Gemini Omni Flash cost · Runway API partner models · FLUX 3 cost · ClipCost · xAI API (Grok Imagine) pricing · Runway pricing · Grok Imagine vs Veo cost · Grok Imagine vs Kling cost · Grok Imagine vs Wan cost · Grok Imagine vs Seedance cost · Grok Imagine vs LTX cost · Grok Imagine vs Hailuo cost · Runway API pricing · Cheapest AI video API · AI video API pricing · Compare all 17 tools’ pricing · Published Oct 27, 2026 · Prices checked Oct 27, 2026 · Rates from verified data (JSON)
Grok Imagine cost: what Grok Imagine 1.5 and 1.5 Lite cost per second and per usable clip
xAI’s Grok Imagine Video 1.5 and 1.5 Lite are sold per second on xAI’s own API, on the Runway API and inside the Runway app. Here is every verified rate, priced per try and per usable 30-second clip, against the cheapest models ClipCost tracks.
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Quick answer
Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite at 480p costs $0.02 per second on xAI’s API, with audio included — $0.10 per 5-second try, $0.60 per 30-second try and $1.80 per usable 30-second clip (3 attempts: 1 + 2 retries). That makes it the new cheapest rate of the 210 ClipCost ranks (Oct 27, 2026), ahead of Wan 2.6 Flash 720p without audio on Alibaba Cloud ($2.25, image-to-video only). Lite at 720p is $0.03 ($2.70 usable, tied third). The full Grok Imagine 1.5 is $0.08 / $0.14 / $0.25 per second at 480p / 720p / native 1080p ($7.20 / $12.60 / $22.50 usable 30s). The Runway API charges the same for Lite (2 / 3 / 14 credits at $0.01) but more for 1.5 (10 / 16 / 29 credits: $9.00 / $14.40 / $26.10). In the Runway app, 1.5 at 480p is $17.28 per usable 30s on Standard annual credits. Clips are 1–15 seconds, so a 30-second video is two generations.
Basis: xAI rates from the xAI API pricing page and the Grok Imagine Video 1.5 / 1.5 Lite model pages, checked Oct 27, 2026 (same price in every listed region). Runway API rates from Runway API pricing and Runway app credits from the Runway Academy credits page, both checked Oct 27, 2026. Runway plan credits valued at the annual price per credit (Standard $0.0192, Pro $0.0124, Max $0.008). “Usable” = 3 attempts, the same convention as our calculator. Rank = position among 210 usable-30s rates (ties share a rank); “API #” = position among 166 pay-per-second API rates on AI video API pricing. Cost only — no quality ranking.
Grok Imagine price per second
| Model · resolution | xAI API | Runway API |
|---|---|---|
| Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 480p | $0.02 | 2 cr × $0.01 = $0.02 |
| Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 720p | $0.03 | 3 cr × $0.01 = $0.03 |
| Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 1080p (720p upscaled) | $0.14 | 14 cr × $0.01 = $0.14 |
| Grok Imagine 1.5 · 480p | $0.08 | 10 cr × $0.01 = $0.10 |
| Grok Imagine 1.5 · 720p | $0.14 | 16 cr × $0.01 = $0.16 |
| Grok Imagine 1.5 · 1080p (native) | $0.25 | 29 cr × $0.01 = $0.29 |
Text-to-video and image-to-video cost the same on xAI; each input image adds $0.01. On the Runway API a start frame or reference adds 1 credit ($0.01) per image (1.5 also charges 1 credit per audio reference).
Cost per 5s, 10s, 15s and 30s try (xAI API)
| Model · resolution | 5s try | 10s try | 15s try | 30s try |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 480p | $0.10 | $0.20 | $0.30 | $0.60 (2 clips) |
| Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 720p | $0.15 | $0.30 | $0.45 | $0.90 (2 clips) |
| Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 1080p (720p upscaled) | $0.70 | $1.40 | $2.10 | $4.20 (2 clips) |
| Grok Imagine 1.5 · 480p | $0.40 | $0.80 | $1.20 | $2.40 (2 clips) |
| Grok Imagine 1.5 · 720p | $0.70 | $1.40 | $2.10 | $4.20 (2 clips) |
| Grok Imagine 1.5 · 1080p (native) | $1.25 | $2.50 | $3.75 | $7.50 (2 clips) |
Usable 30-second clip (3 attempts), every route
| Rank | API # | Route | Model · resolution | Rate | Usable 30s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1= | xAI API | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 480p New Oct 27 | $0.02/sec | $1.80 |
| Not ranked | 1= | Runway API | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 480p | 2 cr/sec × $0.01 | $1.80 |
| 5= | 5= | xAI API | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 720p New Oct 27 | $0.03/sec | $2.70 |
| Not ranked | 5= | Runway API | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 720p | 3 cr/sec × $0.01 | $2.70 |
| 56= | 48= | xAI API | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 480p New Oct 27 | $0.08/sec | $7.20 |
| Not ranked | 60= | Runway API | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 480p | 10 cr/sec × $0.01 | $9.00 |
| 112= | 94= | xAI API | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 1080p (720p upscaled) New Oct 27 | $0.14/sec | $12.60 |
| 112= | 94= | xAI API | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 720p New Oct 27 | $0.14/sec | $12.60 |
| Not ranked | 94= | Runway API | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 1080p (720p upscaled) | 14 cr/sec × $0.01 | $12.60 |
| Not ranked | 115= | Runway API | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 720p | 16 cr/sec × $0.01 | $14.40 |
| 163= | 136= | xAI API | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 1080p (native) New Oct 27 | $0.25/sec | $22.50 |
| Not ranked | 142 | Runway API | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 1080p | 29 cr/sec × $0.01 | $26.10 |
Runway API rows are not in the 210-rate overall ranking (that ranking counts each model once at its maker’s price); they are ranked among API rates. Lite on the Runway API ties xAI direct; 1.5 is 14–25% dearer through Runway. Full list of Runway API rates: Runway API pricing.
Grok Imagine inside the Runway app (plan credits)
| Model · resolution | Credits/sec | Usable 30s, Standard | Usable 30s, Pro | Usable 30s, Max | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grok Imagine 1.5 · 480p | 10 | $17.28 | $11.20 | $7.20 | Verified rate |
| Grok Imagine 1.5 · 720p | 16 | $27.65 | $17.92 | $11.52 | Verified rate |
| Grok Imagine 1.5 · 1080p | 29 | $50.11 | $32.48 | $20.88 | Verified rate |
| Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 480p | 10 | $17.28 | $11.20 | $7.20 | Unverified — conflicts with API (2) |
| Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 720p | 15 | $25.92 | $16.80 | $10.80 | Unverified — conflicts with API (3) |
| Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 1080p | 70 | $120.96 | $78.40 | $50.40 | Unverified — conflicts with API (14) |
Flag: on Oct 27, 2026 the Runway Academy page listed Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite at 10 / 15 / 70 credits per second, while the Runway API lists 2 / 3 / 14. We could not confirm which is right for the app, so the Lite app rows are unverified and unranked — check the credit cost in the Runway app before you generate. Only a fully used Max plan brings 1.5 in the app down to xAI’s direct 480p price ($7.20).
Grok Imagine vs comparable models
| Rank | Tool · model | Native audio | Input | Rate | 30s try | Usable 30s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 480p (xAI API) New Oct 27 | Yes (default) | Text or image | $0.02/sec | $0.60 | $1.80 |
| 2= | Wan 2.6 Flash · 720p, no audio (Alibaba Cloud API) | No | Image only | $0.025/sec | $0.75 | $2.25 |
| 5= | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 720p (xAI API) New Oct 27 | Yes (default) | Text or image | $0.03/sec | $0.90 | $2.70 |
| 5= | LTX-2.3 Fast · 720p (LTX API) | Yes (default) | Text or image | $0.03/sec | $0.90 | $2.70 |
| 5= | Veo 3.1 Lite · 720p, no audio (Vertex AI) | No | Text or image | $0.03/sec | $0.90 | $2.70 |
| 5= | Kling 2.6 · Standard mode, no audio (Kling plan credits) | No | Text or image | 3 cr/sec × $0.01 | $0.90 | $2.70 |
| 14 | Seedance 2.0 Mini · 480p (BytePlus API) | Not stated | Text (image input not checked here) | $0.036/sec | $1.08 | $3.24 |
| 24= | Veo 3.1 Lite · 720p with audio (Vertex AI) | Yes | Text or image | $0.05/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 |
| 24= | Wan 2.6 Flash · 720p with audio (Alibaba Cloud API) | Yes | Image only | $0.05/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 |
| 56= | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 480p (xAI API) New Oct 27 | Yes (default) | Text or image | $0.08/sec | $2.40 | $7.20 |
| 67= | Kling 3.0 · 720p, native audio (Kling plan credits) | Yes | Text or image | 9 cr/sec × $0.01 | $2.70 | $8.10 |
| 112= | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 720p (xAI API) New Oct 27 | Yes (default) | Text or image | $0.14/sec | $4.20 | $12.60 |
| 163= | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 1080p (xAI API) New Oct 27 | Yes (default) | Text or image | $0.25/sec | $7.50 | $22.50 |
Credit tools valued at the entry paid plan’s annual price per credit (Kling Standard $0.0100). More head-to-heads: Cheapest AI video API, LTX vs Wan cost, Seedance vs Wan cost, Cheapest AI video generator.
What you get (from xAI’s docs, checked Oct 27, 2026)
- Length: 1–15 seconds per generation (default 8). A 30s or 60s video is 2 or 4 clips stitched together.
- Resolution: 480p (default), 720p or 1080p. Grok Imagine 1.5 renders 1080p natively (reference-to-video up to 720p); 1.5 Lite renders 720p and upscales to 1080p.
- Aspect ratios: 1:1, 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 3:4, 3:2, 2:3, 21:9 and 5:2; image-to-video follows the input image — vertical Shorts and TikToks are supported (TikTok and Shorts cost).
- Audio: generated by default with lip-synced speech;
generate_audio=falsegives a silent clip at the same listed price. - 1.5 vs Lite: 1.5 supports up to 14 reference images, 3 voice references, first/last frame and up to 4 keyframes; Lite supports none of them. Text-to-video on both renders a first frame from your prompt and then animates it.
Watermark rules, commercial-use terms, minimum top-up and credit expiry are not stated on xAI’s pricing or video pages — unverified; check the xAI API terms before you publish or buy.
Sources (checked Oct 27, 2026)
- xAI API pricing — per-second video prices by model and resolution, input image price.
- Grok Imagine Video 1.5 model page and 1.5 Lite model page.
- xAI video overview and video generation guide — length, resolutions, aspect ratios, audio toggle, features.
- Runway API pricing — grok_imagine_1_5_lite 2 / 3 / 14 and grok_imagine_1_5 10 / 16 / 29 credits per second.
- Runway Academy credits page — app credits (1.5 Lite figures conflict with the API, see flag).
FAQ
How much does Grok Imagine cost per second?
On xAI's API (checked Oct 27, 2026): Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Lite is $0.02 per second at 480p, $0.03 at 720p and $0.14 at 1080p (720p upscaled); Grok Imagine Video 1.5 is $0.08, $0.14 and $0.25 (native 1080p). Audio is included, text-to-video and image-to-video cost the same, and each input image adds $0.01.
How much does a 30-second Grok Imagine video cost?
Clips are 1 to 15 seconds, so 30 seconds is two generations. One 30-second try costs $0.60 on 1.5 Lite 480p, $0.90 at 720p and $2.40 on 1.5 at 480p. With 2 retries (3 attempts, our usable-clip convention) that is $1.80, $2.70 and $7.20; 1.5 at 1080p is $22.50.
Is Grok Imagine cheaper on xAI or on Runway?
For 1.5 Lite the Runway API charges 2, 3 and 14 credits per second at $0.01 a credit, the same as xAI. For the full 1.5 model xAI direct is cheaper: $0.08, $0.14 and $0.25 per second vs 10, 16 and 29 Runway API credits ($0.10, $0.16, $0.29). In the Runway app 1.5 costs the same 10, 16 and 29 credits, so a usable 30-second 480p clip is $17.28 on Standard annual credits, $11.20 on Pro and $7.20 on a fully used Max plan.
Is Grok Imagine the cheapest AI video generator?
On price per usable 30-second clip, yes as of Oct 27, 2026: Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 480p at $0.02 per second ($1.80 with 2 retries) is #1 of the 210 rates ClipCost ranks, ahead of Wan 2.6 Flash 720p without audio on Alibaba Cloud ($2.25, image-to-video only). Its 720p ($2.70) ties for third with LTX-2.3 Fast 720p, Veo 3.1 Lite 720p without audio and Kling 2.6 Standard. This is cost only, not a quality ranking.
Does Grok Imagine include audio, and can I turn it off?
Yes. xAI's video docs say audio with lip-synced speech is generated by default, and setting generate_audio to false returns a silent video. xAI lists one price per resolution, so turning audio off does not lower the price. Runway's pricing pages do not say whether Grok Imagine includes audio.
What is the difference between Grok Imagine 1.5 and 1.5 Lite?
Lite is 4x cheaper at 480p ($0.02 vs $0.08 per second) but tops out at 720p; its 1080p is 720p upscaled at $0.14. Grok Imagine 1.5 renders native 1080p ($0.25) and supports up to 14 reference images, 3 voice references, first and last frame and up to 4 keyframes; xAI says Lite supports none of those. Both make 1 to 15 seconds per clip at 480p, 720p or 1080p in nine aspect ratios including 16:9 and 9:16.