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GPT Image 1.5vs.Grok Imagine Image Quality

Which one is better?

In our own test both are on par. Grok Imagine Image Quality has no arena rating yet. GPT Image 1.5 costs 2.7 times as much per image.

Test images

Same task, the first image of each. The task with the biggest difference is preselected.

GPT Image 1.5: Character and detail, first image from the fixed test run
GPT Image 1.589 out of 100
Grok Imagine Image Quality: Character and detail, first image from the fixed test run
Grok Imagine Image Quality56 out of 100

Result for “Character and detail”:GPT Image 1.5 slightly ahead

Prompt given to both modelsCreate a square cinematic full-body portrait of a fictional bicycle courier waiting under a transparent umbrella at a rainy tram stop in Hamburg at blue hour. She wears a mustard raincoat, navy trousers, red sneakers, a silver helmet, and carries a teal messenger bag. Keep both hands visible, render the bicycle correctly, use realistic wet-street reflections, and include no readable brand names.

What the rating looks at: Anatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency.

“Ahead”: better in all three rating rounds. “Slightly ahead”: a higher value, but not in every round.

Test protocol of the images

Each test attempt uses the same archived prompt and one request. The first output of that attempt counts. Repeats after technical test failures are disclosed for the affected images. Files are normalized to 1,024 × 1,024 pixels without cropping. Provider resolution, randomness, quality tier and prompt processing can still differ. The images are a practical visual test, not a reconstruction of the arena configuration.

Character and detail

GPT Image 1.5: together, 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 12:17 PM. Source

Grok Imagine Image Quality: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, resolution 1K, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.050000, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:34 PM. Source

Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: 985a75b38642a9f0e5e0c0e0c67f1b7f67780d42bd2168fa24e9a7a7a94b0da6

GPT Image 1.5 image SHA 256: 0dff52ccd39400ac66ac8870c9ea937512ff1474688e70118688f420c38c2296

Grok Imagine Image Quality image SHA 256: b6cccae7af9a70af45a46b9e3264fa6971101e04979f7a0539e889ba6521250a

Infographic

GPT Image 1.5: together, 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 12:17 PM. Source

Grok Imagine Image Quality: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, resolution 1K, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.050000, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:34 PM. Source

Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: ed65cb4e6a51e2336f8b149ad4cbb16e020f07d527ad94362e719d2dcf91d94f

GPT Image 1.5 image SHA 256: 1c9ff59c32621c8b48b002dacb0ae66487262280c7c0a5b3d6456c81b248ebe9

Grok Imagine Image Quality image SHA 256: 03fbeae7859be72584048dfc23fba0651220ab44c707da66c386b77d90cc86f7

Product photography

GPT Image 1.5: together, 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 12:16 PM. Source

Grok Imagine Image Quality: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, resolution 1K, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.050000, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:34 PM. Source

Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: c67fd71e91304458a2feef5c91efa8677260fab0c0099a29a2c52cb579f5b2f3

GPT Image 1.5 image SHA 256: 67cfa2f324447027ceb5f82e9446d40a1395b46ce425890a74606b4d97731cf6

Grok Imagine Image Quality image SHA 256: 0ea1e48f20bf61ff10414398b5248b0496c9040b3868c915580efd11d0dbaf11

Typography and layout

GPT Image 1.5: together, 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:59 PM. Source

Grok Imagine Image Quality: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, resolution 1K, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.050000, generated Aug 14, 2026, 2:05 PM. Source

Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: 2e012c3d14ee5dd02203a94f394ca80a5038cdebd6032b25a8b8a221f2255419

GPT Image 1.5 image SHA 256: 6a4cec86850fd371b65274198e2bf630b3cf36a096f9fb953d4bfe17c3222ebe

Grok Imagine Image Quality image SHA 256: 84d88fb03bdbba672fc91268f4c120b17a19e4c9d637425aeca8ed44b2397d9f

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better
1,236

GPT Image 1.5

Rank 13 of 21

n/a

Grok Imagine Image Quality

not in the arena

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better
68

GPT Image 1.5

Rank 29 of 108

60

Grok Imagine Image Quality

Rank 54 of 108

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better
$0.13

GPT Image 1.5

expensive

$0.05

Grok Imagine Image Quality

fairly cheap

Ranks among the 21 image models with an arena rating and the 108 with a GraduallyBench run; prices compared with 28 models with an API price.

GPT Image 1.5

Subscription
No OpenAI subscription includes this model. Through other providers from ≈ €6.36 a month (ElevenLabs Starter, with limited credits). 42 plans in Germany.
Via API
$0.13 per image, 100 images $13.30.

Grok Imagine Image Quality

Subscription
n/a No plan in Germany names exactly this model.
Via API
$0.05 per image, 100 images $5.

Subscriptions only count plans that name exactly this model. Subscription prices include VAT, API prices are in dollars.

Arena rating (LMArena) from Nov 6, 2026 · GraduallyBench from Nov 3, 2026 · API prices from Nov 6, 2026 · Subscription database from Sep 29, 2026 (38 days old)

All data side by side

The better value is bold. For ratings only when the gap is clear.

KennzahlGPT Image 1.5Grok Imagine Image Quality
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better1,236n/a
Arena rankRank 13 of 21n/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating173,798n/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 1006860
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition6088
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details5237
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency8956
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization7261
API price
Per imagelower is better$0.13$0.05
100 images$13.30$5
Profile
ReleasedDecember 2025April 2026
Weightsopen means: runs locallyproprietaryproprietary
LifecycleMarked as deprecated by OpenAI; removed from the API on December 1, 2026Deprecated: xAI retires the model slug on November 2, 2026; requests are then served by grok-imagine-image-2.0 (quality=low)
AccessAPI, Web appAPI, Web app
Parametersnot publishednot published
Largest output1,536 × 1,024 pixels2K
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model42n/a

API prices for one image at 1,024 × 1,024 pixels according to Artificial Analysis.

Sources: GPT Image 1.5 model source, status source (verified Aug 15, 2026) · Grok Imagine Image Quality model source, status source (verified Aug 15, 2026)

Arena ratings by category

From blind votes on LMArena. “Ahead” means the lead is clear.

Arena rating per categoryfrom votes by users · higher is betterGPT Image 1.5Grok Imagine Image Quality
Text to Image ArenaGPT Image 1.5: 1,124Grok Imagine Image Quality: 1,049GPT Image 1.5 ahead
Image Editing ArenaGPT Image 1.5: 1,116Grok Imagine Image Quality: 1,097level
Image Editing: OverallGPT Image 1.5: 1,368Grok Imagine Image Quality: 1,391Grok Imagine Image Quality ahead

Artificial Analysis from Nov 6, 2026 · LMArena from Nov 6, 2026

All individual values with sources
RatingGPT Image 1.5Grok Imagine Image QualitySource
Text to Image Arena1,1241,049Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 6, 2026
Image Editing Arena1,1161,097Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 6, 2026
Image Editing: Overall1,3681,391LMArenaRetrieved Nov 6, 2026

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