Discord dependency + 2024 native web belated launch
Midjourney was Discord-only for a long time — you joined the official Midjourney Discord server (20M+ members), typed `/imagine prompt:...` in a newbies channel, and the bot generated 4 1024×1024 previews, then U1-U4 upscale, V1-V4 variation, 🔄 regenerate. This created two effects: (1) dependency on Discord's availability — Discord is partially blocked in China, Iran, Russia; (2) social production — everyone's work is public by default (unless Pro+ Stealth). 2024-08 finally opened native web (midjourney.com/imagine), but early users had to generate 100 images on Discord first (onboarding gate). This release pace reflects Midjourney's core philosophy: community-driven, unafraid of high onboarding friction.
China's dual block — GFW + regional service limits
Two barriers for China access: (1) GFW — midjourney.com and Discord are DNS-poisoned + IP-blocked, VPN required; (2) regional service limits — even VPN-reaching midjourney.com, Midjourney's backend like OpenAI validates nationality/billing address at subscription payment (currently doesn't accept Chinese cards). Chinese market alternatives: (1) Baidu Wenxin Yige (available in WeChat mini-app, but 1-2 generations behind Midjourney on quality); (2) Alibaba Tongyi Wanxiang; (3) SenseTime SkyPaint; (4) Stable Diffusion self-hosted (ComfyUI / Automatic1111 on your own GPU). Common Chinese professional designer stack: Midjourney for key frames (via VPN) + domestic tools for batch touch-ups.
AF3 node strategy — Discord must work
Midjourney's IP check is relatively loose (1-star, AF3 scores residential/quality_vpn/normal_vpn/datacenter nearly identically), but Discord's WebSocket long-connection demands node stability. Preferred nodes: (1) US (LA/Seattle/Virginia) — Midjourney's primary service on AWS us-east-1 + Cloudflare deploy, both US coasts have controllable latency; (2) Japan/Singapore — closer for East Asian users, Discord latency ≤ 100ms; (3) avoid ASNs on Midjourney's blacklist (some known shared-proxy ranges get recognized — payment succeeds but generation stalls). Subscription payment requires 5-10 min node stability (3D Secure usually needs SMS to phone — keep VPN and phone SIM separated).
Four-tier subscription GPU time economics
Midjourney's core billing unit is 'GPU minutes' (Fast GPU time): each image ~1 min Fast, upscale/variation +1 min, Upscale HD +2 min. (1) Basic $10/mo = 3.3h ≈ 200 basic images (personal sampling); (2) Standard $30/mo = 15h ≈ 900 + unlimited Relax mode (free but queued, fine if not urgent); (3) Pro $60/mo = 30h + Stealth Mode (work not public — mandatory for commercial users); (4) Mega $120/mo = 60h (heavy designers / small teams). Most individuals should pick Standard — Relax waits 5-10 min off-peak, great if your time isn't premium. Commercial users must Pro (Stealth protects IP).
Copyright ownership and the critical role of Stealth Mode
Midjourney copyright policy: free (trial) users get CC BY-NC 4.0 — you can use, others can view+copy, non-commercial only. Paid users (Basic+) own commercial rights, but: (1) company annual revenue > $1M requires Pro upgrade; (2) Basic/Standard output is public to other Midjourney users by default (searchable on community feed / explore page); (3) only Pro/Mega Stealth Mode keeps images private. This matters hugely for commercial designers — client contracts often require 'work confidentiality', making Pro $60 nearly mandatory for commercial use. Another pitfall: training data. Midjourney trained on public web images and has been sued (Getty Images 2023, Andersen et al. 2023), but hasn't lost — usage risk is small but not zero.