Use Grok Imagine from Claude Code

Grok Imagine is xAI's general-purpose image model and AetherWave's default for ambiguous-intent generation requests. Billed as a flat request rather than per image, currently returning 2 images per call. Fast generations (~30s) and an AtlasCloud failover wired to the same model so a KIE outage does not drop the request - that leg returns one image at the same price. Note it returns JPEG, not PNG, so outputs carry no alpha channel.

If you use Claude Code and you want Grok Imagine available as a native tool that the agent can call directly, the AetherWave MCP server wires it up in one command. No SDK to learn, no separate API key per provider, no polling loop to write.

Install in 30 seconds

Run this from your terminal:

Get your API key at your Profile page under the Developer tab. New accounts start with free credits to try it without spending anything.

Quick facts

How to use it

Once the MCP is installed, you can ask Claude Code naturally. It'll pick Grok Imagine from the model-selection rubric in the tool description when your prompt matches its strengths (multi-variation image generation).

Example interaction:

Claude Code calls aetherwave_generate_image with model: "grok-imagine-t2i" and returns the finished asset URL. The result auto-saves to your AetherWave gallery (Cloudflare R2 hosted, no URL expiration).

Sample prompts that work well

When to pick Grok Imagine

Grok Imagine shines for:

• Quick exploration when you want options to choose from
• Album cover concepting - request several and pick
• A/B testing prompt variations
• Budget-conscious generation
• Any agent workflow where the user picks from a grid

How it compares

vs gpt-image-2-t2i at 9 cr / 1 image: Grok bills 6 cr per request and returns 2 images (about 3 cr/image) as JPEG; GPT Image 2 returns 1 stronger image at 9 cr as PNG. Use Grok to explore cheaply; GPT Image 2 when the result is the deliverable, or when you need transparency.

Run aetherwave_list_image_models from Claude Code to see the full live catalog with pricing.

Cost

Flat 6 credits per call on the standard tier (7 on pro), billed per REQUEST rather than per image, and currently returning 2 images per generation - about 3 credits per image. KIE reduced the output count from 6 to 2 on 2026-09-12; the price is a flat request rate, so it did not fall with it. On the Atlas failover the call returns 1 image at the same 6 credits.

Credits come from your AetherWave account. Plans:

• Free: Starter credits on signup plus 80 cr from one-time community quests
• Studio: $9.99/mo, 1,700 credits monthly, cancel anytime
• One-time bundles: from $4.99 (500 cr) up to $79.99 (9,000 cr). Bundle credits never expire.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I install AetherWave MCP in Claude Code?

One command (shown above). Then restart Claude Code. The agent will have Grok Imagine available as part of the aetherwave_generate_image tool with 2 output(s) per call.

How do I use Grok Imagine from Claude Code?

Just describe what you want. The agent picks Grok Imagine when your prompt matches its strengths (multi-variation image generation). You can also explicitly request it by passing model: "grok-imagine-t2i" in the tool call.

What does Grok Imagine cost per generation?

Flat 6 credits per call on the standard tier (7 on pro), billed per REQUEST rather than per image, and currently returning 2 images per generation - about 3 credits per image. KIE reduced the output count from 6 to 2 on 2026-09-12; the price is a flat request rate, so it did not fall with it. On the Atlas failover the call returns 1 image at the same 6 credits. Credits come from your AetherWave account (Studio sub from $9.99/mo or one-time bundles from $4.99/500 cr).