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

Grok Imagine Video vs Wan v2.6

Preferred for text to video: Grok Imagine Video · Preferred for image to video: Grok Imagine Video · Lowest entry price: Grok Imagine Video. Quality scores are blind human-preference votes; specs and prices come from each lab’s listings.

xAI
Grok Imagine Video
Released Jan 28, 2026
- Text to video
- Image to video
- Video editing
- Arena1,415
- From$0.05/s
- Max length15 s
Full specs Remove Grok Imagine Video
Alibaba (Qwen)
Wan v2.6
Released Dec 16, 2025
- Text to video
- Image to video
- Video editing
- Audio input
- Native audio
- Arena1,327
- From$0.10/s
- Max length10 s
Full specs Remove Wan v2.6
Add a model
Make it a three-way comparison.
Third model

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 text to videoGrok Imagine VideoGrok Imagine Video 1,342 (#18) · Wan v2.6 1,327 (#21) — blind human votes
Preferred for image to videoGrok Imagine VideoGrok Imagine Video 1,415 (#12) · Wan v2.6 1,310 (#23) — blind human votes
Lowest entry priceGrok Imagine VideoGrok Imagine Video from $0.05/s (480p) · Wan v2.6 from $0.10/s (720p)
Longest clipsGrok Imagine VideoGrok Imagine Video: 1–15 s · Wan v2.6: 5–10 s
Highest resolutionWan v2.6Grok Imagine Video: 720p · Wan v2.6: 1080p
NewestGrok Imagine VideoGrok Imagine Video Jan 28, 2026 · Wan v2.6 Dec 16, 2025
Widest inputsWan v2.6Grok Imagine Video: Text prompts, Reference images, Video · Wan v2.6: Text prompts, Reference images, Audio, Video
Native audioWan v2.6Generates an audio track with the video: Grok Imagine Video no · Wan v2.6 yes
Image to videoBoth animate imagesStarts from an uploaded image: Grok Imagine Video yes · Wan v2.6 yes
Self-hostingNo open weightsBoth are available only through APIs and apps
Most API hostsSame reachGrok Imagine Video: 1 · Wan v2.6: 1

02 — Side by side

Every spec in one table

Dashes mean the data is not published.

Grok Imagine Video vs Wan v2.6 specifications side by side
Specification	Grok Imagine VideoxAI	Wan v2.6Alibaba (Qwen)
Quality (blind human votes)
Text to video arenaElo-style score · higher is better	1,342 ±6#18 of 48 · 165,462 votes (best)	1,327 ±7#21 of 48 · 54,050 votes
Image to video arenaElo-style score · higher is better	1,415 ±4#12 of 48 · 554,050 votes (best)	1,310 ±7#23 of 48 · 121,082 votes
Price
Starting price	$0.05/s 480p (best)	$0.10/s 720p
Top price	$0.07/s 720p	$0.15/s 1080p
10-second clip	$0.50at the starting rate (best)	$1.00at the starting rate
Extra charges	$0.002 per input image	—
How it is billed	Per second	Per second
Output
Produces	Video	Video with sound
Resolutions	480p · 720p	720p · 1080p
Highest resolution	720p	1080p (best)
Clip length	1–15 s	5–10 s
Longest clip	15 s (best)	10 s
Sound	—	Optional
Frame control	First frame only	First frame only
Inputs
Text prompts	Yes	Yes
Start image (image to video)	Yes	Yes
Video input	Yes	Yes
Audio input	No	Yes
References	Up to 7 reference images; edits existing video	Video and audio
Access
Weights	Proprietary	Proprietary
API model ID	`grok-imagine-video`	—
API hosts	1	1
Released	Jan 28, 2026	Dec 16, 2025

03 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better, Grok Imagine Video or Wan v2.6?

For text to video, voters prefer Grok Imagine Video (Grok Imagine Video 1,342 (#18) · Wan v2.6 1,327 (#21)). For image to video, voters prefer Grok Imagine Video (Grok Imagine Video 1,415 (#12) · Wan v2.6 1,310 (#23)). 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 costs from $0.05/s (480p), up to $0.07/s (720p); Wan v2.6 costs from $0.10/s (720p), up to $0.15/s (1080p). A 10-second clip at the lowest rate: Grok Imagine Video $0.50, Wan v2.6 $1.00. 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: 1–15 s, 480p / 720p; Wan v2.6: 5–10 s, 720p / 1080p.

What is the difference between Grok Imagine Video and Wan v2.6?

Grok Imagine Video is a video model from xAI (Jan 28, 2026), taking text prompts, reference images and video and producing video. Wan v2.6 is a video model from Alibaba (Qwen) (Dec 16, 2025), taking text prompts, reference images, audio and video and producing video with sound.

Which is newer?

Grok Imagine Video Jan 28, 2026; Wan v2.6 Dec 16, 2025.

Which generates video with sound?

Generates an audio track with the video: Grok Imagine Video no; Wan v2.6 yes.

Can I run any of these on my own hardware?

No open weights. Both are available only through APIs and apps.