Table of Contents
Quick Answer
Midjourney is slow when you're on a low-tier plan, the grid is congested during peak hours, or you're using --relax mode. Switch to Fast or Turbo mode, generate during off-peak, and simplify prompts.
- Use
--fastor--turboflag (consumes fast hours) - Avoid 3pm–9pm UTC peak hours
- Keep prompts under 60 words; remove excessive parameters
Why This Happens
Midjourney runs on shared GPU clusters. Your speed depends on: plan tier (Basic has fewer fast hours), mode (Relax can wait 10+ min, Fast is seconds), time of day (Discord/Web peaks), prompt complexity (more params = slower queue), and current server load.
Step-by-Step Fixes
Step 1: Check your mode
Type /settings in Discord or click Settings on web. Confirm you're on Fast or Turbo, not Relax.
Step 2: Check fast hours remaining
/info in Discord shows fast hours left. Basic plan: 3.3 hrs/month. Standard: 15 hrs. Pro: 30 hrs. Mega: 60 hrs.
Step 3: Use Turbo mode
--turbo at end of prompt generates 4x faster (costs 2x fast hours). Example: /imagine a cat --turbo
Step 4: Simplify your prompt
Long prompts with 10+ parameters queue slower. Keep to essentials: subject, style, 2–3 modifiers, aspect ratio.
Step 5: Generate during off-peak
US/EU business hours are slowest. Try 3am–9am UTC or weekends.
Step 6: Upgrade your plan
Basic ($10): 3.3 fast hrs. Standard ($30): 15 hrs + unlimited relax. Pro ($60): 30 hrs + stealth. Mega ($120): 60 hrs.
Step 7: Move to Web (alternative.midjourney.com)
Web interface is often faster than Discord for rendering and browsing your history.
Step 8: Clear Discord cache
Discord Settings → Advanced → Clear Cache. Restart Discord.
Step 9: Check your internet
Slow uploads of reference images choke generation. Test at fast.com. Use wired connection if possible.
Step 10: Reduce image reference weight
--iw 2 (max) is slower than --iw 0.5. Lower if speed matters.
When to Contact Support
- Jobs stuck "processing" for 30+ minutes
- Fast hours deducted but no image generated
- Subscription active but shown as expired
- Persistent "Your request has been queued" with no progress
Support: help.midjourney.com or Discord #support channel.
Prevention Tips
- Plan prompts in a doc first; don't experiment in Fast mode
- Save variations before upscaling (upscales cost fast hours)
- Use
--seedto avoid regenerating similar images - Batch similar prompts to benefit from GPU warm-up
Conclusion
Midjourney speed depends on mode, plan, and timing. For faster multi-model image generation with GPT Image, Flux, and more in one place, try Assisters AI.