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GPT Image 2.5 Flarevs.Grok Imagine Image 1.0

Which one is better?

In our own test both are on par. Grok Imagine Image 1.0 has no arena rating yet. Grok Imagine Image 1.0 has no API price.

Same prompt, two images

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

GPT Image 2.5 Flare: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run
GPT Image 2.5 Flare38 out of 100
Grok Imagine Image 1.0: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run
Grok Imagine Image 1.089 out of 100

Result for “Product photography”:Grok Imagine Image 1.0 ahead

Prompt given to both modelsCreate a square premium product photograph of a brushed titanium wristwatch standing upright on dark green marble. The watch has a cream dial, thin black hands set to 10:10, twelve distinct hour markers, a realistic crown, and a dark brown leather strap. Soft window light from the left, controlled reflections, shallow depth of field, no text, no logo, no extra objects.

What the rating looks at: Materials, reflections, and fine details.

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

Test protocol of the images

Both models receive the same archived prompt in exactly one request, and the first result counts. 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 2.5 Flare: openai, 1024x1024, quality high, n=1, generated Sep 28, 2026, 8:53 PM. Source

Grok Imagine Image 1.0: fal, aspect ratio 1:1, n=1, seed=provider random, resolution 1K, estimated cost $0.020000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 9:30 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2.5 Flare image SHA 256: 85b17c41b19389cae3ea073ef582e6065a321d741978e772987d22e3ea3e3b08

Grok Imagine Image 1.0 image SHA 256: f0a1722dd70365a05d18f1872dcf5761f358e13dca81e6ceafca69d17f658412

Infographic

GPT Image 2.5 Flare: openai, 1024x1024, quality high, n=1, generated Sep 28, 2026, 8:53 PM. Source

Grok Imagine Image 1.0: fal, aspect ratio 1:1, n=1, seed=provider random, resolution 1K, estimated cost $0.020000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 9:31 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2.5 Flare image SHA 256: bc752abfce1c0d27b73e4084c3e7d82c4c0f71e0e5af97a80f4b24326cc4686e

Grok Imagine Image 1.0 image SHA 256: 7dd25385835faf743c6e97b5a50ebcf5926cf94d862425177c25d8b27281ac8d

Product photography

GPT Image 2.5 Flare: openai, 1024x1024, quality high, n=1, generated Sep 28, 2026, 8:53 PM. Source

Grok Imagine Image 1.0: fal, aspect ratio 1:1, n=1, seed=provider random, resolution 1K, estimated cost $0.020000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 9:30 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2.5 Flare image SHA 256: 69fedb7d635d1329c461ff1ee9e5cf8384119e218e3b3bdb93b9e11f728335d8

Grok Imagine Image 1.0 image SHA 256: 95c5d4be59e6c115257f2414c513efd79bf7fd9ac69965ec04677eda2ec5a27a

Typography and layout

GPT Image 2.5 Flare: openai, 1024x1024, quality high, n=1, generated Sep 28, 2026, 8:52 PM. Source

Grok Imagine Image 1.0: fal, aspect ratio 1:1, n=1, seed=provider random, resolution 1K, estimated cost $0.020000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 9:30 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2.5 Flare image SHA 256: cc90d54a99e1bad9e0cc8e4196746fb1d56a2fdd2a9ee101dbbf270ef5e4b6a8

Grok Imagine Image 1.0 image SHA 256: ab6dfd89aec95ebe7cfd2f3cacb4fbd66123306647c78d621d5c8c6325f3d7c5

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better
1,401

GPT Image 2.5 Flare

Rank 2 of 22

n/a

Grok Imagine Image 1.0

not in the arena

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better
59

GPT Image 2.5 Flare

Rank 32 of 74

76

Grok Imagine Image 1.0

Rank 5 of 74

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better
$0.21

GPT Image 2.5 Flare

expensive

n/a

Grok Imagine Image 1.0

no API price

Ranks among the 22 image models with an arena rating and the 74 with a GraduallyBench run; prices compared with 28 models with an API price.

GPT Image 2.5 Flare

Subscription
No OpenAI subscription includes this model. Through other providers from ≈ €6.39 a month (ElevenLabs Starter, with limited credits). 61 plans in Germany.
Via API
$0.21 per image, 100 images $21.07.

Grok Imagine Image 1.0

Subscription
n/a No plan in Germany names exactly this model.
Via API
No API price known. Access: API.
Weights
unknown.

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

Arena rating (LMArena) from Oct 28, 2026 · GraduallyBench from Nov 1, 2026 · API prices from Oct 28, 2026 · Subscription database from Sep 29, 2026 (34 days old)

All data side by side

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

KennzahlGPT Image 2.5 FlareGrok Imagine Image 1.0
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better1,401n/a
Arena rankRank 2 of 22n/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating39,218n/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 1005976
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition4873
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details3889
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency8257
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization6685
API price
Per imagelower is better$0.21n/a
100 images$21.07n/a
Profile
ReleasedSep 8, 2026n/a
Weightsopen means: runs locallyproprietaryunknown
AccessAPIAPI
Parametersnot publishednot published
Largest outputnot consistently publishednot consistently published
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model61n/a

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

Sources: GPT Image 2.5 Flare model source (verified Sep 22, 2026) · Grok Imagine Image 1.0 model source (verified Nov 1, 2026)

Arena ratings by category

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

No shared arena score in the stored snapshot

The stored benchmark database contains no measurement for GPT Image 2.5 Flare and Grok Imagine Image 1.0 from the same arena and category. Older model versions are not used as substitutes.

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