Grok Imagine Pricing & Cost

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.

This page breaks down the credit cost for Grok Imagine when called via the AetherWave MCP server from Claude Code, Cursor, Continue, or any MCP-aware agent. Credits map to USD at a fixed rate, so the cost is predictable.

Full cost breakdown

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.

Cost scenarios in USD

Here is what common workflows cost in USD at Grok Imagine's rate:

How Grok Imagine 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 pricing across all models in one call. The MCP rubrics in each tool's description also route the agent automatically when a budget hint is in the prompt.

Where credits come from

You can fund your AetherWave account three ways:

• Free: Starter credits on signup plus up to 80 credits from one-time community quests (Discord, social shares, follow channels)
• Studio subscription: $9.99/mo for 1,700 credits monthly. Cancel any time.
• One-time bundles: starting at $4.99 for 500 credits, up to $79.99 for 9,000 credits. Bundle credits never expire.

View live pricing

Quick install

To run Grok Imagine from Claude Code, install the AetherWave MCP server with one command:

Get your free API key at your Profile page (Developer tab). The MCP exposes 31 tools total; aetherwave_generate_image is the one that gives the agent access to Grok Imagine.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much 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.

How do AetherWave credits convert to USD?

Credits map to USD at a fixed rate, so Grok Imagine's 6 cr per call translates to the per-generation figures in the scenario table above. Credits come from a Studio subscription, one-time bundles, or starter credits + community quests on the free tier.

Is Grok Imagine worth the cost vs cheaper alternatives?

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. The right call depends on what matters most for your workflow: variation count, deterministic output, latency, or absolute quality ceiling.