Midjourney vs. DALL-E 3: Which is Better for Facebook Ads?

The single biggest lever in Facebook advertising today is not your targeting settings—it's your creative. But hiring a graphic designer or photographer for every A/B test is expensive and slow.

Enter the titans of AI image generation: Midjourney V6 and DALL-E 3 (via ChatGPT). Both promise to turn text into stunning visuals in seconds. But which one actually delivers *usable* marketing assets that convert?

We didn't just read the documentation. We ran a series of tests generating assets for SaaS, E-commerce, and Local Service ads. We judged them on photorealism, text adherence, and workflow speed. Here is the definitive breakdown for marketers.

The Contenders at a Glance

Feature	Midjourney V6	DALL-E 3
Access	Discord / Web Alpha	ChatGPT Plus / API
Cost	~$10-30/mo	$20/mo (ChatGPT Plus)
Learning Curve	High (Parameters)	Low (Conversational)
Text Rendering	Weak	Strong Winner
Photorealism	Superior Winner	Good (often "glossy")

Round 1: Photorealism and "The Stock Photo Look"

In Facebook feeds, "ad blindness" is real. If your image looks like a fake 3D render, users scroll past it. We tested prompts for a "Senior Pet Care" niche (a popular affiliate niche).

The Prompt: "A close up photo of an elderly golden retriever smiling, soft natural lighting, morning sun, shallow depth of field, high detail."

Midjourney's Result

Midjourney produced an image that was indistinguishable from a National Geographic shot. The fur texture, the specific way light hit the wet nose, and the "imperfections" in the background made it feel authentic. In ad testing, authentic images usually yield a lower CPC (Cost Per Click).

DALL-E 3's Result

DALL-E 3 understood the prompt perfectly, but the result looked... too perfect. It had a "plastic" sheen common in OpenAI's models. While colorful and sharp, it screamed "AI Generated." For lifestyle brands, this is a conversion killer.

Verdict: If you are selling physical products, luxury items, or anything relying on emotion and texture, Midjourney is the undisputed king.

Round 2: Text and Specific Details

Sometimes you need an ad creative that includes text on a sign, a button, or a product label. This has historically been the Achilles' heel of AI.

The Prompt: "A neon sign on a brick wall that says '50% OFF TODAY' in pink letters."

DALL-E 3's Result

DALL-E 3 nailed it on the first try. The spelling was correct, the font was readable, and it was integrated into the scene correctly. Because DALL-E runs inside ChatGPT, it understands language nuances far better.

Midjourney's Result

Midjourney struggled. It gave us "50% O FF TO DAY" and "500% OFF". While V6 has improved significantly, it still hallucinates characters. You will almost always need to bring a Midjourney image into Canva or Photoshop to fix the text.

Round 3: Workflow and Speed

Time is money. How fast can you go from "idea" to "ad manager"?

DALL-E 3 (The Conversationalist): It lives inside ChatGPT. You can say, "Make it wider," or "Change the dog to a cat." It remembers context. This is incredibly useful for iterating quickly without rewriting complex prompts. You can also ask ChatGPT to write the Facebook Primary Text and the image prompt simultaneously.

Midjourney (The Power Tool): Midjourney largely operates on Discord. You have to use commands like --ar 4:5 (aspect ratio) or --stylize 250. Iterating requires re-rolling or using complex "Remix" modes. However, the control is granular. You can upscale, pan, and zoom out with precision that DALL-E lacks.

The Final Verdict: Which One Should You Use?

After spending $500 on ads running images from both platforms, here is our split decision:

Use Midjourney If:

• Aesthetics are everything. You are in fashion, interior design, food, or travel.
• You need "UGC Style" content. Midjourney is excellent at mimicking amateur iPhone photography (use --style raw).
• You are comfortable with a steeper learning curve.

Use DALL-E 3 If:

• You need text or complex logic. E.g., "A chart showing growth" or "A storefront with a specific name."
• You want speed. You are testing 10 different angles and just need "good enough" visuals to validate an offer.
• You are already paying for ChatGPT Plus. It's a great value add.

Final Recommendation: For professional media buyers, Midjourney is the necessary tool for final production, while DALL-E 3 is the ultimate storyboarding assistant.

Before you launch your new creatives, make sure your math works. Check out our Max CAC Formula Guide to ensure your beautiful ads are actually profitable.