Midjourney v4 vs v5 Key Differences

Midjourney is one of the world’s most popular generative AI tools right now. It has gained significant popularity for generating realistic images from text prompts within a few minutes. As a matter of fact, Midjourney has proved that generative AI could amass billions of users within no time. As of August 2023, the Midjourney Discord server has more than 14 million registered users. On top of it, over 1 million users on the Midjourney Discord server are always online. 

The generative AI artwork platform has become a massive hit among tech enthusiasts, artists, and the general public. Midjourney has been introducing new versions with better features and improved results. Therefore, questions like “Which version of Midjourney is best?” have become the top priorities of beginners interested in using Midjourney. Find out more about the Midjourney v4 vs v5 in the following post.

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Why Should You Learn about the Versions of Midjourney?

Midjourney released its first version in March 2022, followed by V2 in April 2022 and V3 in July 2022. However, the Midjourney v4 vs. v5 represents the recent comparison between the two most powerful versions of Midjourney. Midjourney V4 was released in November 2022, and V5 came out in March 2023.

Each version has its unique advantages, and Midjourney has also released v5.1 in May 2023 and v5.2 in June 2023. However, Midjourney v4 has some unique features that you could not find in Midjourney v5. 

Before diving into the task of comparing Midjourney v4 with v5, it is important to know why you should compare them. How will learning about Midjourney versions help you? The AI movement has been gaining momentum with the growing popularity of generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney. 

As the world prepares for massive-scale transformation AI professionals with expertise in these tools can serve as vital assets. The difference between Midjourney v4 and v5 can help you understand the generative AI tool’s evolution journey. You can not only find how v5 is better than v4 but also learn about the irreplaceable strengths of v4. On top of it, you must take a look at the gradually expanding popularity of Midjourney to understand its potential.

The Midjourney website has almost 28.5 million visits every month. As of April 2023, the website draws organic traffic of over 400,000. In addition, the number of new users joining Midjourney daily is almost 90,000. Midjourney has completed around 300 million tasks. One of the most interesting achievements of Midjourney is that it gained 1 million users within 6 months of release. 

A review of the latest Midjourney v5 examples would help you identify that Midjourney deserves the popularity it commands in the market right now. If you take a look at the latest search trends in generative AI artwork, you would be surprised to find that Midjourney outshines other competitors, such as Stable Diffusion and DALL-E.

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Exploring the Fundamentals of Midjourney Versions

The fundamental concepts of Midjourney would help you understand the mechanisms which drive the potential of Midjourney. Midjourney introduces new models for improving quality, efficiency, and coherency. It is important to remember that Midjourney employs the latest version as the default model. However, you can also use other models with the help of ‘–v’ or ‘–version’ parameters. 

You can also utilize the ‘/settings’ command by choosing the desired model version. The official docs of Midjourney showcase that each model delivers exceptional results in generating different variants of images. Here are the overviews of Midjourney v4 and v5 alongside their unique objectives. 

The Midjourney v4 served as the default model starting from November 2022 to May 2023. It included a completely new codebase alongside new AI architecture tailored by Midjourney. The model has been trained on the Midjourney AI supercluster. You can ask questions like “Is Midjourney v4 better than v5?” on the grounds of higher coherency in v4. On top of it, Midjourney v4 also supports image prompts. Midjourney v4 surpasses the previous models in terms of better knowledge regarding objects, creatures, and places.

It is important to understand the functionalities of the next player in the Midjourney v4 vs. v5 comparison before outlining the differences. Midjourney v5 model is the obvious entry as the successor to Midjourney v4. It offers the advantage of more realistic image generations as compared to previous models.

Midjourney v5 generates images that match the prompt with utmost accuracy. On the other hand, it would need longer and more well-defined prompts to deliver the desired aesthetics in the generated images. While you are exploring the fundamentals of Midjourney v5, you must also know about v5.1 and v5.2. 

The distinctive highlight of Midjourney v5.1 is the assurance of a better default aesthetic as compared to earlier versions. Interestingly, you can achieve realistic image outputs with simple text prompts. Midjourney v5.1 also delivers higher coherency, better image sharpness, and accurate interpretation of natural language prompts. 

Furthermore, Midjourney v5.1 also ensures fewer unnecessary borders and artifacts in the generated images. On top of it, users can access advanced features with v5.1, such as repeating patterns. 

The review of Midjourney v5 examples would also draw Midjourney v5.2 into the equation. It is the latest addition among the versions of Midjourney and has advanced functionalities. One of the most crucial improvements in v5.2 is the support for generating sharper and more detailed results with better compositions, colors, and contrast. Another important value advantage of Midjourney v5.2 is the assurance of better interpretation of prompts. In addition, v5.2 is more responsive to the complete range of the ‘stylize’ parameter.

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Differences between Midjourney v4 and v5

The effectiveness of Midjourney as one of the most popular generative AI tools relies on its working mechanisms. However, Midjourney is closed-source, and you cannot find information about its working mechanisms in the public domain. On the other hand, the discussions about “Which version of Midjourney is best?” have been troubling beginners and experts alike. Let us assume that an artist wants to try AI to create a new artwork. What should the artist do when they find multiple versions of Midjourney released within one year?

Interestingly, anyone would choose Midjourney v5, as it is the latest addition among the versions of Midjourney. As a matter of fact, Midjourney v5 has introduced different improvements for generating detailed and realistic images. Midjourney v5 features advanced algorithms which could improve dynamic range and photorealism alongside other factors associated with imaging. 

At the same time, you could also find some setbacks with Midjourney v5. Does Midjourney v4 have the answers for setbacks with Midjourney v5?

Let us find the answers by comparing the two versions of Midjourney on the basis of different factors –

• Realistic Representation of Hands

One of the foremost points of Midjourney v4 vs v5 draws attention to the realistic representation of hands. The difference between Midjourney v4 and v5 is visible in the way in which each version handles the representation of hands and fingers. First of all, Midjourney v5 has an advantage over its predecessor by getting the finger count right, thereby ensuring realism.

However, Midjourney would still need more improvements before it has mastered the realistic representation of hands and fingers. Apparently, you would have to roll your prompts multiple times in v5 before you get hands that look realistic. At the same time, according to your prompts, you might come across inaccuracies in the representation of hands. 

The interesting aspect of the realistic representation of hands in Midjourney v5 also refers to the facility of noticeable improvements in the appearance of hands when you don’t mention hands in the prompt. For example, you can use prompts like ‘full-length image of an old man holding a cane.’ 

The difference in the results would be visible in the output images for v4 and v5. In the case of Midjourney v5, the hands-in output images would appear more natural as compared to v4. In the case of Midjourney v4, you could find images where the canes have been morphed into hands. 

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• The ability for Generating Images of New People 

The advantages of Midjourney v5 in generating realistic images are one of the prominent value propositions with the new model. On the other hand, questions like “Is Midjourney v4 better than v5?” also create doubts regarding the effectiveness of Midjourney v5. Midjourney offers the ability to create realistic images of unique individuals based on text prompts. You can find a distinct difference between v4 and v5 in terms of generating unique people from scratch. Midjourney v5 stands out as a clear winner with the ability to process detailed prompts alongside generating images on the basis of multiple factors.

The comparison between the images generated by Midjourney v4 and v5 for the same prompt would show the difference in photorealism. Midjourney v5 generates realistic images with attention to other factors such as lighting, colors, and contrast. However, the output by Midjourney v4 appears as caricatures with a disproportionate representation of different objects within the image.

• Imagining Celebrities in Different Settings

Midjourney v4 vs v5 battel gets more intense when you bring celebrities to the playground. You can take a look at Midjourney v5 examples with prompts like a color portrait of Pedro Pascal, studio strobe lighting’ and notice the output. Apart from the advantage of better accuracy, Midjourney v5 surpasses v4 in terms of settings.

The output with Midjourney v4 might appear as a film poster from the 80s. On the other hand, the output with Midjourney v5 would have a more realistic tone with proportionate distribution of brightness and contrast. Therefore, you can rely on Midjourney v5 to shape up your imagination about popular celebrities with realistic accuracy.

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• Resolution and Upscaling       

The next set of differences between Midjourney v4 and v5 focus on resolution and faster upscaling. If you want answers for “Which version of Midjourney is best?” then you must know about the advantages of v5. For example, Midjourney v5 guarantees higher resolution improvement in the generated images, thereby imbibing realism in the images. On top of it, you can also notice a difference in sizes between the images generated through Midjourney v4 and v5.

Another important aspect of the difference between Midjourney v4 and v5 is the faster processing time for upscaling. The speed boost is possible due to the capability of Midjourney to generate upscaled versions alongside the steps for processing the initial prompts. If you want to choose one of the images for upscaling, you could find the results immediately in Midjourney v5. 

With Midjourney v5, you wouldn’t have multiple jobs in the queue, thereby ensuring faster processing. On the other hand, previous versions, such as Midjourney v4, require users to wait to process the upscaling prompt from the beginning. As you can notice, Midjourney v5 examples could help users in saving multiple hours every month from upscaling tasks. In the long run, the time savings would help Midjourney users in saving money.

Midjourney can deliver effective results due to the detailing of prompts. You can add weights and modifiers to create an image with different types of descriptions. Midjourney v5 helps in picking up the relevant points from the prompt for generating images according to user preferences. For example, it could include the relevant details from the prompt in the output image alongside the elements from the style of a famous artist.

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Conclusion 

The overview of the difference between Midjourney v4 and v5 suggests that v5 is the winner. How? First, Midjourney v5 could generate more realistic images compared to its predecessors. However, Midjourney v5 also falters in terms of delivering the desired realism in AI-generated images.

For example, you have to run a prompt multiple times to obtain a realistic representation of hands with Midjourney v5. On the other hand, it is also important to look at the noticeable benefits of Midjourney v5, such as accurate representation of celebrities in imaginary settings. Learn more about the working mechanisms of Midjourney and its value in the AI ecosystem right now.