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LucyBrain Switzerland ○ AI Daily
Best AI Image Generator 2026: Midjourney vs Nano Banana vs ChatGPT (Which for What)
February 15, 2026
TL;DR: Image Tool Comparison
Midjourney: Best overall quality, versatile, professional results, $10-60/month Nano Banana: Best for portraits/headshots, fast, affordable, $15-40/month
ChatGPT (DALL-E 3): Most convenient, good enough for most needs, $20/month (Plus) Winner depends: What you're creating, how often, budget, quality needs
AI image generation exploded. Now have real choices.
Midjourney for everything? Nano Banana for portraits? ChatGPT because you already pay for it?
Here's which tool for what.
Quick Decision Guide
Use Midjourney for:
Professional marketing images
Product photography
Creative artwork
Concept art and illustration
Anything needing highest quality
Versatile general use
Use Nano Banana for:
Profile photos and headshots
Dating app photos
Professional portraits
Social media avatars
LinkedIn photos
Any portrait-focused image
Use ChatGPT (DALL-E) for:
Quick images when already using ChatGPT
Blog illustrations
Social media graphics
When convenience matters more than quality
Iterating on concepts quickly
You already pay for ChatGPT Plus
Detailed Comparison
Midjourney - Best Overall Quality
What it is: Premium AI image generation service
Pricing:
Basic: $10/month (200 images)
Standard: $30/month (unlimited in relaxed mode)
Pro: $60/month (more features)
No free tier
Quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best image quality available. Professional-grade results.
Ease of Use: ⭐⭐⭐ Requires Discord (clunky). Learning curve for commands.
Speed: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fast but can be slower during peak hours. Queue system.
Best for:
Marketing visuals
Product photos
Website graphics
Social media content (high-quality)
Creative projects
Portfolio work
Client deliverables
Strengths:
Unmatched quality
Incredible detail
Artistic styles
Consistent results
Professional output
Active community
Regular updates
Weaknesses:
Discord interface (annoying)
Learning curve
No free tier
Public by default (pay extra for private)
Requires different workflow
Prompting style:
More technical parameters, more control.
Nano Banana - Best for Portraits
What it is: Portrait-focused AI image generator
Pricing:
Free: Very limited (testing only)
Basic: $15/month
Pro: $40/month
Portrait-specific pricing
Quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent for faces. Not versatile for other types.
Ease of Use: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Simplest interface. Upload photo, get results.
Speed: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fastest for portraits. Under 30 seconds.
Best for:
Profile photos
Professional headshots
Dating app photos
Social media avatars
LinkedIn photos
Team photos
Author photos
Strengths:
Best portrait quality
Realistic faces
Natural expressions
Lighting that works
Fast results
Easy to use
Purpose-built
Weaknesses:
Only good for portraits
Can't do products
Can't do scenes/landscapes
Limited versatility
Smaller feature set
Niche use case
Prompting style:
Simple and focused.
ChatGPT (DALL-E 3) - Most Convenient
What it is: Image generation built into ChatGPT
Pricing:
Free: Limited DALL-E access
Plus: $20/month (same as ChatGPT Plus)
Included with Plus subscription
Quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good quality. Not as good as Midjourney. Better than old DALL-E 2.
Ease of Use: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Easiest. Just describe what you want in natural language.
Speed: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fast. 10-30 seconds per image.
Best for:
Blog illustrations
Quick concept visualization
Social media graphics
When already using ChatGPT
Iterating on ideas
"Good enough" images
Convenience over quality
Strengths:
Integrated with ChatGPT
Natural language prompts
Iterate in conversation
Already paying for it (if Plus)
No new tool to learn
Text rendering improved
Understands context
Weaknesses:
Lower quality than Midjourney
Less control
Can't do professional portraits well
Generic style
Limited customization
Free tier very limited
Prompting style:
Natural conversation, no technical parameters needed.
Quality Comparison
For Product Photography
Midjourney: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Professional product shots. Best quality. Can match real photography.
Nano Banana: ⭐ Not designed for products. Don't use.
ChatGPT: ⭐⭐⭐ Decent for blog/social. Not for professional use.
Winner: Midjourney (by far)
For Portraits/Headshots
Midjourney: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good but inconsistent. Hit or miss on faces.
Nano Banana: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best. Specifically optimized for portraits.
ChatGPT: ⭐⭐ Faces often weird. Not for professional headshots.
Winner: Nano Banana (built for this)
For Creative/Artistic
Midjourney: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Incredible artistic range. Professional creative work.
Nano Banana: ⭐⭐ Can do artistic portraits but limited.
ChatGPT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good for concepts and illustrations. Not gallery-quality.
Winner: Midjourney (unmatched)
For Social Media Graphics
Midjourney: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highest quality but overkill for some platforms.
Nano Banana: ⭐⭐⭐ Good for profile pictures. Limited for graphics.
ChatGPT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Perfect for quick social content. Good enough quality.
Winner: ChatGPT (convenience + quality balance)
For Marketing Materials
Midjourney: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Professional quality. Client-ready. Brand-quality.
Nano Banana: ⭐⭐ Only if marketing needs portraits.
ChatGPT: ⭐⭐⭐ Good for internal/draft. Not final professional.
Winner: Midjourney (professional standard)
Cost Analysis
Casual User (10 images/month)
Midjourney Basic: $10/month (200 images) Cost per image: $0.05
Nano Banana Basic: $15/month (if portraits) Cost per image: $1.50 (if 10 images)
ChatGPT Plus: $20/month (includes text AI) Cost per image: Included (if using ChatGPT anyway)
Best value: ChatGPT (if using for text AI too) If only images: Midjourney (more versatile)
Regular User (100 images/month)
Midjourney Standard: $30/month (unlimited relaxed) Cost per image: $0.30
Nano Banana Pro: $40/month (if all portraits) Cost per image: $0.40
ChatGPT Plus: $20/month (limited generations) May hit limits
Best value: Midjourney (quality + unlimited)
Professional (500+ images/month)
Midjourney Pro: $60/month (unlimited fast) Cost per image: $0.12
Nano Banana: Not designed for volume Unless all portraits
ChatGPT: Will definitely hit limits Not suitable
Best value: Midjourney (only real option)
Which Combination to Use
Content Creator
Primary: Midjourney ($30/month) For: Thumbnails, graphics, visual content
Secondary: ChatGPT (already have) For: Quick concepts, blog illustrations
Total: $50/month (includes ChatGPT text use)
Solo Entrepreneur
Primary: ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) For: Text AI + occasional images
Add Nano Banana Basic ($15/month) IF need headshots Or: Use Midjourney occasionally
Total: $20-35/month depending on needs
Marketing Professional
Primary: Midjourney Pro ($60/month) For: All professional visual content
Secondary: Nano Banana ($40/month) For: Team headshots, client portraits
Total: $100/month (professional toolkit)
Casual User
Just ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) Get text AI + image generation Good enough for most personal needs
Total: $20/month
Workflow Differences
Midjourney Workflow
Open Discord
Type /imagine prompt
Wait for 4 variations
Upscale favorite
Download
Use in project
Time: 2-3 minutes per image Friction: Discord interface
Nano Banana Workflow
Upload reference photo (if personalizing)
Describe portrait want
Generate
Download
Time: 30 seconds per portrait Friction: Minimal, but only for portraits
ChatGPT Workflow
Already in ChatGPT
Ask for image
Iterate in conversation
Download when satisfied
Time: 1-2 minutes Friction: None, already there
Feature Comparison
Style Control
Midjourney: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Extensive parameters, style references, precise control
Nano Banana: ⭐⭐⭐ Portrait-specific styles, limited but focused
ChatGPT: ⭐⭐⭐ Natural language, less technical control
Iteration
Midjourney: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Variations, upscaling, parameters tweaking
Nano Banana: ⭐⭐⭐ Quick regeneration, style adjustments
ChatGPT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Conversational iteration, easiest
Batch Generation
Midjourney: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Can queue multiple, relaxed mode unlimited
Nano Banana: ⭐⭐ Limited by pricing tier
ChatGPT: ⭐⭐ Not designed for batch
Resolution/Quality
Midjourney: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Up to 2048x2048, professional quality
Nano Banana: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High quality portraits, appropriate resolution
ChatGPT: ⭐⭐⭐ 1024x1024, good but not professional print
Common Use Cases
I need profile photo
Best: Nano Banana ($15/month) Specifically designed for this
Acceptable: Midjourney (if already have) Can work with right prompts
Skip: ChatGPT Faces often problematic
I need marketing images
Best: Midjourney ($30-60/month) Professional quality, versatile
Acceptable: ChatGPT (casual use) Internal drafts, brainstorming
Skip: Nano Banana Unless portraits
I need occasional images
Best: ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) Convenient, includes text AI
Consider: Free tiers Midjourney has no free tier ChatGPT free has limited DALL-E
I need high volume
Best: Midjourney Standard ($30/month) Unlimited relaxed mode
Alternative: Midjourney Pro ($60/month) Unlimited fast mode
Not: Others Hit limits or too expensive per image
Quality Examples by Type
Product Photography
Midjourney: Looks like real product photography. Can match brand guidelines. Professional enough for websites and ads.
ChatGPT: Decent for blog posts. Not for professional marketing materials.
Nano Banana: Not designed for products.
People/Portraits
Nano Banana: Most realistic faces. Natural expressions. Professional headshot quality.
Midjourney: Good but inconsistent. Some iterations perfect, some weird.
ChatGPT: Faces often have issues. Not for important portraits.
Abstract/Creative
Midjourney: Gallery-quality artistic images. Incredible detail and style.
ChatGPT: Good for concept exploration. Not final creative work.
Nano Banana: Limited to portrait-style creativity.
Text in Images
ChatGPT: Improved text rendering (DALL-E 3 update). Usually readable.
Midjourney: Text still problematic. Use external text overlay.
Nano Banana: Not applicable for portraits.
Future Considerations
Midjourney
Trajectory: Continuing to improve. Regular updates. Industry standard. Safe bet: Will remain top quality option.
Nano Banana
Trajectory: Focused on portraits. Improving at specific niche. Safe bet: If need portraits, worth it.
ChatGPT (DALL-E)
Trajectory: Integration advantage. Will improve but maybe never best quality. Safe bet: Convenience will keep it relevant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is easiest to use?
ChatGPT (natural language, already there). Nano Banana second (simple interface). Midjourney requires learning.
Which is best quality?
Midjourney for most types. Nano Banana specifically for portraits.
Which is cheapest?
Free tiers very limited. For paid: Depends on usage. ChatGPT cheapest if using for text too.
Can I use free versions?
ChatGPT has limited free DALL-E access. Midjourney no free tier. Nano Banana minimal free trial.
Which for professional work?
Midjourney (general). Nano Banana (portraits only).
Do I need multiple tools?
Serious users benefit from Midjourney + ChatGPT. Casuals just need ChatGPT.
Can I sell AI-generated images?
Check each tool's terms. Generally yes but verify commercial use rights.
Which will improve most?
All improving. Midjourney leads but others catching up. Gap narrowing.
Related Reading
Getting Started:
Quality Issues:
Tool Overview:
www.topfreeprompts.com
Access 80,000+ prompts including image generation templates for Midjourney, Nano Banana, and ChatGPT. Get better images faster with prompts proven to work on each platform.
