Quick summary: Midjourney works via Discord, and you can use it for free if you know the right methods. Here’s a step-by-step guide for 2026 on how to claim the official trial, try community bots, and save your images without paying. It’s aimed at Australians, so it includes exact links, typical allowances, and local price conversions (March 2026).

Quick reference

- Official Midjourney site: https://midjourney.com

- Discord sign-up: https://discord.com

- Services Australia for digital ID and scams guidance: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au

- Typical free trial allowance (historical and common in 2024–2026): about 25 job runs or 60 GPU minutes — check your account page or use the /info command in Discord for the exact remaining credit.

- Paid plans (for comparison): roughly US$10 (Basic) and US$30 (Standard) per month — about AU$15 and AU$45 using a 1 USD = 1.50 AUD conversion (March 2026). See your Midjourney account page for current prices and local taxes.

- Useful Midjourney Discord commands: /imagine, /info, /subscribe, /settings — try them in a #newbies channel after joining the server.

Prerequisites

Before you start: create a Discord account and verify your email. Midjourney doesn’t offer a standalone Windows or Mac app — it works through Discord only. If you haven’t used Discord, go to discord.com, click Register, and sign up with a working email address.

Install the Discord app on mobile (App Store or Google Play) or use the browser version. Mobile is fine for simple prompts, but the desktop app will make copying and organising images easier.

Optional but useful: a place to save images (a local folder, Google Drive, iCloud or Dropbox), and a basic prompt template you like. If you plan to use alternative AI tools locally, a modern PC with a decent GPU will help — but that’s a different route from using Midjourney’s free options.

Step-by-step: use Midjourney for free

  1. Create and verify a Discord account

    Go to https://discord.com, click Register, fill in your details, and verify the email link Discord sends. Choose a username you won’t mind seeing on public servers — your username is visible in Midjourney channels unless you change Discord privacy settings.

  2. Join the Midjourney Discord server

    Open https://midjourney.com and click Join the Beta or Join the Discord. Follow the invite link. On joining, accept the server rules and complete any extra verification steps. The Midjourney server is public and busy — there are often tens of thousands of concurrent users in popular channels, especially the #newbies rooms.

  3. Claim the free trial (if available)

    New accounts typically get a small free trial allowance. Historically that’s been about 25 job runs or roughly 60 GPU minutes. To claim it, go into any #newbies channel and type the /imagine command followed by your prompt, for example: /imagine golden retriever wearing sunglasses, cinematic lighting --ar 16:9. If a trial is available your first jobs will run and the bot will show remaining credit in the response or when you run /info.

    Mastheads

    If your trial isn’t available, it might have expired for new users. Then, you can check out the community options mentioned next.

  4. Understand how a job counts

    One /imagine request that returns a 4-up grid counts as one job toward the typical job-count trial. Upscales and variations are usually additional operations. Historically the trial measured either job count (about 25 jobs) or GPU minutes (about 60 minutes), depending on how Midjourney allocated credits at that time. Use the /info command to see your remaining minutes or job credit.

  5. Use the buttons properly: U and V

    After the grid appears you’ll see U1–U4 and V1–V4 buttons. Click V# to make variations of that tile. Click U# to upscale that tile into a larger image. Upscaling usually consumes more processing, so if you’re on a tight trial budget, be selective — pick one upscale per idea instead of upscaling every tile.

  6. Work with prompts that save credits

    Try to write prompts that nail your idea right away. Use short, clear descriptions — main subject, style, lighting, colour, aspect ratio. Add flags like --ar 16:9 for widescreen or --ar 1:1 for square. The fewer useless variations you generate, the longer your trial lasts.

  7. Check usage and subscription info

    Basically, type /info in any Midjourney channel to see plan details and remaining usage. Type /subscribe to open the web subscription page if you decide paid plans are worth it. The web page shows current US pricing and will show the final AUD price at checkout, including applicable taxes. Remember the rough conversion: US$10 ≈ AU$15 and US$30 ≈ AU$45 (March 2026). Prices can change; always confirm in your account.

  8. Try community-run and public servers

    Certain Discord servers let members use bots to generate images via shared accounts or community credits. These are legitimate if the server advertises access and the server owner consents. Search Discord for art and AI communities and read the rules. Be careful with private servers that ask for payment off-platform — that could be a scam. Use Services Australia guidance if you’re ever asked for ID or banking information for access.

  9. Ask friends or collaborators

    If someone you know has a paid Midjourney subscription, they can run jobs for you on their account. That’s one of the simplest free routes — get them to run a few variations and send the images. Make sure you agree on usage and rights before they generate anything for you.

  10. Save, organise and credit images

    Right-click images in Discord and choose Save Image (desktop). On mobile tap and hold. Midjourney posts generated images publicly in the channel by default on free trials, so expect them to be visible to others in that server. If you want privacy, a paid account can set generations to private in settings. Keep a folder structure so you don’t lose good results: date, prompt text, seed (if shown), and any settings like aspect ratio or model version.

Tips

- Start with small, clear prompts and build complexity. It saves trial runs.

- Use the /info command frequently — it shows your remaining trial balance and current mode.

- Screenshot the initial grid before you close a job. That makes it easier to remember which tile you want to upscale.

- Try different Midjourney model versions if the server provides them. Some versions favour realism; others favour stylised or painterly looks. Version flags like --v 5 or --v 6 may be available — check the server pinned messages.

- If you plan to use generated images commercially, read the Midjourney Terms of Service and licensing details on your account page. Paid plans usually include clearer commercial rights than free trials do.

- Use public galleries (Midjourney web gallery) to find inspiration. Many users include exact prompts and settings in captions — that’s a quick way to learn what works.

Common mistakes to avoid

- Don’t spam /imagine. It eats your trial fast. Think through a prompt for 30–60 seconds first.

- Don’t assume privacy. Free trial generations are typically visible to others in the server. If you need privacy, opt for a paid plan or have someone with a paid account generate privately for you.

- Don’t trust random invites that promise free unlimited use. If a server asks for bank details, ID, or direct payments off-platform to unlock Midjourney, it’s likely a scam. Report suspicious servers to Discord and check Services Australia if personal info is requested.

- Don’t ignore the /settings options. They let you switch quality levels and default behaviours, which can save credits. For example, lowering quality may produce acceptable results while using less processing.

Alternatives worth trying

If the Midjourney trial isn’t available or you burn through it, try community bots (with care), other free AI image services that have free tiers, or local open-source models. Each has trade-offs: quality, speed, and licensing differ. If you go local, expect hardware costs — GPUs capable of comfortable image generation tend to cost thousands of dollars or require cloud rental, which adds to expense.

Related Articles

The most reliable free routes in 2026 are the official Midjourney trial, community-run bots or servers with shared access, and asking a friend with a paid account to run jobs for you. Always check /info to see your exact remaining trial credit, and keep an eye on price pages — the rough March 2026 conversion used here was US$1 = AU$1.50. If privacy is necessary, consider a paid plan; otherwise, experiment in the public channels and save the prompts that work best for you.

This article was created with AI assistance.