Grok Imagine Image 2.0: xAI Image Generator Pricing & Test
Grok Imagine Image 2.0 ranks 4th on Artificial Analysis. We tested it and scored it 8.6/10, with pricing from $0.04 to $0.08 per image.
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Grok Imagine is xAI’s image and video generator, and its latest image model, Grok Imagine Image 2.0, ranks fourth on Artificial Analysis, ahead of all Google models. In this article we cover the image model versions, API and app pricing, and results from our image generator ranking, where Grok Imagine 2.0 scored 8.6/10 on September 27, 2026. We didn’t generate new images for this article - all come from that ranking.
Quick Summary
Grok Imagine Image 2.0 produced one of the best text-rendering results in our test (9.5/10) without a single letter error, but was the slowest in the ranking: an average of 71.5 seconds per image. In the API it costs $0.04 to $0.08 per image depending on quality and resolution, and we paid $0.06 per 1K image at “medium” quality. In the Grok app, image generation requires a paid plan. The 8.6 average gave it third place (tied) out of eight models, alongside Nano Banana 2. Our take: it’s a good choice if you’re already paying for SuperGrok, but through the API you can get faster models for similar money.
01Grok Imagine: Features, Pricing & Moderation IssuesGrok Imagine generates images and short videos inside xAI's chatbot. It's fast and loosely moderated - which is both its selling point and its problem.Read →
02Grok Imagine Pricing: Images and Video Costs BreakdownFive models, a 12x price difference between cheapest and most expensive. How much a minute of 1080p costs, which model to choose, and how to cut your bill.Read →
03Grok Imagine Image 2.0: Spot Editing, Sharp Text & 5 InputsThe magic wand edits only what you point at, backgrounds export transparent, and series hold one style. Ready-to-use prompts and four rules that save any generation.Read →
04How Much Does Grok Cost? Free, SuperGrok $30, Plus $100Complete breakdown of Grok's subscription plans from free to $100/month. What you actually get at each tier and when upgrading makes sense.Read →
05AI Image Generator Ranking: 8 Models Tested Side-by-SideWe tested 8 paid AI image generators with identical prompts: scores 0-10, costs from $0.03 to $0.13 per image, speed tests, and non-English text rendering.Read →
06Lesser-Known AI Image Generators Beat Midjourney: 6 Models TestedWe tested six top-ranked AI image generators from Artificial Analysis. Muse Image scored 8.9/10 at just $0.01 per image, while Midjourney v7 ranks 110th.Read →Grok Imagine Image Model Versions
xAI has three image models in its API. Grok Imagine Image 2.0 entered the app on August 7, 2026, and the API a day later. xAI marked the older “quality” model as deprecated. Here’s how they rank on Artificial Analysis as of September 27, 2026:
| API Model | Artificial Analysis Rank | Elo | Price per Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| grok-imagine-image-2.0 | 4 | 1157 | $0.04-$0.08 |
| grok-imagine-image-quality | 17 | 1045 | $0.05-$0.07 |
| grok-imagine-image | 29 | 1020 | $0.02 |
Version 2.0 gained over 100 Elo points on its predecessor and outranks Nano Banana 2 (1123) and Nano Banana Pro (1101). Only three OpenAI models rank higher: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst, GPT Image 2.5 Flare, and GPT Image 2. You can read about Sunburst and Flare in our article on GPT Image 2.5.
Grok Imagine Pricing
API Pricing
Grok Imagine Image 2.0 pricing at xAI and OpenRouter is identical, excluding VAT:
| Quality and Resolution | Price per Image |
|---|---|
| low, 1K | $0.04 |
| low, 2K | $0.06 |
| medium, 1K (our test) | $0.06 |
| medium, 2K | $0.08 |
| reference image input | $0.01 |
“Medium” is the highest quality that OpenRouter’s API accepts - there’s no “high” option. A 16:9 image in 1K mode was 1280×720 pixels, the same as Seedream 5.0 Pro. Only Qwen-Image 3 (1024×576) produced smaller images in our ranking. We’ve detailed the full pricing, including video, in our article Grok Imagine: complete pricing.
Grok App Pricing
On Grok’s plans page, image and video generation only appears starting with the SuperGrok Lite plan and up - the free plan doesn’t include it. SuperGrok costs $30 per month, and SuperGrok Plus costs $100. The plans page doesn’t list Lite pricing. You can find a plan comparison in our article how much does Grok cost. xAI doesn’t publish the number of images included in plans, so you can’t calculate the per-image cost in a subscription.
Our Test: Grok Imagine 2.0 in an 8-Model Ranking
We ran the ranking on September 27, 2026, through the OpenRouter API: five prompts, 16:9 aspect ratio, one attempt, no cherry-picking. We tested Grok Imagine 2.0 in Polish at “medium” quality and 1K resolution - a useful test of non-English text rendering, especially for a heavily inflected language with diacritics.
| Prompt | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Market | 8.5 | shallow depth of field, correct sign reading “POMIDORY 9 zł, OGÓRKI 6 zł, KOPER 4 zł“ (tomatoes 9, cucumbers 6, dill 4) |
| Sign “PIEKARNIA ŻÓŁĆ“ (bakery bile) | 9.5 | all letters correct, ornate sign, lanterns |
| Illustration | 8 | correct and no text, but simplest, small llama |
| Portrait | 8.5 | gray beard, subtle freckles, both hands correct, couple barely visible |
| Dumplings | 8.5 | top view, lots of onion, sour cream in bowl |
| Average | 8.6 | 3rd place tied with Nano Banana 2, behind Nano Banana Pro (9.0) and GPT Image 2 (8.7) |
Earlier opinions about Grok, including in our brief description Grok Imagine, mentioned distorted text in images. In our test, version 2.0 didn’t have this problem: the sign and price card were flawless, while FLUX.2 Pro and Recraft V4.1 made errors with diacritics in the same test.
Speed: Slowest in the Ranking
An average of 71.5 seconds per image, ranging from 54.6 to 83.3 seconds - the longest of the eight models in our ranking. Nano Banana Pro generated an image in 18.6 seconds, GPT Image 2.5 Flare at “high” quality in 17.9 seconds. Five images means a minute and a half of waiting with Flare versus six minutes with Grok. App speeds may differ - we didn’t measure those.
Who Should Use Grok Imagine
- You already have SuperGrok: images are included in your subscription, and quality is in Artificial Analysis’s top five.
- Graphics with non-English text: flawless in our test, on par with Nano Banana and GPT Image.
- API production: our take is that GPT Image 2.5 Flare at “high” quality is a better choice: $0.033 instead of $0.06 and 18 instead of 72 seconds, with similar quality scores.
- Comparison with other lesser-known models: see our test of lesser-known image generators, and ready-to-use prompts in Grok Imagine Image 2.0: prompts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Grok Imagine image cost?
In the API, Grok Imagine Image 2.0 costs $0.04 (1K, “low” quality) to $0.08 (2K, “medium”), excluding VAT. In the app, images are included in paid plans starting with SuperGrok Lite.
Is Grok Imagine free?
On Grok’s plans page, image generation is only listed in paid plans. The free plan includes chat, search, and voice mode.
Can Grok Imagine render non-English text?
Yes, in our test. Version 2.0 wrote the sign “PIEKARNIA ŻÓŁĆ“ and card “POMIDORY 9 zł, OGÓRKI 6 zł, KOPER 4 zł“ without error.
Which Grok Imagine version is best?
Grok Imagine Image 2.0. On Artificial Analysis it has 1157 Elo and 4th place, while older models score 1045 (quality) and 1020 (basic).
Sources and Verification Date
- Results from our test on September 27
- 2026
- through OpenRouter API (
/api/v1/images) - 16:9
- 1K
- “medium”
- quality
- one attempt
- cost from
usage.costfield - details in our image generator ranking. Pricing: Grok Imagine Image 2.0 on OpenRouter
- xAI models. Plans: grok.com/plans. Ranking: Artificial Analysis Text to Image Leaderboard. Verified September 27
- 2026
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