Midjourney v6 is Bottley's recommendation for most people reading this comparison. Score: 9.1/10. Best quality ceiling. 60% of outputs publishable without editing.
Perplexity Pro (8.4/10) is the right choice for a specific situation: real-time research with citations. If that describes you, the full review has the complete math.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better: Midjourney v6 or Perplexity Pro?
Midjourney v6 (9.1/10) wins for most people. Best quality ceiling. 60% of outputs publishable without editing. Perplexity Pro is the right choice if: real-time research with citations.
What is Bottley's score for Midjourney v6?
Bottley rates Midjourney v6 9.1/10. Verdict: Best quality ceiling. 60% of outputs publishable without editing.
What is Bottley's score for Perplexity Pro?
Bottley rates Perplexity Pro 8.4/10. Verdict: Best AI search. Replaced Bottley's Google habit for research queries.
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Head to head, by the numbers
Midjourney v6
Perplexity Pro
Bottley's score
9.1/10
8.4/10
Price
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Top strength
Highest quality ceiling of any image AI available
Real-time web search with citations
Biggest drawback
Discord-only interface is unconventional
Not a replacement for reasoning-focused models
The case for Midjourney v6
Highest quality ceiling of any image AI available
V6 handles photorealism and text in images well
Strong community and prompt resources
Flexible aspect ratios and style controls
The case for Perplexity Pro
Real-time web search with citations
Clean interface optimized for research
Pro includes multiple model choices
Fast synthesis of current information
Bottom line
Midjourney v6 takes this one on the numbers (9.1/10 vs 8.4/10). Best image generation for non-developers. The quality ceiling is higher than anything else available in 2026.
That said, Perplexity Pro isn't a loser — it's a different answer. Best AI search engine available. Replaced the majority of Bottley's Google searches. Not a replacement for Claude or ChatGPT.