visible to people in those channels. Users who need full privacy must combine Stealth Mode with the web Create page, a Discord direct message, or a private Discord server. Upgrading also does not automatically hide old public creations; those must be made private separately.
Paid plans from $8/mo (annual). No free plan.
- Basic — $10/mo, or $8/mo billed annually
- Standard — $30/mo, or $24/mo billed annually
- Pro — $60/mo, or $48/mo billed annually
- Mega — $120/mo, or $96/mo billed annually
Free-tier privacy No free tier to evaluate — No free plan at any price. Every paid tier, including the cheapest ($10/mo Basic), carries the same General Commercial Terms — but Stealth Mode (private generations) is a Pro/Mega-only feature, so Basic and Standard generations are public by default.
Pros
- Commercial usage rights are identical across all four tiers — you don't need the most expensive plan to use images commercially, only if your company makes over $1M/year in gross revenue
Skip it if
- No free tier at all to try before paying
- Private generation (Stealth Mode) requires the Pro plan ($60/mo) or higher — Basic and Standard users' generations are public
The decision in one line
Choose Recraft when the deciding constraint is the lowest verified subscription price for private generation: it saves $48 for one month or $456 over a prepaid year. Choose Midjourney only when you already prefer its product for reasons outside this comparison and are willing to buy Pro, then use Stealth Mode in a workflow that does not expose the result in a public Discord channel. Neither conclusion is an image-quality verdict.
For the wider market, see what private AI image generation costs across the tools we can verify. The companion free-tier privacy comparison separates public visibility from ownership and commercial-use rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Recraft or Midjourney cheaper for private image generation?
Recraft is cheaper on both published billing terms. Basic costs $12 month to month or $10 per month when $120 is billed annually. Midjourney requires Pro at $60 monthly or $48 per month when $576 is billed annually.
How much more does Midjourney privacy cost than Recraft privacy?
Midjourney Pro costs $48 more for one month and five times Recraft Basic's monthly price. With annual prepayment, Midjourney costs $576 against Recraft's $120, a $456 difference and a 4.8x price ratio.
Does Midjourney Basic or Standard include Stealth Mode?
No. Midjourney's plan comparison lists Stealth Mode only on Pro and Mega. Basic costs $10 monthly and Standard costs $30 monthly, but neither is a qualifying privacy plan. Pro is the first qualifying tier at $60 monthly.
Does Midjourney Stealth Mode make every generation private?
No. Midjourney says work created in a public Discord channel remains visible to people in that channel even with Stealth Mode enabled. For full privacy, use Stealth Mode on the web Create page, in Discord direct messages, or in a private Discord server.
Did ToolFind AI test either privacy control?
No. This is a research-only comparison of current vendor pricing and privacy documentation. We did not generate images, inspect account settings, or test whether a supposedly private creation appeared in a public feed.
How We Keep This Updated
We re-check each tool's pricing, source documentation, and any firsthand test records used on this page. Every change is logged here. Our full procedure is on the methodology page, and if anything above is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will re-check it.
- 2026-10-15 — First published. Prices, annual totals, qualifying privacy tiers, and visibility conditions checked against both vendors' official documentation.