Grok Imagine Image Qualityvs.Ideogram 4.5

Which one is better?

In our own test both are on par. Neither is in the arena. Grok Imagine Image Quality costs only half per image.

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

Grok Imagine Image Quality: Typography and layout, first image from the fixed test run — Grok Imagine Image Quality76 out of 100

Ideogram 4.5: Typography and layout, first image from the fixed test run — Ideogram 4.516 out of 100

Result for “Typography and layout”:Grok Imagine Image Quality ahead

Prompt given to both modelsCreate a square editorial poster for an imaginary night train called MONDFALTER. Show the exact German headline MONDFALTER and the exact subline BERLIN NACH LISSABON. Use a restrained midnight-blue and warm-cream palette, one stylized moth, strong Swiss-grid typography, generous negative space, and no additional words or logos.

What the rating looks at: Legible text, hierarchy, and composition.

“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

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

Ideogram 4.5: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=676327336, prompt expansion disabled, quality low, estimated cost $0.030000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:44 PM. Source

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

Grok Imagine Image Quality image SHA 256: b6cccae7af9a70af45a46b9e3264fa6971101e04979f7a0539e889ba6521250a

Ideogram 4.5 image SHA 256: 765cb852ecb10a396bad4bd18c2dc9fcc77221ffff3f0b94ef9eccf4d190b418

Infographic

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

Ideogram 4.5: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=1482950298, prompt expansion disabled, quality low, estimated cost $0.030000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:44 PM. Source

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

Grok Imagine Image Quality image SHA 256: 03fbeae7859be72584048dfc23fba0651220ab44c707da66c386b77d90cc86f7

Ideogram 4.5 image SHA 256: c97b4321e68bf1617a4dc96b5e1f9372344b09b9ff987f07d0e9813e6210c656

Product photography

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

Ideogram 4.5: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=1376877115, prompt expansion disabled, quality low, estimated cost $0.030000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:44 PM. Source

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

Grok Imagine Image Quality image SHA 256: 0ea1e48f20bf61ff10414398b5248b0496c9040b3868c915580efd11d0dbaf11

Ideogram 4.5 image SHA 256: b9427281a64b3103f52f439b8797bd11763f813a8ef142bf79d96e936b349ae1

Typography and layout

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

Ideogram 4.5: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=988679089, prompt expansion disabled, quality low, estimated cost $0.030000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:44 PM. Source

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

Grok Imagine Image Quality image SHA 256: 84d88fb03bdbba672fc91268f4c120b17a19e4c9d637425aeca8ed44b2397d9f

Ideogram 4.5 image SHA 256: ebe1fe3dccf258807db9a9063c1034185c1b3e91f0d8c9bd86c53525d374dd9c

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better

n/a

Grok Imagine Image Quality

not in the arena

n/a

Ideogram 4.5

not in the arena

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better

Grok Imagine Image Quality

Rank 48 of 74

Ideogram 4.5

Rank 38 of 74

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better

$0.05

Grok Imagine Image Quality

fairly cheap

$0.10

Ideogram 4.5

expensive

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.

Grok Imagine Image Quality

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

Ideogram 4.5

Subscription: No Ideogram subscription includes this model. Through other providers from ≈ €9.59 a month (Krea Basic, with limited credits). 33 plans in Germany.
Via API: $0.10 per image, 100 images $10.
Weights: unknown.

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

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.

Kennzahl	Grok Imagine Image Quality	Ideogram 4.5
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better	n/a	n/a
Arena rank	n/a	n/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating	n/a	n/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100	49	56
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition	76	16
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details	21	59
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency	68	68
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization	31	82
API price
Per imagelower is better	$0.05	$0.10
100 images	$5	$10
Profile
Released	April 2026	n/a
Weightsopen means: runs locally	proprietary	unknown
Lifecycle	Deprecated: xAI retires the model slug on November 2, 2026; requests are then served by grok-imagine-image-2.0 (quality=low)	no notice
Access	API, Web app	API
Parameters	not published	not published
Largest output	2K	not consistently published
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model	n/a	33

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

Sources: Grok Imagine Image Quality model source, status source (verified Aug 15, 2026) · Ideogram 4.5 model source (verified Nov 1, 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 betterGrok Imagine Image QualityIdeogram 4.5

Text to Image Arena1,0491,015ahead

Image Editing Arena1,0951,070level

Image Editing: Overall1,3911,347ahead

Artificial Analysis from Oct 28, 2026 · LMArena from Oct 28, 2026

All individual values with sources

Rating	Grok Imagine Image Quality	Ideogram 4.5	Source
Text to Image Arena	1,049	1,015	Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Image Editing Arena	1,095	1,070	Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Image Editing: Overall	1,391	1,347	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026

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Same prompt, two images

The numbers at a glance

Grok Imagine Image Quality

Ideogram 4.5

All data side by side

Arena ratings by category

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