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MAI-Image-2.5vs.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. Both cost about the same per image.

Test images

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

MAI-Image-2.5: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run
MAI-Image-2.570 out of 100
Grok Imagine Image Quality: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run
Grok Imagine Image Quality37 out of 100

Result for “Product photography”:MAI-Image-2.5 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

MAI-Image-2.5: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default 1K resolution, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.048508, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:26 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

MAI-Image-2.5 image SHA 256: ca1c58688ae4601975d7e1f7b58bb43a0a999e736f610d9f51cd11e06284bced

Grok Imagine Image Quality image SHA 256: b6cccae7af9a70af45a46b9e3264fa6971101e04979f7a0539e889ba6521250a

Infographic

MAI-Image-2.5: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default 1K resolution, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.048538, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:26 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

MAI-Image-2.5 image SHA 256: eaf00a906231e8859f98ef5dc2cce7e8017797819aea453305a4ef0e970d4dbf

Grok Imagine Image Quality image SHA 256: 03fbeae7859be72584048dfc23fba0651220ab44c707da66c386b77d90cc86f7

Product photography

MAI-Image-2.5: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default 1K resolution, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.048513, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:25 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

MAI-Image-2.5 image SHA 256: 67d4930b711fac61482231c4bc270cfcdb41c1b0daf653045781fb2126e237dd

Grok Imagine Image Quality image SHA 256: 0ea1e48f20bf61ff10414398b5248b0496c9040b3868c915580efd11d0dbaf11

Typography and layout

MAI-Image-2.5: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default 1K resolution, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.048473, generated Aug 14, 2026, 2:03 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

MAI-Image-2.5 image SHA 256: 4c8a60555b57b8c3b5ebaa131371d1bba9d31bfafe7aaa772554969f7c28cb08

Grok Imagine Image Quality image SHA 256: 84d88fb03bdbba672fc91268f4c120b17a19e4c9d637425aeca8ed44b2397d9f

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better
1,253

MAI-Image-2.5

Rank 9 of 21

n/a

Grok Imagine Image Quality

not in the arena

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better
69

MAI-Image-2.5

Rank 26 of 108

60

Grok Imagine Image Quality

Rank 54 of 108

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better
$0.048

MAI-Image-2.5

fairly cheap

$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.

MAI-Image-2.5

Subscription
No Microsoft AI subscription includes this model. Through other providers from €19.04 a month (Magnific Premium, with limited credits). 6 plans in Germany.
Via API
$0.048 per image, 100 images $4.81.

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.

KennzahlMAI-Image-2.5Grok Imagine Image Quality
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better1,253n/a
Arena rankRank 9 of 21n/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating61,222n/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 1006960
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition8288
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details7037
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency5556
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization6961
API price
Per imagelower is better$0.048$0.05
100 images$4.81$5
Profile
ReleasedJune 2026April 2026
Weightsopen means: runs locallyproprietaryproprietary
LifecyclePreview in Microsoft FoundryDeprecated: 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
Parameters20 billionnot published
Largest output1,048,576 pixels2K
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model6n/a

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

Sources: MAI-Image-2.5 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 betterMAI-Image-2.5Grok Imagine Image Quality
Text to Image ArenaMAI-Image-2.5: 1,120Grok Imagine Image Quality: 1,049MAI-Image-2.5 ahead
Image Editing ArenaMAI-Image-2.5: 1,124Grok Imagine Image Quality: 1,097MAI-Image-2.5 ahead
Image Editing: OverallMAI-Image-2.5: 1,400Grok Imagine Image Quality: 1,391MAI-Image-2.5 ahead

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

All individual values with sources
RatingMAI-Image-2.5Grok Imagine Image QualitySource
Text to Image Arena1,1201,049Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 6, 2026
Image Editing Arena1,1241,097Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 6, 2026
Image Editing: Overall1,4001,391LMArenaRetrieved Nov 6, 2026

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