Compare · Last checked October 20, 2026
ChatGPT Images vs Grok Imagine: two assistants that make images
Both are image features inside general AI assistants. ChatGPT Images lets you attach reference images, select an area to change, and comment on images in a Canvas view. Grok Imagine creates and edits images and leans into video, animating images and selling video by the second through its API. ChatGPT plans run from Free to Pro from $100 a month, and Grok's new X Subscription runs from Free to Ultra at $200. Pick by the assistant you already use, and by whether video matters to you.
We make ImageQuarry, which is not one of these two products. We compared ChatGPT and Grok Imagine using their own public pages, checked October 20, 2026.
Last updated October 20, 2026
At a glance
| ChatGPT | Grok Imagine | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Image generation and editing inside ChatGPT | Image and video generation inside the Grok assistant |
| References | Attach reference images to edit or to guide | Edit with up to 5 reference images (API model) |
| Area edits | Select an area and describe the change | Not stated for the consumer app |
| Video | Not stated on the pages read | Animate images into video; video API from $0.02 a second |
| Paid plans, as of October 2026 | Go $8, Plus $20, Pro from $100 a month | Plus $8, Premium $30, Super $100, Ultra $200 a month |
ChatGPT and Grok Imagine: the differences that matter
Pointing at a change
ChatGPT's docs say you can select a specific area of an image and describe the change, and in Canvas view use Comment to give feedback on one or more images. Grok's pages describe creating and editing images and an Imagine Agent Mode for iterating, without describing area selection.
Images that move
Grok Imagine animates images into videos, and its API sells video at 480p, 720p and 1080p by the second. The ChatGPT image docs we read cover still images.
Usage limits
ChatGPT says image availability and limits depend on your plan; a Wayback capture of its pricing page from October 19, 2026 lists Pro as "Unlimited and faster image creation". Grok's X Subscription states usage as multiples of Plus, such as "15x" on Super.
Developer pricing
xAI publishes grok-imagine-image at $0.02 per image at 1K and 2K. OpenAI sells its image generation API separately from ChatGPT, and openai.com pricing blocked our direct reads.
Plan changes
Grok repackaged its consumer plans on October 12, 2026 as The X Subscription, and says existing subscribers can keep their current plan. ChatGPT's plan list includes Free, Go, Plus, Pro and Business.
ChatGPT vs Grok Imagine, side by side
Checked against each vendor's public pages on October 20, 2026. "Not stated" means the pages we read do not say; it is not a claim that the feature is missing.
| Topic | ChatGPT | Grok Imagine |
|---|---|---|
| Text to image | Yes, "ChatGPT Images 2.5" (Wayback capture of the features page) | Yes, Grok Imagine |
| Editing with words | Ask ChatGPT to edit; select an area; Comment in Canvas view | Create and edit images; Imagine Agent Mode |
| References | One or a small set of reference images | Up to 5 reference images (API model) |
| Video | Not stated | Image to video; video API by the second |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, desktop app | grok.com, iOS, Android, X, API |
| API price | Sold separately | $0.02 per image at 1K and 2K |
| Consumer plans, as of October 2026 | Free, Go $8, Plus $20, Pro from $100 a month | Free, Plus $8, Premium $30, Super $100, Ultra $200 a month |
As of 2026-10-20
Sources: ChatGPT page (Wayback capture); ChatGPT image generation.md; ChatGPT 6825453 chatgpt release notes; ChatGPT page (Wayback capture); ChatGPT pricing; ChatGPT space.md; Grok Imagine imagine; Grok Imagine x subscription; Grok Imagine imagine; Grok Imagine grok imagine image; Grok Imagine imagine image quality nov 2; Grok Imagine generation; Grok Imagine multi image editing
Pricing
Prices as of October 2026, from each vendor's own pages. Credits are not comparable across products, because each vendor defines its own credit. Check the vendor for current pricing.
| Product | Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Free | $0 per month | Limited image creation |
| ChatGPT | Go | $8 per month | More image creation |
| ChatGPT | Plus | $20 per month | More complex and accurate image creation; image generation with Thinking |
| ChatGPT | Pro | From $100 per month | Plans at $100, $200 or $500 a month; image generation with Thinking |
| ChatGPT | Business | $20 per user per month, billed annually | $25 per user per month when billed monthly; 2+ users |
| Grok Imagine | Free | $0 per month | The X Subscription free tier |
| Grok Imagine | Plus | $8 per month | Grok chat, voice, image and video generation |
| Grok Imagine | Premium | $30 per month | Benefits of SuperGrok, Cursor Pro and X Premium+; 4x the Plus usage |
| Grok Imagine | Super | $100 per month | 15x the Plus usage |
| Grok Imagine | Ultra | $200 per month | 50x the Plus usage |
| Grok Imagine | API image | $0.02 per image | grok-imagine-image at 1K or 2K; image input $0.002 per image |
Prices as of 2026-10
About each product
ChatGPT
ChatGPT Images is the image feature inside OpenAI's ChatGPT. OpenAI's docs say you can ask ChatGPT to generate or edit images, attach a reference image to edit or use as guidance, select an area and describe the change, and compare results in a Canvas view with comments. Release notes from September 8, 2026, as indexed by search, describe ChatGPT Images 2.5. As of October 2026, plans are Free, Go at $8, Plus at $20 and Pro from $100 a month, and it runs on the web, iOS, Android and desktop.
Grok Imagine
Grok Imagine is the image and video generator in xAI's Grok assistant; xAI's pages now style the company SpaceXSI. It creates and edits images, animates them into videos, and has an Imagine Agent Mode for iterating. Through the API, grok-imagine-image-2.0 edits with up to 5 reference images at $0.02 per image. Consumer access comes with The X Subscription, launched October 12, 2026: Free, Plus $8, Premium $30, Super $100 and Ultra $200 a month. It runs on grok.com, iOS, Android and X.
Which one fits your work
Choose ChatGPT when
- You already work in ChatGPT and want images in the same chat
- You want to select an area and describe the change
- You want to comment on several images side by side in Canvas view
Choose Grok Imagine when
- You want to turn images into short videos
- You want a published per-image API price
- You already pay for X or SuperGrok
- You want Grok's usage pool shared with Cursor
Where ImageQuarry fits
ChatGPT and Grok put images inside a general assistant. ImageQuarry is a workspace only for images, where versions, prompts, references and the conversation stay together, and finished work settles into projects and a library. You choose among Nano Banana 2.1, Nano Banana Pro, GPT Image 2.5 Flare and GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst. Plans are Starter at $9 per month with 100 image credits a month and Pro at $29 per month with 300 image credits a month.
Questions about ChatGPT vs Grok Imagine
Can ChatGPT and Grok both edit uploaded images?
Yes. ChatGPT's docs say to attach a reference image when you want it edited or used as guidance. Grok Imagine creates and edits images, and xAI's API model edits with up to 5 reference images.
Which one makes video, ChatGPT or Grok?
Grok Imagine animates images into videos, and xAI sells video through its API by the second. The ChatGPT image docs we read on October 20, 2026 cover still images.
How much do ChatGPT and Grok cost?
As of October 2026, ChatGPT Plus is $20 a month and Go is $8, from OpenAI's learn.chatgpt.com. Grok's X Subscription has Plus at $8 and Premium at $30 a month, from x.ai. Both also have free tiers with limits.
What changed with Grok's plans in October 2026?
xAI introduced The X Subscription on October 12, 2026, with plans from Free to Ultra at $200 a month, and said existing SuperGrok, Cursor and X Premium subscribers can keep their current plan.
Sources
Every competitor fact on this page comes from the vendor's own pages, checked on the date shown. Recheck them before you buy.
Checked October 20, 2026
- ChatGPT page (Wayback capture)
- ChatGPT image generation.md
- ChatGPT 6825453 chatgpt release notes
- ChatGPT page (Wayback capture)
- ChatGPT pricing
- ChatGPT space.md
- Grok Imagine imagine
- Grok Imagine x subscription
- Grok Imagine imagine
- Grok Imagine grok imagine image
- Grok Imagine imagine image quality nov 2
- Grok Imagine generation
- Grok Imagine multi image editing
Create an image. Edit it with words. Keep refining.
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