Grok Imagine Image Qualityvs.Seedream 4.5
Which one is better?
In our own test both are on par. Neither is in the arena. Seedream 4.5 has no API price.
Test images
Same task, the first image of each. The task with the biggest difference is preselected.
Result for “Infographic”:Grok Imagine Image Quality ahead
What the rating looks at: Numbers, labels, and visual organization.
“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
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
Seedream 4.5: fal, requested native 2048x2048 square, n=1, seed=607017308, estimated cost $0.040000, source 2048x2048, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), generated Nov 2, 2026, 2:50 PM. Source
Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: 985a75b38642a9f0e5e0c0e0c67f1b7f67780d42bd2168fa24e9a7a7a94b0da6
Grok Imagine Image Quality image SHA 256: b6cccae7af9a70af45a46b9e3264fa6971101e04979f7a0539e889ba6521250a
Seedream 4.5 image SHA 256: 614d5b810be9f7cc54c999fb930e5bb1a7a5b58f7211a3b71aa92e83a360cf78
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
Seedream 4.5: fal, requested native 2048x2048 square, n=1, seed=467481828, estimated cost $0.040000, source 2048x2048, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), generated Nov 2, 2026, 2:51 PM. Source
Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: ed65cb4e6a51e2336f8b149ad4cbb16e020f07d527ad94362e719d2dcf91d94f
Grok Imagine Image Quality image SHA 256: 03fbeae7859be72584048dfc23fba0651220ab44c707da66c386b77d90cc86f7
Seedream 4.5 image SHA 256: ec1e2be1080670edf050cff00a094ff471c1b480a11a3922cf8c25f0ef0f6a5e
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
Seedream 4.5: fal, requested native 2048x2048 square, n=1, seed=1880157282, estimated cost $0.040000, source 2048x2048, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), generated Nov 2, 2026, 2:50 PM. Source
Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: c67fd71e91304458a2feef5c91efa8677260fab0c0099a29a2c52cb579f5b2f3
Grok Imagine Image Quality image SHA 256: 0ea1e48f20bf61ff10414398b5248b0496c9040b3868c915580efd11d0dbaf11
Seedream 4.5 image SHA 256: 48a36dede8c680fa8e2231ac33a95b1417dcded96ad753c98218cc78ed96a65b
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
Seedream 4.5: fal, requested native 2048x2048 square, n=1, seed=775629027, estimated cost $0.040000, source 2048x2048, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), generated Nov 2, 2026, 2:50 PM. Source
Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: 2e012c3d14ee5dd02203a94f394ca80a5038cdebd6032b25a8b8a221f2255419
Grok Imagine Image Quality image SHA 256: 84d88fb03bdbba672fc91268f4c120b17a19e4c9d637425aeca8ed44b2397d9f
Seedream 4.5 image SHA 256: 62d4e5b0b3c9ca5a55952dc2c5aca878ed687c76f302ad632136bd3e6bee3872
The numbers at a glance
Grok Imagine Image Quality
not in the arena
Seedream 4.5
not in the arena
Grok Imagine Image Quality
Rank 54 of 108
Seedream 4.5
Rank 64 of 108
Grok Imagine Image Quality
fairly cheap
Seedream 4.5
no API price
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.
Grok Imagine Image Quality
- Subscription
- n/a No plan in Germany names exactly this model.
- Via API
- $0.05 per image, 100 images $5.
Seedream 4.5
- Subscription
- No ByteDance / Volcengine subscription includes this model. Through other providers from ≈ €6.36 a month (ElevenLabs Starter, with limited credits). 39 plans in Germany.
- Via API
- No API price known. Access: API, Web app.
- Weights
- unknown.
Subscriptions only count plans that name exactly this model. Subscription prices include VAT, API prices are in dollars.
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.
| Kennzahl | Grok Imagine Image Quality | Seedream 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 | 60 | 48 |
| GraduallyBench by task | ||
| Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition | 88 | 84 |
| Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details | 37 | 44 |
| Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency | 56 | 37 |
| InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization | 61 | 27 |
| API price | ||
| Per imagelower is better | $0.05 | n/a |
| 100 images | $5 | n/a |
| 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) | Still-listed T2I/I2I model ID; Ark marks it as pending shutdown without giving a date in the reviewed source |
| Access | API, Web app | API, Web app |
| Parameters | not published | not published |
| Largest output | 2K | not consistently published |
| Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model | n/a | 39 |
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) · Seedream 4.5 model source, status 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 Grok Imagine Image Quality and Seedream 4.5 from the same arena and category. Older model versions are not used as substitutes.
More comparisons
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