Decision summary
- Native 1080p or voice references -> Grok Imagine Video 1.5
- 1–15 second drafts -> 1.5 Lite
- Upscaled 1080p is acceptable -> Lite at $0.14 per second
Video model comparison
Grok Imagine Video 1.5 vs 1.5 Lite
Grok Imagine Video 1.5 is xAI's full-quality video model: native 1080p, up to 14 reference images, and up to 3 voice references, at $0.08, $0.14, or $0.25 per second for 480p, 720p, and 1080p.
Featured · Updated today · Last verified: October 2026
Choose Grok Imagine Video 1.5 when
Final video when you want native 1080p and reference images or voices.
Choose 1.5 Lite when
Drafts and high-volume clips up to 15 seconds.
- Native 1080p or voice references: Grok Imagine Video 1.5
- 1–15 second drafts: 1.5 Lite
- Upscaled 1080p is acceptable: Lite at $0.14 per second
Decision axes: Best for · Access · Context · List price
How they compare
Criterion-by-criterion notes from the catalog—not a ranking. Validate on your own gold set.
| Criterion | Grok Imagine Video 1.5 | Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Final video when you want native 1080p and reference images or voices. | Drafts and high-volume clips up to 15 seconds. |
| Access | Grok API video docs. A published calendar release date is not in the catalog. | Released October 8, 2026 on the same video API family. |
| Context | Up to 14 reference images and 3 voice references. | 1- to 15-second clips. |
| List price | $0.08 / $0.14 / $0.25 per second at 480p / 720p / 1080p. | $0.02 / $0.03 / $0.14 per second at 480p / 720p / 1080p. |
| Controls | Native 1080p. | 1080p is upscaled, not native. |
| Operational risk | Per-second billing scales with duration and resolution. A 1080p second costs about 12x a Lite 480p second. | Do not sell upscaled 1080p as the native 1.5 master. The 1080p gap versus full 1.5 is $0.14 versus $0.25 per second. |
Key insights
Concrete technical or product signals.
- Lite is the draft tier. Full 1.5 is the native 1080p tier.
- Compare a second at the resolution you will actually deliver.
Use cases
Where this shines in production.
- Storyboard versus final render
- Quoting Grok video API cost
Limitations & trade-offs
What to watch for.
- No quality score is published on this page.
- Full 1.5 has no stored calendar release date.
Who should not choose this?
Signals that this pair is the wrong default.
- Do not describe Lite 1080p as native.
- Do not assume a 15-second cap on full 1.5 just because Lite has one.
- Do not ignore per-second math on long clips.
Final recommendation
What to do after reading the table.
Generate drafts on Lite and finals on 1.5.
FAQ
Is Grok Imagine Video 1.5 better than 1.5 Lite?
Neither Grok Imagine Video 1.5 nor 1.5 Lite is a universal winner. Use the comparison table and the choose-when notes, then validate on your workload.
Which is cheaper: Grok Imagine Video 1.5 or 1.5 Lite?
Listed unit prices: Grok Imagine Video 1.5 $0.08 / $0.14 / $0.25 per second at 480p / 720p / 1080p; 1.5 Lite $0.02 / $0.03 / $0.14 per second at 480p / 720p / 1080p. A lower listed unit price is not the same as a lower total workload cost—tokens, session minutes, caching, introductory rates, and add-on modes can reverse the ranking. Confirm live rates on each vendor’s official page.
Can I use both Grok Imagine Video 1.5 and 1.5 Lite?
Yes. Many teams keep both and route by constraint. Use Grok Imagine Video 1.5 for Final video when you want native 1080p and reference images or voices, and 1.5 Lite for Drafts and high-volume clips up to 15 seconds. Confirm vendor terms before mixing them in one production workflow.