Midjourney and Ideogram are two of the leading and most photorealistic AI image generation platforms on the market. They have similar features and similar styles and both feature in my list of the best AI image generators.
Ideogram is much younger than Midjourney but has quickly cemented its place. Both claim the ability to produce legible text and can create a variety of image styles.
To put those claims to the test I've put them head-to-head in a series of seven prompts, including some requiring legible text, to create my next phone wallpaper.
Creating the image prompts
I set out to create 7 relatively simple and generic prompts that I could use with both Midjourney and Ideogram to see what they came up with. In each case both produce four images and I picked the one I felt was nicest of the four.
In each case I set the aspect ratio to 9:16 which is fine for Android devices but a little thin for the iPhone — but it should still work fine.
1. Abstract Geometric Patterns
The prompt: “A vibrant and colourful geometric pattern with various shapes and sizes. Think of overlapping circles, triangles, and squares in bold hues. The design should have a modern, artistic feel with a sense of depth and movement.”
Here both were good and surprisingly different considering they were from the same prompt. There was something about the Midjourney image that captured my imagination.
Winner: Midjourney
2. Nature's Beauty
The prompt: “A high-resolution close-up of a dewdrop on a leaf, capturing the intricate details and reflections within the droplet. The background can be a soft blur of lush green foliage, giving it a serene and calming effect.”
Midjourney was an easy winner here. The leaf design was better, it captured simplicity while also maintaining realism.
Winner: Midjourney
3. Space and Astronomy
The prompt: “An artistic rendering of a cosmic scene, such as a spiral galaxy with swirling stars and nebulae. Include planets and perhaps a shooting star, creating a sense of wonder and infinite possibilities.”
This was close as I think Ideogram was closer to the concept of an artistic rendering. I kept it deliberately vague to see how it handled the confusion and I liked how Ideogram handled it — but the Midjourney image was simply stunning.
Winner: Midjourney
4. Retro Gaming Theme
The prompt: “A nostalgic 8-bit style wallpaper featuring classic game elements. Pixelated characters, coins, and landscapes reminiscent of old-school video games like Super Mario or Pac-Man can add a fun and playful touch to your screen.”
This was a very close one between Ideogram and Midjourney as I liked both images. In the end I came down on Ideogram simply because the design was closer to the concept in the prompt. It created a Pac-Man style layout with Mario imagery.
Winner: Ideogram
5. Minimalist Quote
The prompt: “A clean and elegant design with a motivational quote in stylish typography. The background can be a solid colour or a subtle gradient, making the text the focal point. The quote should be: "Believe in yourself and all that you are." This can inspire or bring a smile every time you unlock your phone.”
The only thing it had to get was a clean design and a correctly rendered text. Midjourney failed on both accounts here and was even over literal with the phone idea. Ideogram not only created a simple elegant design but the quote was spot on.
Winner: Ideogram
6. Whimsical Doodle Art
The prompt: “A playful and whimsical wallpaper filled with hand-drawn doodles and illustrations, such as stars, clouds, and cute animals. The design should be light-hearted and fun, with a quote in the centre in a casual, handwritten font: "Embrace the magic in everyday moments."”
The Midjourney image was closer to the playful and whimsical concept but that isn't to say Ideogram failed, in fact it captured the idea of doodling well. In the end it was the rendering of the quote that won it for me and Ideogram was legible.
Winner: Ideogram
7. Vintage Travel Poster
The prompt: “A retro-inspired travel poster design, showcasing an idyllic destination like a beach, mountain, or famous cityscape. The colours should be warm and inviting, with a vintage feel. The quote in a classic, elegant font can be: "Adventure awaits, go find it."”
Same as the other image tests with text, Ideogram is miles ahead of Midjourney when it comes to rendering text on an image. However, I think the Midjourney image was more stylish and a better overall design. But the text was so bad it lost it.
Winner: Ideogram
Winner: Ideogram
| Header Cell - Column 0 | ideogram | Midjourney |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Row 0 - Cell 1 | ✅ |
| 2. | Row 1 - Cell 1 | ✅ |
| 3. | Row 2 - Cell 1 | ✅ |
| 4. | ✅ | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
| 5. | ✅ | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
| 6. | ✅ | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
| 7. | ✅ | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
If it wasn't for the issues rendering legible text this would have been a win for Midjourney. In most cases the generated images were more stylized, of a higher quality by default and more photorealistic when required.
However, I found Ideogram was better able to both follow the specifics of the prompt and can generate text unlike any other model I've tried. That is why I handed victory to Ideogram, although it was still very close.
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