ClipCost · xAI API (Grok Imagine) pricing · Alibaba Cloud (Wan API) pricing · Runway pricing · Pika pricing · Grok Imagine cost · Grok Imagine vs Veo cost · Grok Imagine vs Kling cost · Grok Imagine vs Seedance cost · Grok Imagine vs LTX cost · Grok Imagine vs Hailuo cost · Wan 2.6 cost · Wan API pricing · LTX vs Wan cost · Seedance vs Wan cost · Wan vs Kling cost · AI video API pricing · Published Oct 29, 2026 · Prices checked Oct 29, 2026 · Ranked rates from verified data (JSON)
Grok Imagine vs Wan cost: xAI Grok Imagine 1.5 and 1.5 Lite vs Wan 3.0, 2.7, 2.6 and 2.6 Flash, per second and per clip
xAI’s Grok Imagine Video 1.5 / 1.5 Lite and Alibaba’s Wan (3.0, 3.0 Prime, 2.7, 2.6, 2.6 Flash) both bill by the second. Here is every verified rate — the xAI API, Alibaba Cloud Model Studio, 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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Quick answer
Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite is the cheapest way to get 480p or 720p video with sound; Wan is cheaper for silent clips, at 1080p and in the flagship tier. 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 159 rates we rank). Wan’s cheapest 720p with audio, Wan 2.6 Flash on Alibaba Cloud, is $0.05 per second ($4.50, #20=, image-to-video only) and Wan 2.6 text-to-video with audio is $0.10 ($9.00, 3.3× Grok Lite). Wan wins silent and 1080p: Wan 2.6 Flash without audio is $0.025 per second ($2.25, #2=, tied with MiniMax H3-Lite 480P since Oct 31, 2026 and Luma Ray3.2 540p since Nov 2) and $0.0375 at 1080p ($3.38), and the flagship Wan 3.0 ($0.05 / $0.10 / $0.20) undercuts Grok Imagine 1.5 ($0.08 / $0.14 / $0.25) at every resolution — $18.00 vs $22.50 at 1080p. Wan wins 9 of 16 match-ups, Grok 7; on the Runway API Grok Lite is cheaper, in the Runway app Wan is. Neither does 4K.
Checked Oct 29, 2026: Grok Imagine Video 1.5 / 1.5 Lite rates unchanged on xAI API pricing; Wan 3.0 / 3.0 Prime / 2.7 / 2.6 / 2.6 Flash rates unchanged on Alibaba Cloud Model Studio pricing (page last updated Oct 29, 2026); Runway API grok_imagine_* and wan3 / wan3_prime rates unchanged on Runway API pricing; Grok Imagine 1.5 and Wan app credits unchanged on the Runway Academy credits page; Pika Wan 3.0 credits and Starter plan unchanged on pika.art/pricing; Runway Standard / Max plan prices unchanged on runway.com/pricing. No data changes.
Basis: usable = 3 attempts (1 + 2 retries) at the list price per second, as in our calculator. 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. Alibaba prices are Singapore (International) list prices; Runway app rows use Standard annual credits ($12/mo for 625 = $0.0192 per credit); Pika uses Starter annual credits ($8/mo for 900 = $0.0089 per credit). Cost only — no quality ranking.
Grok Imagine vs Wan head-to-head (usable 30-second clip)
| Use case | Grok Imagine: route · rate · usable 30s (rank) | Wan: route · rate · usable 30s (rank) | Cheaper | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest rate, any route | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 480p · xAI API · $0.02/sec · $1.80 (#1) | Wan 2.6 Flash · 720p, no audio, image-to-video · Alibaba Cloud API · $0.025/sec · $2.25 (#2=) | Grok Imagine, $0.45 less | Grok 1.5 Lite 480p with audio vs Wan’s cheapest, Wan 2.6 Flash 720p silent (image-to-video only) |
| Cheapest 480p | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 480p · xAI API · $0.02/sec · $1.80 (#1) | Wan 3.0 · 480p · Alibaba Cloud API · $0.05/sec · $4.50 (#24=) | Grok Imagine, $2.70 less | Wan 3.0 is the only Wan model with a 480p price (audio not stated on Alibaba’s price list) |
| Cheapest 720p with audio | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 720p · xAI API · $0.03/sec · $2.70 (#5=) | Wan 2.6 Flash · 720p, with audio, image-to-video · Alibaba Cloud API · $0.05/sec · $4.50 (#24=) | Grok Imagine, $1.80 less | Wan 2.6 Flash with audio is image-to-video only |
| 720p text-to-video with audio | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 720p · xAI API · $0.03/sec · $2.70 (#5=) | Wan 2.6 · 720p, with audio · Alibaba Cloud API · $0.10/sec · $9.00 (#75=) | Grok Imagine, $6.30 less | Wan 2.7 720p is the same $0.10/sec |
| Cheapest silent clip | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 720p · xAI API · $0.03/sec · $2.70 (#5=) | Wan 2.6 Flash · 720p, no audio, image-to-video · Alibaba Cloud API · $0.025/sec · $2.25 (#2=) | Wan, $0.45 less | Grok has no silent discount (generate_audio=false costs the same); Wan 2.6 Flash halves its price without audio |
| Cheapest 1080p, silent | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 1080p (720p upscaled) · xAI API · $0.14/sec · $12.60 (#112=) | Wan 2.6 Flash · 1080p, no audio, image-to-video · Alibaba Cloud API · $0.0375/sec · $3.38 (#15) | Wan, $9.22 less | Grok Lite 1080p is 720p upscaled; Wan 2.6 Flash 1080p no audio (image-to-video) |
| Cheapest 1080p with audio | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 1080p (720p upscaled) · xAI API · $0.14/sec · $12.60 (#112=) | Wan 2.6 Flash · 1080p, with audio, image-to-video · Alibaba Cloud API · $0.075/sec · $6.75 (#52=) | Wan, $5.85 less | Wan 2.6 Flash 1080p with audio (image-to-video) |
| 1080p text-to-video with audio | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 1080p (720p upscaled) · xAI API · $0.14/sec · $12.60 (#112=) | Wan 2.6 · 1080p, with audio · Alibaba Cloud API · $0.15/sec · $13.50 (#121=) | Grok Imagine, $0.90 less | Grok Lite’s 1080p is 720p upscaled; Wan 2.6 / 2.7 1080p is native ($0.15/sec) |
| Flagship, 480p | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 480p · xAI API · $0.08/sec · $7.20 (#56=) | Wan 3.0 · 480p · Alibaba Cloud API · $0.05/sec · $4.50 (#24=) | Wan, $2.70 less | Grok Imagine 1.5 vs Wan 3.0 (list price; Alibaba shows a limited-time 30% discount, not applied) |
| Flagship, 720p | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 720p · xAI API · $0.14/sec · $12.60 (#112=) | Wan 3.0 · 720p · Alibaba Cloud API · $0.10/sec · $9.00 (#75=) | Wan, $3.60 less | Grok Imagine 1.5 vs Wan 3.0 |
| Flagship, native 1080p | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 1080p · xAI API · $0.25/sec · $22.50 (#163=) | Wan 3.0 · 1080p · Alibaba Cloud API · $0.20/sec · $18.00 (#145=) | Wan, $4.50 less | Grok Imagine 1.5 vs Wan 3.0 |
| Runway API, cheapest each | grok_imagine_1_5_lite · 480p · Runway API · 2.00 cr/sec × $0.01 · $1.80 (not ranked; would be #1=) | wan3 · 480p · Runway API · 5.00 cr/sec × $0.01 · $4.50 (not ranked; would be #24=) | Grok Imagine, $2.70 less | grok_imagine_1_5_lite 480p 2 cr/s vs wan3 480p 5 cr/s |
| Runway API, 720p | grok_imagine_1_5_lite · 720p · Runway API · 3.00 cr/sec × $0.01 · $2.70 (not ranked; would be #5=) | wan3 · 720p · Runway API · 10.00 cr/sec × $0.01 · $9.00 (not ranked; would be #75=) | Grok Imagine, $6.30 less | grok_imagine_1_5_lite 720p 3 cr/s vs wan3 720p 10 cr/s |
| Runway API, flagship 1080p | grok_imagine_1_5 · 1080p · Runway API · 29.00 cr/sec × $0.01 · $26.10 (not ranked; would be #173) | wan3 · 1080p · Runway API · 20.00 cr/sec × $0.01 · $18.00 (not ranked; would be #145=) | Wan, $8.10 less | grok_imagine_1_5 1080p 29 cr/s vs wan3 1080p 20 cr/s |
| Inside the Runway app, cheapest each | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 480p · Runway app (Standard) · 10 cr/sec × $0.0192 · $17.28 (not ranked; would be #139=) | Wan 3.0 · 480p · Runway app (Standard) · 5 cr/sec × $0.0192 · $8.64 (#72=) | Wan, $8.64 less | Grok Imagine 1.5 480p 10 cr/s vs Wan 3.0 480p 5 cr/s (Wan 2.6 Flash 720p is also 5 cr/s); Standard annual credits |
| Inside the Runway app, 720p with audio | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 720p · Runway app (Standard) · 16 cr/sec × $0.0192 · $27.65 (not ranked; would be #177=) | Wan 3.0 · 720p · Runway app (Standard) · 10 cr/sec × $0.0192 · $17.28 (#139=) | Wan, $10.37 less | Grok Imagine 1.5 720p 16 cr/s vs Wan 3.0 720p 10 cr/s |
| One 30-second generation | Not possible (Grok Imagine makes 1–15s per generation) | Wan 3.0 · Alibaba Cloud API · 2–30s per generation | Wan only | Not counted; per-second price is the same either way |
Wan wins 9 of 16 counted match-ups (silent clips, 1080p, the flagship tier, the Runway app and the Runway API flagship), Grok Imagine 7 (480p and 720p with audio, 1080p text-to-video via Lite’s upscale, and the Runway API Lite rows); no ties. Every Grok Imagine rate includes generated audio; Wan rows say whether audio is on. Alibaba’s price list does not state whether Wan 3.0 output has audio (Runway describes Wan 3.0 as video with audio).
Every Grok Imagine and Wan route, cheapest first
| Rank (of 210) | API # (of 146) | Family | Route | Model | Rate | 30s try | Usable 30s | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not ranked (would be #1=) | #1= | Grok Imagine | Runway API | grok_imagine_1_5_lite · 480p | 2.00 cr/sec × $0.01 | $0.60 | $1.80 | Yes (on by default, same price) |
| 1 | #1= | Grok Imagine | xAI API | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 480p | $0.02/sec | $0.60 | $1.80 | Yes (on by default, same price) |
| 2= | #3= | Wan | Alibaba Cloud API | Wan 2.6 Flash · 720p, no audio, image-to-video | $0.025/sec | $0.75 | $2.25 | No (video only) |
| Not ranked (would be #5=) | #5= | Grok Imagine | Runway API | grok_imagine_1_5_lite · 720p | 3.00 cr/sec × $0.01 | $0.90 | $2.70 | Yes (on by default, same price) |
| 5= | #5= | Grok Imagine | xAI API | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 720p | $0.03/sec | $0.90 | $2.70 | Yes (on by default, same price) |
| 15 | #12 | Wan | Alibaba Cloud API | Wan 2.6 Flash · 1080p, no audio, image-to-video | $0.0375/sec | $1.13 | $3.38 | No (video only) |
| 24= | #20= | Wan | Alibaba Cloud API | Wan 2.6 Flash · 720p, with audio, image-to-video | $0.05/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 | Yes |
| 24= | #20= | Wan | Alibaba Cloud API | Wan 3.0 · 480p | $0.05/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 | Not stated |
| Not ranked (would be #24=) | #20= | Wan | Runway API | wan3 · 480p | 5.00 cr/sec × $0.01 | $1.50 | $4.50 | Yes (Runway: video with audio) |
| 33 | — | Wan | Pika (Starter) | Wan 3.0 · 720p (5s generations) | 33 cr / 5s × $0.0089 | $1.76 | $5.28 | Not stated |
| 45 | #35= | Wan | Alibaba Cloud API | Wan 3.0 Prime (fast) · 480p | $0.068/sec | $2.04 | $6.12 | Not stated |
| Not ranked (would be #45=) | #35= | Wan | Runway API | wan3_prime · 480p | 6.80 cr/sec × $0.01 | $2.04 | $6.12 | Not stated |
| 52= | #42= | Wan | Alibaba Cloud API | Wan 2.6 Flash · 1080p, with audio, image-to-video | $0.075/sec | $2.25 | $6.75 | Yes |
| 56= | #45= | Grok Imagine | xAI API | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 480p | $0.08/sec | $2.40 | $7.20 | Yes (on by default, same price) |
| 72= | — | Wan | Runway app (Standard) | Wan 2.6 Flash · 720p | 5 cr/sec × $0.0192 | $2.88 | $8.64 | Same price with or without |
| 72= | — | Wan | Runway app (Standard) | Wan 3.0 · 480p | 5 cr/sec × $0.0192 | $2.88 | $8.64 | Yes (Runway: video with audio) |
| Not ranked (would be #75=) | #55= | Grok Imagine | Runway API | grok_imagine_1_5 · 480p | 10.00 cr/sec × $0.01 | $3.00 | $9.00 | Yes (on by default, same price) |
| 75= | #55= | Wan | Alibaba Cloud API | Wan 2.6 · 720p, with audio | $0.10/sec | $3.00 | $9.00 | Yes |
| 75= | #55= | Wan | Alibaba Cloud API | Wan 2.7 · 720p, with audio | $0.10/sec | $3.00 | $9.00 | Yes |
| 75= | #55= | Wan | Alibaba Cloud API | Wan 3.0 · 720p | $0.10/sec | $3.00 | $9.00 | Not stated |
| Not ranked (would be #75=) | #55= | Wan | Runway API | wan3 · 720p | 10.00 cr/sec × $0.01 | $3.00 | $9.00 | Yes (Runway: video with audio) |
| Not ranked (would be #112=) | #82= | Grok Imagine | Runway API | grok_imagine_1_5_lite · 1080p | 14.00 cr/sec × $0.01 | $4.20 | $12.60 | Yes (on by default, same price) |
| 112= | #82= | Grok Imagine | xAI API | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 720p | $0.14/sec | $4.20 | $12.60 | Yes (on by default, same price) |
| 112= | #82= | Grok Imagine | xAI API | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 1080p (720p upscaled) | $0.14/sec | $4.20 | $12.60 | Yes (on by default, same price) |
| 112= | #82= | Wan | Alibaba Cloud API | Wan 3.0 Prime (fast) · 720p | $0.14/sec | $4.20 | $12.60 | Not stated |
| Not ranked (would be #112=) | #82= | Wan | Runway API | wan3_prime · 720p | 14.00 cr/sec × $0.01 | $4.20 | $12.60 | Not stated |
| 121= | #93= | Wan | Alibaba Cloud API | Wan 2.6 · 1080p, with audio | $0.15/sec | $4.50 | $13.50 | Yes |
| 121= | #93= | Wan | Alibaba Cloud API | Wan 2.7 · 1080p, with audio | $0.15/sec | $4.50 | $13.50 | Yes |
| Not ranked (would be #129=) | #100= | Grok Imagine | Runway API | grok_imagine_1_5 · 720p | 16.00 cr/sec × $0.01 | $4.80 | $14.40 | Yes (on by default, same price) |
| Not ranked (would be #139=) | — | Grok Imagine | Runway app (Standard) | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 480p | 10 cr/sec × $0.0192 | $5.76 | $17.28 | Yes (on by default, same price) |
| 139= | — | Wan | Runway app (Standard) | Wan 2.6 · 720p | 10 cr/sec × $0.0192 | $5.76 | $17.28 | Same price with or without |
| 139= | — | Wan | Runway app (Standard) | Wan 2.6 Flash · 1080p | 10 cr/sec × $0.0192 | $5.76 | $17.28 | Same price with or without |
| 139= | — | Wan | Runway app (Standard) | Wan 3.0 · 720p | 10 cr/sec × $0.0192 | $5.76 | $17.28 | Yes (Runway: video with audio) |
| 145= | #108= | Wan | Alibaba Cloud API | Wan 3.0 · 1080p | $0.20/sec | $6.00 | $18.00 | Not stated |
| Not ranked (would be #145=) | #108= | Wan | Runway API | wan3 · 1080p | 20.00 cr/sec × $0.01 | $6.00 | $18.00 | Yes (Runway: video with audio) |
| 163= | #119= | Grok Imagine | xAI API | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 1080p | $0.25/sec | $7.50 | $22.50 | Yes (on by default, same price) |
| 168= | #122= | Wan | Alibaba Cloud API | Wan 3.0 Prime (fast) · 1080p | $0.28/sec | $8.40 | $25.20 | Not stated |
| Not ranked (would be #168=) | #122= | Wan | Runway API | wan3_prime · 1080p | 28.00 cr/sec × $0.01 | $8.40 | $25.20 | Not stated |
| 170= | — | Wan | Runway app (Standard) | Wan 2.6 · 1080p | 15 cr/sec × $0.0192 | $8.64 | $25.92 | Same price with or without |
| Not ranked (would be #173) | #125 | Grok Imagine | Runway API | grok_imagine_1_5 · 1080p | 29.00 cr/sec × $0.01 | $8.70 | $26.10 | Yes (on by default, same price) |
| Not ranked (would be #177=) | — | Grok Imagine | Runway app (Standard) | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 720p | 16 cr/sec × $0.0192 | $9.22 | $27.65 | Yes (on by default, same price) |
| 189= | — | Wan | Runway app (Standard) | Wan 3.0 · 1080p | 20 cr/sec × $0.0192 | $11.52 | $34.56 | Yes (Runway: video with audio) |
| Not ranked (would be #201=) | — | Grok Imagine | Runway app (Standard) | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 1080p | 29 cr/sec × $0.0192 | $16.70 | $50.11 | Yes (on by default, same price) |
Runway app rows on Max annual credits ($0.008 per credit): Grok Imagine 1.5 480p $7.20, 720p $11.52; Wan 3.0 480p $3.60, 720p $7.20. Grok Imagine 1.5 app rows (image-to-video, per the Runway Academy credits page) 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. 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. Wan 2.6 and 2.6 Flash in the Runway app are one price with or without audio; wan3_prime is API only. Pika lists only a 5-second Wan 3.0 price, so longer clips are costed as 5-second generations.
Cost per 10s, 20s, 30s and 60s clip: try and usable
| Model | Route | 10s try | 10s usable | 20s try | 20s usable | 30s try | 30s usable | 60s try | 60s usable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grok Imagine: Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 480p | xAI API | $0.20 | $0.60 | $0.40 | $1.20 | $0.60 | $1.80 | $1.20 | $3.60 |
| Wan: Wan 2.6 Flash · 720p, no audio, image-to-video | Alibaba Cloud API | $0.25 | $0.75 | $0.50 | $1.50 | $0.75 | $2.25 | $1.50 | $4.50 |
| Grok Imagine: Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 720p | xAI API | $0.30 | $0.90 | $0.60 | $1.80 | $0.90 | $2.70 | $1.80 | $5.40 |
| Wan: Wan 2.6 Flash · 1080p, no audio, image-to-video | Alibaba Cloud API | $0.38 | $1.13 | $0.75 | $2.25 | $1.13 | $3.38 | $2.25 | $6.75 |
| Wan: Wan 2.6 Flash · 720p, with audio, image-to-video | Alibaba Cloud API | $0.50 | $1.50 | $1.00 | $3.00 | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 |
| Wan: Wan 3.0 · 480p | Alibaba Cloud API | $0.50 | $1.50 | $1.00 | $3.00 | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 |
| Wan: Wan 3.0 · 720p (5s generations) | Pika (Starter) | $0.59 | $1.76 | $1.17 | $3.52 | $1.76 | $5.28 | $3.52 | $10.56 |
| Wan: Wan 2.6 Flash · 1080p, with audio, image-to-video | Alibaba Cloud API | $0.75 | $2.25 | $1.50 | $4.50 | $2.25 | $6.75 | $4.50 | $13.50 |
| Grok Imagine: Grok Imagine 1.5 · 480p | xAI API | $0.80 | $2.40 | $1.60 | $4.80 | $2.40 | $7.20 | $4.80 | $14.40 |
| Wan: Wan 2.6 · 720p, with audio | Alibaba Cloud API | $1.00 | $3.00 | $2.00 | $6.00 | $3.00 | $9.00 | $6.00 | $18.00 |
| Wan: Wan 3.0 · 720p | Alibaba Cloud API | $1.00 | $3.00 | $2.00 | $6.00 | $3.00 | $9.00 | $6.00 | $18.00 |
| Grok Imagine: Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 1080p (720p upscaled) | xAI API | $1.40 | $4.20 | $2.80 | $8.40 | $4.20 | $12.60 | $8.40 | $25.20 |
| Grok Imagine: Grok Imagine 1.5 · 720p | xAI API | $1.40 | $4.20 | $2.80 | $8.40 | $4.20 | $12.60 | $8.40 | $25.20 |
| Wan: Wan 2.6 · 1080p, with audio | Alibaba Cloud API | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 | $4.50 | $13.50 | $9.00 | $27.00 |
| Wan: Wan 3.0 · 1080p | Alibaba Cloud API | $2.00 | $6.00 | $4.00 | $12.00 | $6.00 | $18.00 | $12.00 | $36.00 |
| Grok Imagine: Grok Imagine 1.5 · 1080p | xAI API | $2.50 | $7.50 | $5.00 | $15.00 | $7.50 | $22.50 | $15.00 | $45.00 |
Per-second billing for every row except Pika (5-second generations). Grok Imagine makes 1–15 seconds per generation (default 8, xAI video generation guide); Wan 2.6 / 2.7 / 2.6 Flash make up to 15 seconds and Wan 3.0 2–30 seconds on Alibaba Cloud. A 30-second video is two Grok or Wan 2.6 generations, or one Wan 3.0 generation, 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.
- Silent B-roll from a still image: Wan 2.6 Flash without audio on Alibaba Cloud, $2.25 at 720p or $3.38 at 1080p — see Wan API pricing and Alibaba Cloud (Wan API) pricing.
- 1080p with audio: Wan 2.6 Flash 1080p ($6.75, image-to-video) or, for text-to-video, Grok Lite’s upscaled 1080p ($12.60) vs native Wan 2.6 / 2.7 1080p ($13.50) — see Wan 2.6 cost.
- Flagship models: Wan 3.0 over Grok Imagine 1.5 at every resolution ($9.00 vs $12.60 at 720p, $18.00 vs $22.50 at 1080p), and Wan 3.0 makes up to 30 seconds in one generation.
- Building on an API: Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite on xAI for 480p/720p with audio; Wan 2.6 Flash or Wan 3.0 on Alibaba Cloud for silent, 1080p or flagship work — see Cheapest AI video API.
- Already paying for Runway:
grok_imagine_1_5_liteon the Runway API (same price as xAI); in the app, Wan 3.0 or Wan 2.6 Flash (5 credits per second, $8.64) over Grok Imagine 1.5 ($17.28 at 480p). 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 · Wan 2.6 cost · Wan API pricing · LTX vs Wan cost · Seedance vs Wan cost · Wan vs Kling cost · Runway API pricing · AI video for TikTok/Shorts cost · FAQ.
Sources (checked Oct 29, 2026)
- xAI API pricing —
grok-imagine-video-1.5$0.08 / $0.14 / $0.25 andgrok-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=falsefor a silent clip. - Alibaba Cloud Model Studio pricing (Singapore, International; page last updated Oct 29, 2026) —
wan3.0-videolist $0.05 / $0.10 / $0.20 per second (480P / 720P / 1080P; limited-time 30% off shown, not applied),wan3.0-video-prime$0.068 / $0.14 / $0.28;wan2.7-t2v/wan2.7-i2vandwan2.6-t2v/wan2.6-i2v$0.10 / $0.15 (720P / 1080P, audio video);wan2.6-i2v-flash$0.05 / $0.075 with audio, $0.025 / $0.0375 silent. Billed per second of successfully generated video; Wan 3.0 also bills input video seconds. - Runway API pricing —
grok_imagine_1_5_lite2 / 3 / 14,grok_imagine_1_510 / 16 / 29 credits per second (480p / 720p / 1080p, +1 credit per reference);wan35 / 10 / 20,wan3_prime6.8 / 14 / 28; $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); Wan 3.0 5 / 10 / 20 (video with audio); WAN2.6 10 / 15 and WAN2.6 Flash 5 / 10 (720p / 1080p, with or without audio). runway.com/pricing — Standard $12/mo annual for 625 credits, Max $76/mo annual for 9,500. - pika.art/pricing — Wan 3.0 720p 5s = 33 credits; Starter $10/mo ($8/mo annual) for 900 credits.
FAQ
Is Grok Imagine or Wan cheaper?
It depends on the tier (checked Oct 29, 2026). The cheapest rates are Grok Imagine's: 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, against $4.50 for Wan 2.6 Flash 720p with audio and $9.00 for Wan 2.6 text-to-video with audio on Alibaba Cloud. Wan is cheaper for silent clips (Wan 2.6 Flash 720p without audio, $2.25), at 1080p and in the flagship tier: Wan 3.0 is $0.05 / $0.10 / $0.20 per second (480p / 720p / 1080p) against $0.08 / $0.14 / $0.25 for Grok Imagine 1.5. Wan wins 9 of the 16 match-ups we price, Grok Imagine 7.
How much does a 30-second video with sound cost on Grok Imagine vs Wan?
With 2 retries (3 attempts), a usable 30-second clip with audio 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). On Alibaba Cloud it is $4.50 for Wan 2.6 Flash 720p with audio (image-to-video only), $9.00 for Wan 2.6 or 2.7 720p, $13.50 at 1080p, and $9.00 / $18.00 for Wan 3.0 720p / 1080p (Alibaba's price list does not state Wan 3.0 audio; Runway describes Wan 3.0 as video with audio). One 30-second try is a third of that.
Is Wan cheaper than Grok Imagine if I don't need audio?
Yes. Grok Imagine has no silent price: generate_audio=false gives a silent clip at the same per-second price, so its cheapest 720p is still $0.03 per second ($2.70 usable 30s). Wan 2.6 Flash on Alibaba Cloud halves its price without audio: $0.025 per second at 720p ($2.25) and $0.0375 at 1080p ($3.38), against $12.60 for Grok Lite's 1080p. Wan 2.6 Flash is image-to-video only (first frame); only Grok Lite 480p ($1.80) is cheaper overall.
Which is cheaper at 1080p, Grok Imagine or Wan?
Wan, in every case but one. Wan 2.6 Flash 1080p is $0.075 per second with audio ($6.75 usable 30s) and Wan 3.0 1080p is $0.20 ($18.00), against $0.25 for native 1080p Grok Imagine 1.5 ($22.50). For text-to-video with audio, Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite's 1080p at $0.14 ($12.60) is just under Wan 2.6 / 2.7 1080p at $0.15 ($13.50), but xAI renders Lite at 720p and upscales it. Neither offers 4K.
Is Grok Imagine or Wan cheaper on Runway?
On the Runway API, Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite: grok_imagine_1_5_lite costs 2 / 3 / 14 credits per second (480p / 720p / 1080p) at $0.01 a credit, against 5 / 10 / 20 for wan3, so a usable 30-second clip is $2.70 vs $9.00 at 720p; the full grok_imagine_1_5 (10 / 16 / 29) loses to wan3 at every resolution. In the Runway app Wan is cheaper: Wan 3.0 is 5 / 10 / 20 credits per second and Wan 2.6 Flash 5 / 10 (720p / 1080p), against 10 / 16 / 29 for Grok Imagine 1.5 (image-to-video). On Standard annual credits ($12 for 625) that is $17.28 for Wan 3.0 720p vs $27.65 for Grok Imagine 1.5 720p. 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.
How do Grok Imagine and Wan bill you?
Both bill per second of generated video in US dollars on their own APIs. xAI charges one price per resolution with audio included (lip-synced speech on by default), plus $0.01 per input image, and makes 1 to 15 seconds per generation. Alibaba Cloud Model Studio charges per second of successfully generated video (failed requests are free); Wan 2.6 Flash has separate prices with and without audio, Wan 2.6 / 2.7 make up to 15 seconds and Wan 3.0 makes 2 to 30 seconds per generation, with any input video billed too. ClipCost uses Alibaba's Singapore (International) list prices; Wan 3.0 shows a limited-time 30% discount that we do not apply. Through Runway both cost credits per second; Pika sells Wan 3.0 at 33 credits per 5-second 720p clip.