HunyuanImage 3.0 Instructvs.Grok Imagine Image 2.0

Which one is better?

In our own test both are on par. HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct has no arena rating yet. HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct has no API price.

Test images

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

HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct88 out of 100

Grok Imagine Image 2.0: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — Grok Imagine Image 2.068 out of 100

Result for “Product photography”:HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct 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

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

HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=480451513, prompt expansion disabled, estimated cost $0.094372, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:51 PM. Source

Grok Imagine Image 2.0: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, resolution 1K, quality medium, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.060000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:46 AM. Source

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

HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct image SHA 256: 7c813735994e5781c420b23e15898e1d4c8b9a83b24dae9c72e9d7b08fe7ceb4

Grok Imagine Image 2.0 image SHA 256: 95148f93193910361a680d5cff305d51bb06d967cb8b35e7ec732bd8501beccc

Infographic

HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=1316714523, prompt expansion disabled, estimated cost $0.094372, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:52 PM. Source

Grok Imagine Image 2.0: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, resolution 1K, quality medium, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.060000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:47 AM. Source

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

HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct image SHA 256: a9c50516fcbe8008d3d67c0651882f7c712aff66ee244b7f8aa7b83c0a67aaab

Grok Imagine Image 2.0 image SHA 256: 732d7d3978293b5acd7aba0ec8534056bfa9bd5f6d2024c5eb7275d5bf203ba6

Product photography

HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=1892985637, prompt expansion disabled, estimated cost $0.094372, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:51 PM. Source

Grok Imagine Image 2.0: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, resolution 1K, quality medium, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.060000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:45 AM. Source

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

HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct image SHA 256: 89ed8da585fcce3df9f76584dfc426a5142fe3b950c79a306a7ce3b79746ed99

Grok Imagine Image 2.0 image SHA 256: 57f2809d2dc95671f5207c2cfc25f629c05be17edfe9bf87ca42d3d33119200e

Typography and layout

HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=1326433162, prompt expansion disabled, estimated cost $0.094372, generated Aug 14, 2026, 2:41 PM. Source

Grok Imagine Image 2.0: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, resolution 1K, quality medium, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.060000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:44 AM. Source

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

HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct image SHA 256: 4563cdd9bb047b4df3316484fcc4fe369ba6635f0360e434f45577d013468b6c

Grok Imagine Image 2.0 image SHA 256: 4dae1c4c90d277eed2983780d71f40b4758238ea15a020047c1329fb220e5b51

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better

n/a

HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct

not in the arena

1,317

Grok Imagine Image 2.0

Rank 5 of 21

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better

HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct

Rank 19 of 108

Grok Imagine Image 2.0

Rank 16 of 108

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better

n/a

HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct

no API price

$0.06

Grok Imagine Image 2.0

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.

HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct

Subscription: n/a No plan in Germany names exactly this model.
Via API: No API price known. Access: API, local.
License: Open weights.

Grok Imagine Image 2.0

Subscription: No xAI subscription includes this model. Through other providers from ≈ €15.90 a month (Runway Standard, with limited credits). 5 plans in Germany.
Via API: $0.06 per image, 100 images $6.

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.

Kennzahl	HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct	Grok Imagine Image 2.0
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better	n/a	1,317
Arena rank	n/a	Rank 5 of 21
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating	n/a	10,830
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100	72	73
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition	79	71
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details	88	68
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency	58	75
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization	61	77
API price
Per imagelower is better	n/a	$0.06
100 images	n/a	$6
Profile
Released	January 2026	Aug 7, 2026
Weightsopen means: runs locally	open	proprietary
Access	API, local	API, Web app
Parameters	80 billion	not published
Largest output	not consistently published	2K
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model	n/a	5

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

Sources: HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct model source (verified Aug 15, 2026) · Grok Imagine Image 2.0 model source (verified Sep 28, 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 betterHunyuanImage 3.0 InstructGrok Imagine Image 2.0

Text to Image Arena9881,166ahead

Image Editing Arena1,0651,116ahead

Image Editing: Overall1,3021,438ahead

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

All individual values with sources

Rating	HunyuanImage 3.0 Instruct	Grok Imagine Image 2.0	Source
Text to Image Arena	988	1,166	Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 6, 2026
Image Editing Arena	1,065	1,116	Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 6, 2026
Image Editing: Overall	1,302	1,438	LMArenaRetrieved Nov 6, 2026

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