The world of AI art generators is changing rapidly. Two of the most popular and advanced platforms right now are Kittl and Midjourney. But which one is better for generating stunning AI art? In this in-depth comparison, we’ll look at the key features, capabilities, strengths and weaknesses of Kittl and Midjourney to help you decide which is the right choice for your creative needs.
Introduction
AI image generators are taking the art and design world by storm. Powerful machine learning algorithms can now synthesize incredibly realistic and diverse images from simple text prompts. But not all AI art platforms are created equal.
Kittl and Midjourney stand out as two of the most capable and popular AI art generators today. Both are in active development, boasting new features and improvements on a regular basis.
So which one reigns supreme in 2023? In this comprehensive comparison, we’ll break down how Kittl and Midjourney stack up across key categories like:
- Image quality
- Feature set
- Ease of use
- User Experience and Interface
- Customization & control
- Sharing & community
- Pricing & plans
By evaluating their respective strengths and weaknesses, you’ll get a clear sense of which platform is the best fit for your AI art needs this year and beyond. Let’s dive in!
Image Quality
The most important measure of any AI art generator is the visual quality of the images it produces. So how do Kittl and Midjourney compare when it comes to image fidelity, realism and overall aesthetics?
Kittl
As one of the newer players in AI art, Kittl has focused intently on image quality from the start. It leverages massive neural networks (with some models exceeding 7 billion parameters) fine-tuned on huge datasets of art and photography.
The results are impressive – Kittl images frequently look indistinguishable from real photos or expert human illustrations. The renderer can handle intricate details, varied textures, lighting, shadows and more. Subjects like faces and people usually look highly realistic and coherent.
Kittl also provides control over image resolution, starting at 256×256 pixels up to 2048×2048 pixels for the highest fidelity.
Midjourney
Midjourney has been rapidly improving its image quality and capabilities with each new update. The latest models can produce intricate illustrations, vivid textures, 3D forms and smooth gradients.
However, image fidelity still lags slightly behind Kittl. There is more of a visible “AI” look upon close inspection. Faces and people in particular tend to have less realism. Backgrounds and environments are decent but can lack details.
The max resolution for Midjourney images is currently 1024×1024 pixels, half of Kittl’s top resolution.
Verdict
Kittl wins when it comes to outright image quality – the models produce astonishingly photorealistic and detailed results that look less “AI-generated”. Midjourney images have a more stylized painterly aesthetic that some may prefer, but Kittl’s images are objectively more realistic.
Feature Set
Both platforms provide a robust set of capabilities for generating and customizing AI art. Let’s compare their key features.
Kittl
- Text prompts – Describe images with natural language text prompts.
- Precision editing – Manually edit image properties like lighting, detail, blurriness.
- Upscaling – Increase resolution of low-res images up to 2048×2048.
- Aspect ratio – Change image shape and layout.
- Inpainting – Fill in missing parts of an image.
- Outpainting – Extend and expand parts of an image.
- Stylization – Apply different art styles like paintings, drawings etc.
- Face editing – Adjust facial expressions, age, gender and more.
Midjourney
- Text prompts – Generate images from text descriptions.
- Eraser – Remove unwanted objects or parts of an image.
- Masking – Mask out sections to control image generation.
- Variation – Create multiple variations on a prompt.
- Upscaling – Enlarge images up to 1024×1024 resolution.
- Styles – Apply art styles like steampunk, retro, anime and more.
- Animations – Create looping GIFs and MP4 video files.
- 3D modeling – Generate 3D models that can be viewed from different angles.
Verdict
Kittl has a slight edge in precision editing features, like inpainting and outpainting. Midjourney compensates with its unique animation, 3D and style capabilities. Both provide robust text prompt generation and basic editing tools. Kittl has better upscaling.
Overall it’s close, but Kittl gets a small win for its expansive editing features that provide granular control over images.
Ease of Use
The interface, UX and overall accessibility of the platform play a big role in the enjoyment and friction of creating AI art.
Kittl
Kittl has put a lot of work into streamlining the AI art generation process. Its clean, uncluttered interface makes navigating simple and intuitive.
Text prompts generate new images rapidly. And you can quickly access editing tools to start modifying the image right away.
Handy sliders and presets make precision editing straightforward. And the ability to compare before/after versions removes guesswork.
Creating an account and getting started with Kittl takes just minutes. The experience has been well-polished to be beginner-friendly.
Midjourney
Midjourney utilizes a Discord bot interface, which may feel unintuitive to new users. Learning how to properly format prompts and access features involves a learning curve.
The image generation process can feel sluggish at times, with variable wait times. And previewing the staged image iterations requires scrolling back through the Discord chat history.
There are some handy starter guides and tips from the community. But overall, Midjourney still feels like more of an “insider” platform suited for savvy Discord users.
Verdict
Kittl is much more beginner-friendly and provides a smoother, lower-friction user experience. The polished interface makes AI art creation feel simple and intuitive for newcomers.
Midjourney has more of a DIY feel, relying on the Discord community and “insider” knowledge. For advanced users the learning curve is surmountable, but Kittl’s UX is far more accessible.
User Experience and Interface
Both platforms need strong interfaces to turn text prompts into art. How easy and enjoyable is the creative process?
Kittl
Kittl has put a lot of work into crafting an excellent user experience. The interface is clean, intuitive and responsive.
Prompt entry is streamlined – just type in the text box and hit enter to generate images. Controls allow you to quickly adjust parameters like image size and quality.
Handy features like selector words, image tagging and duplicate finding make iterating and organizing images a breeze. The Kittl app feels smooth and snappy.
Midjourney
Midjourney offers a barebones interface that gets the job done. The simple text box and generate button do the trick for creating images.
But organizing a workflow takes more manual effort. Midjourney lacks advanced controls and features around iterations, duplicates, search, etc. Some users may prefer the straightforwardness, while others want more tools.
Verdict
For interface and UX, Kittl is the clear winner. The polished experience makes generating AI art an absolute delight.
Customization and Control
Can users fine tune images to match their creative vision? Let’s look at customization options.
Kittl
One of Kittl’s biggest strengths lies in customization options. The precision editing suite provides fine-grained control over properties like lighting, detail, color and more.
Advanced features like inpainting and outpainting allow removing or adding custom elements with pixel-level specificity. And you can incrementally adjust images rather than needing to start over each time.
Kittl also lets you generate variations on demand – such as creating multiple facial expressions – providing even more customization flexibility.
Kittl provides impressive control over image generation:
- Adjustable quality – Crank up the quality for detailed images that take longer, or go fast and rough.
- Image size – Generate tiny thumbnails or huge wallpaper-size artwork.
- Number of images – Create a batch of variations on your prompt with just one click.
- Refresh image – Roll the AI dice again on an existing prompt to get new results.
- Selector tags – Dial aspects of the image up and down, like adding “+3 trees” or “-2 buildings” to a landscape.
These parameters allow dialing in images extremely well. Power users can really shape results to match their vision.
Midjourney
Midjourney’s customization options feel more limited in comparison. You can remove unwanted objects with the eraser tool. And masking lets you selectively guide image generation.
But there’s no incremental tuning of image properties. Tweaking an image requires essentially restarting with a modified prompt and hoping the output matches your vision.
There are also fewer tools for adding or modifying precise details. Much of the customization relies solely on crafting the ideal text prompt through trial and error.
Verdict
Kittl provides far greater control and customization thanks to its expansive precision editing toolkit. Midjourney gives you broader strokes modification, but Kittl enables true pixel-level precision.
If creative control is a priority, Kittl has the clear edge here. Midjourney’s prompt-based approach feels more high-level and indirect.
Sharing and Community
AI art generators come alive through sharing and community. What social features do Kittl and Midjourney offer?
Kittl
As a newer platform, Kittl is still building out its community elements. So far the options are limited.
Kittl allows easily sharing images directly to social platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and more. You also get a public profile to showcase your AI art creations, although community features are still in development.
There’s no built-in way to follow other users or like/comment on their art, but that level of social functionality is on the roadmap.
Overall, sharing your art is streamlined. But Kittl is still working to flesh out its community tools and nurture a thriving userbase.
Midjourney
As a Discord-native platform, Midjourney has community and sharing built into its DNA. It leverages the robust tools provided by Discord itself.
You get channels for showcasing work, collaborating with others, sharing tips and feedback, and more. The community has grown quickly, providing inspiration and guidance.
Power users can build an engaged audience on Discord directly and drive people to their Midjourney work. But for more casual users, the community aspect is less integral to the experience.
Midjourney has more established social components, which have enabled charming emergent behaviors:
- Public bot – Users can generate images through an AI bot in Discord, making it highly interactive.
- Image gallery – Midjourney has a gallery website for anyone to browse millions of public images.
- Collaborative creation – In Discord, multiple people can riff on prompts together, creating challenges and games.
The Midjourney community feels vibrant and engaged. For many, interacting with fellow users is a huge part of the fun.
Verdict
Midjourney offers far richer community capabilities thanks to its seamless integration with Discord. However, Kittl makes it easier to share standalone images to external social platforms.
For cultivating an audience and getting community input, Midjourney has a significant edge. But Kittl allows broader distribution outside its own walled garden.
Pricing & Plans
Of course, cost plays a role in deciding which AI art platform makes sense for your needs and budget.
Kittl
During its beta period, Kittl was completely free to use with no limits. However, the recent launch introduced a tiered pricing model:
- Free
- Pro – $10 per month.
- Expert – $24 per month.
This gives new users a generous free offering with clear paid upgrade path. The pricing feels well balanced for both individuals and professionals.
However, subscribers do gain significant advantages in quantity, quality, and flexibility. Free users may feel limited.
Midjourney
Midjourney has a $10/mo plan, a $30/mo plan, $60/mo plan, and a $120/mo plan.
If you just want to take it for a test drive, Midjourney comes with a free trial of 25 generations, which you can use immediately upon joining the Discord.
Here are the pricing tiers and their corresponding usage allowances:
Basic Plan
- Cost: $10/month
- Fast GPU hours: 200 minutes/month
- Relaxed GPU hours: Not Available
- Please note that the 200 minutes of GPU time can be utilized more quickly than anticipated.
Standard Plan
- Cost: $30/month
- Fast GPU hours: 15 hours/month
- Relaxed GPU hours: Unlimited
- This plan is recommended for most users. With 15 hours of GPU time, you get around 1000 actions. Once used up, you can switch to “relax” mode, enabling infinite image generation with a processing time of 1 to 20 minutes, depending on service usage and priority level in the queue.
Pro Plan
- Cost: $60/month
- Fast GPU Hours: 30 hours/month
- Relaxed GPU hours: Unlimited
- Additional Features: Access to stealth mode, allowing you to hide your images on the Midjourney gallery website (unavailable in lower plans).
- Opt for this plan if you require extensive use of Midjourney or need to keep your image generations private.
Turbo Plan
- Cost: $120/month
- Fast GPU Hours: 60 hours/month
- Relaxed GPU hours: Unlimited
- Additional Features: Includes all features of the Pro plan.
- This plan is ideal when the Pro plan’s resources are insufficient for your needs.
Consider your usage requirements and privacy preferences when selecting a plan. Whether you need basic image generation or more extensive and private services, Midjourney offers a variety of plans to suit your specific needs.
Verdict
Kittl has the pricing edge for both free and paid options. The Basic tier provides a better free sampling while Pro offers generous unlimited 4K generation.
Midjourney’s one-time fee reduces flexibility, while Kittl allows scaling monthly costs to usage needs.
The Verdict: Midjourney Brings the Art, Kittl Brings the Power
Reviewing the key criteria shows the strengths and weaknesses of these two impressive AI art platforms:
- Image accuracy – Kittl generates precise matches for text prompts
- Artistic style – Midjourney produces gorgeous, painterly images
- Interface and UX – Kittl offers a smooth, robust creative experience
- Customization – Kittl provides superior control over image generation
- Community – Midjourney facilitates more social interaction and sharing
- Pricing – Both services strike an effective freemium balance
- Accessibility – Kittl allows instant use while Midjourney has invite hurdles
So which platform comes out on top in this showdown? Here’s my verdict:
Midjourney wins for quality of artistic output – its flowing, dreamlike, fantastical image style hits the mark for pure visual appeal. The vibrant Discord community also fosters engaging collaborative creation.
However, Kittl takes the crown when we look at the big picture experience. The accuracy, customization, interface polish, instant access and overall flexibility make Kittl an absolute pleasure to use. It’s the more complete product that empowers individual creators.
Of course, artists should give both Kittl and Midjourney a try themselves – the best tool depends on personal style and needs. But in terms of holistic execution, Kittl edges out Midjourney (for now!)
The rapid pace of innovation means the AI art generator landscape will keep evolving. For a deep dive on Midjourney specifically, check out my previous comparison of Kittl vs Canva.
