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AI image model comparison

GPT Image 2.5 vs Grok Imagine 2.0

GPT Image 2.5 leads Grok Imagine 2.0 on every Arena board we checked: text-to-image, text rendering, and image editing. Grok Imagine 2.0 is strong on instruction following and typography, and it runs unlimited from the Pro plan.

Try GPT Image 2.5 FlareTry Grok Image 2.0
  • A K-drama style poster with its title lettered in English and Korean
    GPT Image 2.5A K-drama style poster with its title lettered in English and Korean
  • A street food cook tossing noodles in a giant wok at a night market, flames leaping from the burner, steam and soft neon glow blurred behind, candid photo, 35mm
    Grok Imagine 2.0A street food cook tossing noodles in a giant wok at a night market, flames leaping from the burner, steam and soft neon glow blurred behind, candid photo, 35mm

Side by side

Prices, plans, resolutions, ratios, and reference limits are Mage's own, for the model compared. Release dates, search grounding, and watermarks are what each lab publishes. Arena ranks come from its text-to-image and text-rendering boards of October 7, 2026 and its image-edit board of October 19, 2026.

GPT Image 2.5Grok Imagine 2.0
Made byOpenAIxAI
ReleasedSeptember 8, 2026 SourceAugust 7, 2026 Source
Price on Mage, from9 Gems ($0.009) per image90 Gems ($0.09) per image
Unlimited on Mage fromBasicPro
Top resolution on Mage2K2K
Aspect ratios on Mage21:9, 16:9, 3:2, 5:4, 1:1, 4:5, 2:3, 9:16, 9:211:1, 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 3:4, 3:2, 2:3, 2:1, 1:2, 19.5:9, 9:19.5, 20:9, 9:20
Reference images on Mage, up to153
Search groundingNone documented SourceNone documented Source
Arena text-to-image#2 of 82 (preliminary) Source#4 of 82 (preliminary) Source
Arena text rendering#2 (preliminary) Source#6 (preliminary) Source
Arena image edit#2 of 60 (preliminary) Source#4 of 60 (preliminary) Source
WatermarkC2PA metadata and an invisible watermark SourceNone stated Source

Last checked October 2026

Which should you use?

Choose GPT Image 2.5 for

  • The highest-ranked images and edits of the two on Arena
  • Up to 15 reference images, with people in them kept recognizable
  • A quality setting for every job, from quick drafts to its most detailed renders

Choose Grok Imagine 2.0 for

  • Close instruction following and clean typography, which xAI built it for
  • Wide and phone-shaped ratios up to 20:9
  • Unlimited images from the Pro plan

Image quality

In Arena's blind votes, GPT Image 2.5 Flare ranks second of 82 for text-to-image and second of 60 for image editing. Grok Imagine 2.0 ranks fourth and fourth. All of these scores are marked preliminary.

Text in images

GPT Image 2.5 Flare ranks second on Arena's text-rendering board and Grok Imagine 2.0 sixth. xAI claims sharp small text for Grok Imagine 2.0, and OpenAI notes that precise text placement can still struggle on GPT Image 2.5.

Reference images

GPT Image 2.5 takes up to 15 reference images on Mage and keeps their subjects recognizable. Grok Imagine 2.0 takes up to 3, enough to restyle an image or combine a few.

Resolution and shape

GPT Image 2.5 renders up to 2K on Mage in 9 ratios, from 9:21 to 21:9. Grok Imagine 2.0 renders up to 2K in 13 ratios, including tall phone shapes such as 9:19.5 and 9:20.

Price on Mage

GPT Image 2.5 starts at 9 Gems (about $0.009) per image on Mage and runs unlimited from the Basic plan. Grok Imagine 2.0 starts at 90 Gems (about $0.09) per image on Mage and runs unlimited from the Pro plan.

GPT Image 2.5's price rises with its quality setting: its starting price and unlimited plans are for its quickest setting, and its most detailed settings cost many times more Gems.

A little more clarity

Questions

Is GPT Image 2.5 better than Grok Imagine 2.0?
On Arena's leaderboards, yes: GPT Image 2.5 Flare ranks second for text-to-image, second for text rendering, and second for image editing, ahead of Grok Imagine 2.0 on all three. Grok Imagine 2.0 is strong on instruction following and typography, and it runs unlimited from the Pro plan.
Which follows long, detailed prompts better?
Both are built for it. xAI's focus for Grok Imagine 2.0 is close instruction following, and GPT Image 2.5 leads both on Arena's overall text-to-image vote. Try the same prompt on each on Mage and keep the better image.
Which costs less on Mage?
GPT Image 2.5 starts at 9 Gems (about $0.009) per image on Mage and runs unlimited from the Basic plan, at its quickest quality setting; its higher settings cost more. Grok Imagine 2.0 starts at 90 Gems (about $0.09) per image on Mage and runs unlimited from the Pro plan.
Can I use both on Mage?
Yes. Both run in the same prompt box on Mage, on the same Gems and plans, and through the Mage API and the Mage MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT, so you can try a prompt on each and keep the better image.

Try GPT Image 2.5 and Grok Imagine 2.0 on one prompt

Run the same prompt on both in Mage's prompt box and keep the better image. New accounts get 300 free Gems.

Try GPT Image 2.5 Flare