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Video model comparison · 2 models · Updated Nov 2, 2026

Grok Imagine Video 1.5 vs MiniMax H3

Preferred for image to video: MiniMax H3 · Newest: MiniMax H3 · Widest inputs: MiniMax H3. Quality scores are blind human-preference votes; specs and prices come from each lab’s listings.

  1. xAI

    Grok Imagine Video 1.5

    Released May 30, 2026

    • Text to video
    • Image to video
    • Audio input
    • Native audio
    • Arena1,456
    • From$0.08/s
    • Max length15 s
    Full specs Remove Grok Imagine Video 1.5

  2. MiniMax

    MiniMax H3

    Released Jul 31, 2026

    • Text to video
    • Image to video
    • Video editing
    • Audio input
    • Native audio
    • Arena1,495
    • From—
    • Max length—
    Full specs Remove MiniMax H3

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01 — At a glance

Where they differ

Quality is the arena score from blind, side-by-side human votes. Price, length and resolution come from each lab’s own listings.

  • Preferred for image to videoMiniMax H3Grok Imagine Video 1.5 1,456 (#8) · MiniMax H3 1,495 (#1) — blind human votes
  • NewestMiniMax H3Grok Imagine Video 1.5 May 30, 2026 · MiniMax H3 Jul 31, 2026
  • Widest inputsMiniMax H3Grok Imagine Video 1.5: Text prompts, Reference images, Audio · MiniMax H3: Text prompts, Reference images, Audio, Video
  • Native audioBoth generate soundGenerates an audio track with the video: Grok Imagine Video 1.5 yes · MiniMax H3 yes
  • Image to videoBoth animate imagesStarts from an uploaded image: Grok Imagine Video 1.5 yes · MiniMax H3 yes
  • Self-hostingMiniMax H3Downloadable weights (MiniMax H3 Community License Agreement)
  • Most API hostsGrok Imagine Video 1.5Grok Imagine Video 1.5: 2 · MiniMax H3: 1
02 — Side by side

Every spec in one table

Dashes mean the data is not published.

Grok Imagine Video 1.5 vs MiniMax H3 specifications side by side
SpecificationGrok Imagine Video 1.5xAIMiniMax H3MiniMax
Quality (blind human votes)
Text to video arenaElo-style score · higher is better—1,460 ±9#8 of 48 · 11,417 votes
Image to video arenaElo-style score · higher is better1,456 ±4#8 of 48 · 137,459 votes1,495 ±5#1 of 48 · 57,112 votes (best)
Price
Starting price$0.08/s 480p—
Top price$0.25/s 1080p—
10-second clip$0.80at the starting rate—
Extra charges$0.01 per input image—
How it is billedPer second—
Output
ProducesVideo with soundVideo with sound
Resolutions480p · 720p · 1080p—
Highest resolution1080p—
Clip length1–15 s—
Longest clip15 s—
SoundAlways generatedAlways generated
Frame controlFirst and last frame—
Inputs
Text promptsYesYes
Start image (image to video)YesYes
Video inputNoYes
Audio inputYesYes
ReferencesUp to 14 reference images and 3 voice references—
Access
WeightsProprietaryOpenMiniMax H3 Community License Agreement
API model IDgrok-imagine-video-1.5—
API hosts2 (best)1
ReleasedMay 30, 2026Jul 31, 2026
03 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better, Grok Imagine Video 1.5 or MiniMax H3?

For image to video, voters prefer MiniMax H3 (Grok Imagine Video 1.5 1,456 (#8) · MiniMax H3 1,495 (#1)). Arena scores come from blind, side-by-side human votes on the same prompts; when the gap is inside both models’ error margins we call it a tie. Test your own prompts before you commit.

Which is cheaper?

Grok Imagine Video 1.5 costs from $0.08/s (480p), up to $0.25/s (1080p). A 10-second clip at the lowest rate: Grok Imagine Video 1.5 $0.80. MiniMax H3 has no published per-second price. Prices are list rates and change often; check the lab before budgeting.

How long can the videos be, and at what resolution?

Grok Imagine Video 1.5: 1–15 s, 480p / 720p / 1080p; MiniMax H3: length not published.

What is the difference between Grok Imagine Video 1.5 and MiniMax H3?

Grok Imagine Video 1.5 is a video model from xAI (May 30, 2026), taking text prompts, reference images and audio and producing video with sound. MiniMax H3 is a video model from MiniMax (Jul 31, 2026), taking text prompts, reference images, audio and video and producing video with sound.

Which is newer?

Grok Imagine Video 1.5 May 30, 2026; MiniMax H3 Jul 31, 2026.

Which generates video with sound?

Generates an audio track with the video: Grok Imagine Video 1.5 yes; MiniMax H3 yes.

Can I run any of these on my own hardware?

MiniMax H3. Downloadable weights (MiniMax H3 Community License Agreement).

04 — Keep comparing

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