Grok Imagine Pro vs Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Preview: Which xAI Model You Actually Need
Grok Imagine Pro renders stills at 1K/2K for a flat 10 credits; Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Preview animates them into 1-15 second clips for 2-75 credits. Real specs, real credit costs, and a verdict by use case.
Grok Imagine Pro and Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Preview are not competitors — Pro is an image model that edits and renders stills at 1K or 2K for a flat 10 credits, while Video 1.5 Preview is an image-to-video model that animates a still into a 1–15 second clip at 480p, 720p or 1080p for 2 to 75 credits. If you need a finished frame, you need Pro. If you need that frame to move, you need Video 1.5 Preview. Most serious xAI workflows on VdoBloom use both, in that order.
The confusion is understandable. xAI ships both under the Grok Imagine name, and on VdoBloom they sit in different parts of the product: Pro lives in the image tools, Video 1.5 Preview lives in the video creator. Knowing which one to reach for — and what each actually costs — saves a surprising number of wasted credits.
The core difference in one line
Grok Imagine Pro takes a prompt plus a reference image and returns a still image. Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Preview takes a starting image and returns a video clip. Pro has no duration setting at all because there is nothing to time. Video 1.5 Preview has no text-to-video mode at all — it is image-to-video only in VdoBloom’s model gating, so it always needs a picture to start from.
Spec vs spec vs price
| Spec | Grok Imagine Pro | Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Output | Still image | Video clip |
| Mode | Reference-image editing and rendering | Image-to-video only |
| Resolutions | 1K, 2K | 480p, 720p, 1080p |
| Durations | Not applicable | 1 to 15 seconds, in 1-second steps |
| Aspect ratios | 1:1, 3:4, 4:3, 9:16, 16:9, 2:3, 3:2, 1:2, 2:1 | 1:1, 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 3:4, 3:2, 2:3 |
| Content label | Standard image filtering | HOT — flexible tier |
| Catalog rating | Listed in image editing tools | 5.0 |
| Cost | 10 credits flat ($0.50) | 2–75 credits ($0.10–$3.75) |
| Where it runs | /dashboard/images/edit/ | /dashboard/video-creation/image-to-video/ |
What Video 1.5 Preview really costs per second
Pro is trivially simple: 10 credits, every time, whatever resolution or aspect ratio you choose. At the Lite plan rate of $15 for 300 credits, that is exactly 50 cents an image.
Video 1.5 Preview scales almost linearly with length, and the resolution tier is what changes the slope. At 480p the curve is roughly 1.5 credits per second and rounds unevenly — 2 credits for 1 second, 8 for 5 seconds, 15 for 10 seconds, 23 for the full 15. At 720p it is a clean 3 credits per second: 15 credits for 5 seconds, 30 for 10, 45 for 15. At 1080p it is a clean 5 credits per second: 25 credits for 5 seconds, 50 for 10, 75 for 15.
| Clip length | 480p | 720p | 1080p |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 seconds | 5 cr / $0.25 | 9 cr / $0.45 | 15 cr / $0.75 |
| 5 seconds | 8 cr / $0.40 | 15 cr / $0.75 | 25 cr / $1.25 |
| 10 seconds | 15 cr / $0.75 | 30 cr / $1.50 | 50 cr / $2.50 |
| 15 seconds | 23 cr / $1.15 | 45 cr / $2.25 | 75 cr / $3.75 |
The practical read: a 3-second 480p test is cheaper than a single Pro image. That asymmetry is the whole reason the two models work well together.
Verdict by use case
You need a product shot, a poster, or a thumbnail: Pro, clearly
There is no version of this job that Video 1.5 Preview does better, because it cannot produce a still. Pro also carries aspect ratios that the video model does not — 2:1 and 1:2 in particular, which matter for banners and tall app assets. Ten credits for a 2K frame with a reference image attached is the cheapest reliable way to lock a look.
You already have a photo and want motion: Video 1.5 Preview, no contest
This is the model’s entire purpose, and its per-second granularity is unusual. Most video models force you into 5- or 10-second blocks. Here you can ask for 7 seconds and pay for 7 seconds. If your edit needs a 4-second beat, you save 6 credits at 720p versus rounding up to 6 seconds. If you animate a photo of a real person, you must have that person’s consent before generating.
You are iterating on an idea and do not know the look yet: start cheap on video
Counterintuitively, when the concept is unsettled, 480p clips at 2–8 credits are the better exploration currency than 10-credit stills. Generate three or four short 480p animations from a rough source frame, see which motion direction survives, then spend on Pro to render the definitive frame and re-animate it at 1080p.
You need flexible-tier content: Video 1.5 Preview
Video 1.5 Preview carries the HOT label in VdoBloom’s content classification, meaning its filtering is among the more permissive in the catalog — swimwear, dance, fitness and fashion concepts that stricter models refuse tend to pass here. Explicit and illegal content remains blocked regardless of the tier.
A worked example: one campaign asset, both models
Say you need a 9:16 clip of a styled model turning toward camera for a fashion ad.
- In the image editor, load your reference photo, pick 9:16 and 2K, and prompt Grok Imagine Pro for the styling, wardrobe and lighting you want. Cost: 10 credits. Re-run twice if the first frame is off — 30 credits total is still cheap insurance.
- Take the winning frame into image-to-video, select Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Preview, set 3 seconds at 480p, and write a motion prompt: a slow turn toward camera, weight shifting to the front foot, hair settling. Cost: 5 credits.
- If the motion reads correctly, re-run the exact same prompt at 6 seconds and 1080p. Cost: 30 credits.
Total for a delivered 1080p clip with two image attempts: 55 credits, about $2.75. Jumping straight to 1080p and guessing would have cost more and produced a worse frame.
When to skip both
Video 1.5 Preview cannot generate from text alone. If you have no starting image and do not want to make one, pick a text-to-video model from the catalog instead. And if you need clips longer than 15 seconds in a single generation, neither Grok model covers it — you will be stitching, or choosing a different family. Full per-model specs live on the Grok Imagine Pro page and the Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Preview page, and plan rates are on pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Can Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Preview generate video from a text prompt alone?
No. On VdoBloom it is gated to the image-to-video tab, so a starting image is required. The text prompt directs the motion, not the scene from scratch.
Is Grok Imagine Pro more expensive than the standard Grok Imagine image model?
Yes. Standard Grok Imagine is 5 credits ($0.25) per image; Grok Imagine Pro is 10 credits ($0.50) and adds 2K output and reference-image editing.
What is the cheapest way to test a Grok Imagine Video idea?
One second at 480p costs 2 credits, which is 10 cents. A 3-second 480p clip at 5 credits is usually the better minimum for judging whether motion holds together.
Does the 1080p tier really cost more than triple the 480p tier?
Roughly, yes. At 10 seconds it is 50 credits at 1080p versus 15 at 480p. The per-second rate is exactly 5 credits at 1080p and about 1.5 at 480p.
Do paid plans remove the watermark on these clips?
Yes. New accounts get 10 free credits with no card, and paid plans download watermark-free with commercial rights. See pricing for plan and credit-pack details.
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