Is Midjourney better than ChatGPT?

TL;DR

• Interface & workflow: Midjourney is now a full web app (no longer just Discord) with an editor for pan/zoom (“Reframe”), inpainting (“Repaint”) etc.; ChatGPT generates and edits images inside a chat.
• Control model: Midjourney leans on prompt parameters (aspect ratio, stylize, seeds) plus Style Reference / Style Tuner; ChatGPT leans on natural-language instructions and context while 4o handles composition/text better than past DALL·E.
• Rights & licensing: With ChatGPT, you own the output (per OpenAI TOU). With Midjourney, you own outputs too—but companies making >$1M revenue must use Pro or Mega to own assets; public generations are remixable unless you use Stealth.
• Safety & provenance: ChatGPT embeds C2PA Content Credentials in generated images and enforces usage policies; Midjourney’s ToS emphasizes PG-13 guidelines and bans political campaigning, with public-by-default posting unless Stealth.

What each one actually is

• Midjourney — a dedicated visual-first generator with a web editor (remix, inpaint/“Repaint”, Reframe for pan/zoom), parameter power-user controls, and optional Niji anime-tuned models; recent docs reference Version 7 features for Style Reference.
• ChatGPT (OpenAI) — a multimodal chat app that now includes GPT-4o image generation (“Images in ChatGPT”). It focuses on following natural-language directions and rendering legible text; available across Free/Plus/Team etc. with policy guardrails.

Key differences you’ll feel in practice

1. Creative control

• Midjourney: Fine-grained knobs (e.g., aspect ratio, stylize, seeds), Style Reference (--sref, with V7 --sv options), plus Style Tuner codes to lock a consistent look. Great for brand/style systems.
• ChatGPT: Conversational adjustments (“make the lighting moodier; add neon signage; fix the typography”) with 4o’s stronger prompt-following and text rendering vs. older DALL·E.

2. Editing workflow

• Midjourney: Built-in Editor supports inpainting (“Repaint”/Vary Region), pan/zoom (“Reframe”), remix—all in one UI.
• ChatGPT: Edit/regenerate directly in chat; images carry C2PA provenance after edits.

3. Licensing & privacy defaults

• ChatGPT: OpenAI Terms say you own the Output; you can also opt out of training use of your content. Images carry C2PA tags for provenance.
• Midjourney: You own your assets, but if your company’s revenue exceeds $1M/yr you need Pro or Mega for ownership; public generations are viewable & remixable unless you use Stealth (Pro/Mega).

4. Plans & limits (high-level)

• Midjourney: Four tiers (Basic/Standard/Pro/Mega) with Fast GPU hours, Relax mode (unlimited images) on higher tiers, Stealth only on Pro/Mega; published prices show $10/$30/$60/$120 monthly.
• ChatGPT: Image generation via GPT-4o is available in ChatGPT across tiers (rollouts/limits vary by plan and time); see OpenAI’s posts/release notes for current availability.

5. Policy/safety climate

• ChatGPT: Enforces usage policies; added C2PA labeling and has been in the news for style-mimic debates (e.g., Ghibli-style trend) while stating guardrails for living artists.
• Midjourney: Community/ToS restrict adult/gore and electioneering; warns against misleading/deceptive use; public-by-default impacts how/where you share.

When to pick which

• Choose Midjourney if you want hands-on visual control (parameters, consistent style codes) and a powerful editor for iterative art direction.
• Choose ChatGPT if you want chat-native image creation that follows narrative directions closely, strong text rendering, and built-in provenance (C2PA) for distribution.