Midjourney V8.1vs.Adobe Firefly Image 3

Which one is better?

In our own test, Midjourney V8.1 leads. Neither is in the arena. Neither has an API price.

Same task, the first image of each. The task with the biggest difference is preselected.

Midjourney V8.1: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — Midjourney V8.137 out of 100

Adobe Firefly Image 3: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — Adobe Firefly Image 31 out of 100

Result for “Product photography”:Midjourney V8.1 ahead

Prompt given to both modelsCreate a square premium product photograph of a brushed titanium wristwatch standing upright on dark green marble. The watch has a cream dial, thin black hands set to 10:10, twelve distinct hour markers, a realistic crown, and a dark brown leather strap. Soft window light from the left, controlled reflections, shallow depth of field, no text, no logo, no extra objects.

What the rating looks at: Materials, reflections, and fine details.

“Ahead”: better in all three rating rounds. “Slightly ahead”: a higher value, but not in every round.

Test protocol of the images

Both models receive the same archived prompt in exactly one request, and the first result counts. Files are normalized to 1,024 × 1,024 pixels without cropping. Provider resolution, randomness, quality tier and prompt processing can still differ. The images are a practical visual test, not a reconstruction of the arena configuration.

Character and detail

Midjourney V8.1: manual, one request, first output, Midjourney V8.1 Standard, 1:1, 1024x1024, four candidates, stylize 100, weird 0, variety 0, Raw off, personalization off, Relax mode, no reference image, no negative prompt, generated Aug 16, 2026, 12:19 PM. Source

Adobe Firefly Image 3: manual, 1:1, one request, first output (first top-left candidate of native batch), exact UI model Firefly Image 3, provider-default random seed, native resolution provider default, fast mode False, no reference images, no selected effects, default content settings, source UI file Firefly_Create a square cinematic full-body portrait of a fictional bicycle courier waiting u 715099.jpg, source 2048x2048, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), generated Nov 1, 2026, 10:28 PM. Source

Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: 985a75b38642a9f0e5e0c0e0c67f1b7f67780d42bd2168fa24e9a7a7a94b0da6

Midjourney V8.1 image SHA 256: cf522740817fefe58b263fa9a0d07d249c42211eca7d7c9b013f7145a7d2a8ea

Adobe Firefly Image 3 image SHA 256: 9d5906a1ead81d8ccac7833e355e8ca2eb9b501c1ad6eb8afe086eb8aeb72f42

Infographic

Adobe Firefly Image 3: manual, 1:1, one request, first output (first top-left candidate of native batch), exact UI model Firefly Image 3, provider-default random seed, native resolution provider default, fast mode False, no reference images, no selected effects, default content settings, source UI file Firefly_Create a square German infographic titled SO FUNKTIONIERT PHOTOSYNTHESE. Show exactly 715099.jpg, source 2048x2048, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), generated Nov 1, 2026, 10:28 PM. Source

Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: ed65cb4e6a51e2336f8b149ad4cbb16e020f07d527ad94362e719d2dcf91d94f

Midjourney V8.1 image SHA 256: ac36188f88f37f23c2c405355d8dd12594085e1450d732fa419d8cec9a6c598f

Adobe Firefly Image 3 image SHA 256: 9be22655b492fe44a2b5f906d12a9d80d68967e771177c3a7e7e9d9b8d492ad0

Product photography

Adobe Firefly Image 3: manual, 1:1, one request, first output (first top-left candidate of native batch), exact UI model Firefly Image 3, provider-default random seed, native resolution provider default, fast mode False, no reference images, no selected effects, default content settings, source UI file Firefly_Create a square premium product photograph of a brushed titanium wristwatch standing 715099.jpg, source 2048x2048, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), generated Nov 1, 2026, 10:28 PM. Source

Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: c67fd71e91304458a2feef5c91efa8677260fab0c0099a29a2c52cb579f5b2f3

Midjourney V8.1 image SHA 256: 992f2486be40bc361a638b4b266909d334883c05fe4763cf5e243358c688bfdd

Adobe Firefly Image 3 image SHA 256: 5fc5c7d52a0a0eab5d6e0c078dfcd1723ddfdce1f4f28ee08a68bde942e89fab

Typography and layout

Adobe Firefly Image 3: manual, 1:1, one request, first output (first top-left candidate of native batch), exact UI model Firefly Image 3, provider-default random seed, native resolution provider default, fast mode False, no reference images, no selected effects, default content settings, source UI file Firefly_Create a square editorial poster for an imaginary night train called MONDFALTER. Show 715099.jpg, source 2048x2048, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), generated Nov 1, 2026, 10:28 PM. Source

Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: 2e012c3d14ee5dd02203a94f394ca80a5038cdebd6032b25a8b8a221f2255419

Midjourney V8.1 image SHA 256: af3d2c5042b108a7fe2eb49bae072d30030e6b6cf814875ef9ce7074ceafc4ce

Adobe Firefly Image 3 image SHA 256: aa88c80c984b7671eef720bb790dfde56ab82609939bf1412db2fc998ef592e7

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better

n/a

Midjourney V8.1

not in the arena

n/a

Adobe Firefly Image 3

not in the arena

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better

Midjourney V8.1

Rank 64 of 74

Adobe Firefly Image 3

Rank 74 of 74

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better

n/a

Midjourney V8.1

no API price

n/a

Adobe Firefly Image 3

no API price

Ranks among the 22 image models with an arena rating and the 74 with a GraduallyBench run; prices compared with 28 models with an API price.

Midjourney V8.1

Subscription: At Midjourney from ≈ €10.65 a month (Midjourney Basic). 4 plans in Germany.
Via API: No API price known. Access: Web app.

Adobe Firefly Image 3

Subscription: n/a No plan in Germany names exactly this model.
Via API: No API price known. Access: Web app.
Weights: unknown.

Subscriptions only count plans that name exactly this model. Subscription prices include VAT, API prices are in dollars.

GraduallyBench from Nov 1, 2026 · Subscription database from Sep 29, 2026 (34 days old)

All data side by side

The better value is bold. For ratings only when the gap is clear.

Kennzahl	Midjourney V8.1	Adobe Firefly Image 3
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better	n/a	n/a
Arena rank	n/a	n/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating	n/a	n/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100	23	4
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition	8	1
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details	37	1
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency	22	9
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization	24	4
API price
Per imagelower is better	n/a	n/a
100 images	n/a	n/a
Profile
Released	Apr 14, 2026	Apr 23, 2024
Weightsopen means: runs locally	proprietary	unknown
Access	Web app	Web app
Parameters	not published	not published
Largest output	2K	not consistently published
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model	4	n/a

API prices for one image at 1,024 × 1,024 pixels according to Artificial Analysis.

Sources: Midjourney V8.1 model source (verified Aug 15, 2026) · Adobe Firefly Image 3 model source (verified Nov 1, 2026)

Arena ratings by category

From blind votes on LMArena. “Ahead” means the lead is clear.

No shared arena score in the stored snapshot

The stored benchmark database contains no measurement for Midjourney V8.1 and Adobe Firefly Image 3 from the same arena and category. Older model versions are not used as substitutes.

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More matchups

Compare Midjourney V8.1 and Adobe Firefly Image 3 with other important image models.

View the complete image model comparison

Same prompt, two images

The numbers at a glance

Midjourney V8.1

Adobe Firefly Image 3

All data side by side

Arena ratings by category

No shared arena score in the stored snapshot

Compare another matchup

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