ClipCost · xAI API (Grok Imagine) pricing · Seedance pricing · Runway pricing · Pika pricing · Grok Imagine cost · Grok Imagine vs Veo cost · Grok Imagine vs Kling cost · Grok Imagine vs Wan cost · Grok Imagine vs LTX cost · Grok Imagine vs Hailuo cost · Seedance 2.5 cost · Seedance vs LTX cost · Seedance vs Wan cost · Seedance vs Veo cost · Seedance vs Kling cost · AI video API pricing · Published Oct 30, 2026 · Prices checked Oct 30, 2026 · Ranked rates from verified data (JSON)

Grok Imagine vs Seedance cost: xAI Grok Imagine 1.5 and 1.5 Lite vs ByteDance Seedance 2.0, 2.0 Fast, 2.0 Mini and 2.5, per second and per clip

xAI’s Grok Imagine Video 1.5 / 1.5 Lite and ByteDance’s Seedance (2.0, 2.0 Fast, 2.0 Mini, 2.5) both sell video by the second through an API and inside Runway. Here is every verified rate — the xAI API, BytePlus ModelArk, the Runway API, the Runway app and Pika — priced per 10s, 20s, 30s and 60s clip with the retries you will actually need.

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Affiliate disclosure: some links on ClipCost may be affiliate links; if you sign up we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the numbers — every price below comes from the official pages listed under Sources.

Quick answer

Grok Imagine is cheaper than Seedance in 14 of 16 match-ups — at 480p, 720p, 1080p and on Runway. Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite on xAI’s API is $0.02 per second at 480p and $0.03 at 720p, audio included — $1.80 and $2.70 per usable 30-second clip (3 attempts; #1 and #5= of all 210 rates we rank). Seedance’s cheapest is Seedance 2.0 Mini on BytePlus ModelArk: $0.036 per second at 480p ($3.24, #11) and $0.076 at 720p ($6.84, about 2.5× Grok Lite). At native 1080p Grok Imagine 1.5 ($0.25, $22.50) beats Seedance 2.0 ($0.374, $33.66) and Seedance 2.5 ($51.17). Seedance’s one win is the flagship tier at 480p: Seedance 2.0 at $0.07 per second ($6.30) vs Grok Imagine 1.5 at $0.08 ($7.20); in the Runway app the two tie at 720p (16 credits per second each). Only Seedance offers 4K and 30-second single generations.

Basis: usable = 3 attempts (1 + 2 retries) at the list price per second, as in our calculator. BytePlus prices Seedance per 5-second video (no video input); ClipCost divides by 5. Rank = position among the 210 verified usable-30s rates in our verified data (ties share a rank); API # = position among the 138 rates on AI video API pricing. Runway app rows use Standard annual credits ($12/mo for 625 = $0.0192 per credit) except Seedance 2.5, which Runway offers on Pro and Max only (Pro annual $28 for 2,250 = $0.0124); Pika uses Starter annual credits ($8/mo for 900 = $0.0089 per credit). Cost only — no quality ranking.

Grok Imagine vs Seedance head-to-head (usable 30-second clip)

Grok Imagine wins 14 of 16 counted match-ups, Seedance 1 (flagship 480p), 1 tie (Runway app 720p); 4K and single 30-second generations (Seedance only) are not counted. Every Grok Imagine rate includes generated audio; BytePlus does not list a separate Seedance audio price.

Every Grok Imagine and Seedance route, cheapest first

Runway app rows on Max annual credits ($0.008 per credit): Grok Imagine 1.5 480p $7.20, 720p $11.52; Seedance 2.0 Mini $11.52, Seedance 2.0 1080p $28.80, Seedance 2.5 720p $21.60. Grok Imagine 1.5 app rows (image-to-video, per the Runway Academy credits page), Seedance 2.0 at 480p / 720p (36/sec) and 4K (150/sec) in the Runway app and Seedance 2.0 4K on BytePlus are official prices not in our usable-30s ranking (“would be #”); Runway API rows are ranked only among API rates. Runway charges +1 credit per image or audio reference for Grok; Runway API minimums per generation are 28 (seedance2_mini), 44 (seedance2_fast), 56 (seedance2) and 80 credits (seedance2_5, plus 10 / 15 / 34 credits per second of input video). Flag: the Runway Academy page lists Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite in the app at 10 / 15 / 70 credits per second while the Runway API lists 2 / 3 / 14; we could not confirm which applies in the app, so those rows are left out. Pika lists only a 5-second Seedance 2.5 price, so longer clips are costed as 5-second generations.

Cost per 10s, 20s, 30s and 60s clip: try and usable

Per-second billing for every row (BytePlus 5-second price ÷ 5). Grok Imagine makes 1–15 seconds per generation (default 8, xAI video generation guide); Seedance 2.0 / Fast / Mini make 4–15 seconds and Seedance 2.5 up to 30 (BytePlus ModelArk pricing). Longer clips are stitched from several generations at the same per-second price.

Which to pick (on cost)

• Cheapest drafts and Shorts with sound: Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite on xAI, $1.80 at 480p or $2.70 at 720p per usable 30s — see xAI API (Grok Imagine) pricing and Grok Imagine cost.
• Cheapest Seedance: Seedance 2.0 Mini on BytePlus, $3.24 at 480p or $6.84 at 720p — see Seedance pricing.
• Flagship at 480p: Seedance 2.0 ($6.30) edges Grok Imagine 1.5 ($7.20); at 720p and 1080p Grok Imagine 1.5 is cheaper ($12.60 vs $13.68, $22.50 vs $33.66).
• Newest models: Grok Imagine 1.5 over Seedance 2.5 ($22.50 vs $51.17 at 1080p) — see Seedance 2.5 cost.
• 4K or one continuous 30-second shot: Seedance only — Seedance 2.0 4K on BytePlus ($70.02) or Seedance 2.5 up to 30 seconds per generation ($20.81 at 720p).
• Building on an API: Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite on xAI for 480p/720p with audio — see Cheapest AI video API.
• Already paying for Runway: grok_imagine_1_5_lite on the Runway API (same price as xAI); in the app, Grok Imagine 1.5 480p ($17.28) over Seedance 2.0 Mini ($27.65). Both are cheaper bought direct. See Runway pricing and Runway models ranked by cost.

Related: calculator · Runway vs Kling vs Pika vs Veo · AI video pricing comparison · AI video API pricing · Cheapest AI video API · Cheapest AI video generator · Grok Imagine cost · Grok Imagine vs Veo cost · Grok Imagine vs Kling cost · Grok Imagine vs Wan cost · Seedance 2.5 cost · Seedance vs LTX cost · Seedance vs Wan cost · Seedance vs Veo cost · Seedance vs Kling cost · Runway API pricing · AI video for TikTok/Shorts cost · FAQ.

Sources (checked Oct 30, 2026)

• xAI API pricing — grok-imagine-video-1.5 $0.08 / $0.14 / $0.25 and grok-imagine-video-1.5-lite $0.02 / $0.03 / $0.14 per second at 480p / 720p / 1080p, +$0.01 per input image. Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite model page — 1080p is rendered at 720p and upscaled (checked Oct 27, 2026). xAI video generation guide — 1 to 15 seconds per generation; generate_audio=false for a silent clip.
• BytePlus ModelArk pricing — Dreamina Seedance 2.0 $0.35 / $0.76 / $1.87 / $3.89 per 5-second video at 480p / 720p / 1080p / 4K; 2.0 Fast $0.28 / $0.60 and 2.0 Mini $0.18 / $0.38 at 480p / 720p; 2.5 $0.514 / $1.156 / $2.843 at 480p / 720p / 1080p; no video input. The table also shows rounded per-second figures; ClipCost uses the per-video price ÷ 5. Seedance 2.0 series tutorial — text-to-video, image-to-video and video with audio (checked Oct 26, 2026).
• Runway API pricing — grok_imagine_1_5_lite 2 / 3 / 14, grok_imagine_1_5 10 / 16 / 29 credits per second (480p / 720p / 1080p); seedance2_mini 7 / 15, seedance2_fast 11 / 24, seedance2 14 / 30 / 40 / 150, seedance2_5 20 / 30 / 68; $0.01 per credit. Runway Academy credits page — Grok Imagine 1.5 10 / 16 / 29 (image-to-video); Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 10 / 15 / 70 (conflicts with the API, see flag); Seedance 2.0 36 / 36 / 40 / 150, 2.0 Fast 29, 2.0 Mini 16, 2.5 20 / 30 credits per second. runway.com/pricing — Standard $12/mo annual for 625 credits, Pro $28 for 2,250, Max $76 for 9,500; Seedance 2.5 on Pro / Max.
• pika.art/pricing — Seedance 2.5 720p 5s = 122 credits; Starter $10/mo ($8/mo annual) for 900 credits.

FAQ

Is Grok Imagine or Seedance cheaper?

Grok Imagine, in almost every match-up we price (checked Oct 30, 2026). Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite on xAI's API is $0.02 per second at 480p and $0.03 at 720p with audio included: $1.80 and $2.70 per usable 30-second clip with 2 retries. Seedance's cheapest rate, Seedance 2.0 Mini on BytePlus ModelArk, is $0.036 per second at 480p ($3.24) and $0.076 at 720p ($6.84, about 2.5 times Grok Lite). Grok Imagine wins 14 of the 16 match-ups, Seedance 1 (Seedance 2.0 480p at $0.07 per second beats Grok Imagine 1.5 480p at $0.08), with 1 tie. Seedance is the only one of the two with 4K and 30-second generations.

How much does a 30-second video cost on Grok Imagine vs Seedance?

With 2 retries (3 attempts), a usable 30-second clip costs $1.80 on Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 480p, $2.70 at 720p, $12.60 on Grok Imagine 1.5 720p and $22.50 at native 1080p (xAI API, audio included). On BytePlus ModelArk it is $3.24 with Seedance 2.0 Mini 480p, $6.84 at 720p, $10.80 with Seedance 2.0 Fast 720p, $13.68 with Seedance 2.0 720p, $33.66 at 1080p and $20.81 with Seedance 2.5 720p. One 30-second try is a third of that. Grok Imagine makes 1 to 15 seconds per generation, Seedance 2.0 4 to 15 and Seedance 2.5 up to 30.

Which is cheaper at 1080p and 4K, Grok Imagine or Seedance?

At 1080p, Grok Imagine. Native 1080p Grok Imagine 1.5 is $0.25 per second ($22.50 usable 30s) against $0.374 for Seedance 2.0 ($33.66, about 1.5 times as much) and $0.5686 for Seedance 2.5 ($51.17) on BytePlus; Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite's 1080p is $0.14 ($12.60) but is rendered at 720p and upscaled. Seedance 2.0 Mini and Fast stop at 720p. Only Seedance offers 4K: $3.89 per 5-second video for Seedance 2.0 on BytePlus ($0.778 per second, $70.02 usable 30s).

Is Grok Imagine or Seedance cheaper on Runway?

Grok Imagine, with one tie. On the Runway API grok_imagine_1_5_lite costs 2 / 3 / 14 credits per second (480p / 720p / 1080p) at $0.01 a credit, against 7 / 15 for seedance2_mini, so a usable 30-second clip is $2.70 vs $13.50 at 720p; at 1080p grok_imagine_1_5 (29) beats seedance2 (40). In the Runway app Grok Imagine 1.5 (image-to-video) is 10 / 16 / 29 credits per second against 16 for Seedance 2.0 Mini, 29 for 2.0 Fast and 36 / 40 for Seedance 2.0 at 720p / 1080p; on Standard annual credits ($12 for 625) that is $17.28 vs $27.65, and a tie at 720p ($27.65 each). The Runway app lists Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite at 10 / 15 / 70 credits, which conflicts with the API's 2 / 3 / 14, so check the credit cost in the app before you generate.

Do Grok Imagine and Seedance include audio in the price?

Grok Imagine does: xAI charges one price per resolution with generated audio on by default, and generate_audio=false gives a silent clip at the same price, so there is no silent discount. BytePlus prices Seedance per resolution and does not list a separate audio price; Runway describes Seedance 2.0, 2.0 Fast and 2.5 as video with audio (Seedance 2.0 Mini audio is not stated). So with or without sound the comparison is the same: Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 720p at $0.03 per second against Seedance 2.0 Mini 720p at $0.076.

How do Grok Imagine and Seedance bill you?

xAI bills Grok Imagine in US dollars per second of generated video, one price per resolution (480p, 720p, 1080p), plus $0.01 per input image, for 1 to 15 seconds per generation. Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk is pay-as-you-go per successfully generated video, listed as a price per 5-second video (for example $0.18 for Seedance 2.0 Mini at 480p and $0.76 for Seedance 2.0 at 720p); generations that use video input are token-priced and cost more. ClipCost divides the BytePlus 5-second price by 5 to compare per second. Through Runway both cost credits per second; Pika sells Seedance 2.5 at 122 credits per 5-second 720p clip.