TLDR
Grok Imagine Video 1.5 is the stronger default on this site when you want a 1–15 second text-to-video or first-frame clip at 480p / 720p, with a one-click path on this site’s video generator (xAI model card; video generation). MiniMax H3 Max is the stronger fit when the shot needs a last frame, a 5–15 second envelope at 480P / 768P, or a dedicated H3 Max workspace at H3 Max (MiniMax video guide; create-task API). There is no universal winner.
Key Takeaways
- Two entities, two dates: Grok Imagine Video 1.5 is xAI’s 2026 clip model (
grok-imagine-video-1.5, alias dated 2026-05-30) (model card). MiniMax published MiniMax H3 on 2026-07-31 and documents MiniMax H3 Max as the fast T2V / I2V variant (H3 launch; video guide). - Do not mix slugs: this site’s video default is
grok-imagine-video-1-5. Image 2.0 on this site’s image generator is a stills model — not a clip. - Official jobs: xAI documents text-to-video, image-to-video, and (on its own API) reference-to-video plus native 1080p for T2V / I2V (generation; image-to-video; reference-to-video). MiniMax documents H3 Max as T2V + I2V with first / last frame; reference generation is listed as coming soon (video guide).
- Resolution on this site: this site’s generator offers 480p / 720p for Video 1.5 — no 1080p here, even though xAI’s API lists 1080p for T2V / I2V (generation). H3 Max’s documented ladder is 480P / 768P, not 2K (create-task API).
- Duration split: Video 1.5 allows 1–15 seconds (this site default 8s). H3 Max allows 5–15 seconds — no 1–4 second clip (generation; create-task API).
- No overall champion: the three start frames below are editorial references for the same prompts, not a lab ranking.
Head-to-head (public specs + this site)
| Dimension | Grok Imagine Video 1.5 | MiniMax H3 Max |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Official name / date | grok-imagine-video-1.5 · alias grok-imagine-video-1.5-2026-05-30 (model card) | MiniMax-H3-Max, the fast variant of MiniMax H3 (H3 launch 2026-07-31) (H3; video guide) |
| Maker surfaces | grok.com/imagine, xAI API (Imagine overview, updated 2026-08-28) | MiniMax API + a dedicated H3 Max workspace |
| Stated strengths | Motion, physics, native audio, Fast lane for short 720p clips (India Today, 2026-06-17; xAI) | Faster than MiniMax H3; T2V + I2V with first / last frame (video guide) |
| Frames you can lock | Text, or one first-frame still on this site | First frame, last frame, or both (video guide) |
| Official extra modes | Reference-to-video (≤7 images, ≤3 preset voices, 720p cap) on xAI’s API — not on this site (reference-to-video) | Reference generation coming soon; not in the current H3 Max mode table (video guide) |
| Duration | 1–15s (site default 8s) | 5–15s integer; 4s is not supported (create-task API) |
| Resolution | This site: 480p / 720p. xAI API also lists 1080p for T2V / I2V (generation) | 480P / 768P (default 768P). 2K is not supported on H3 Max (create-task API) |
| This-site credits | 2 /s at 480p · 5 /s at 720p. Default 8s × 480p = 16. Signup 10 covers a 5s 480p try, not the 8s default | Not billed on this site |
| First try | This site’s video generator (default model) | H3 Max generator |
Family / timeline (keep the lanes straight)
Grok Imagine Video 1.5 is the 2026 clip model in xAI’s Imagine stack. The consumer Fast lane was widely reported on 2026-06-17: a six-second 720p clip in about 25 seconds, down from 40+ on the previous model (xAI; India Today). xAI later documented text-to-video, image-to-video, reference-to-video, and native 1080p for T2V / I2V (release notes; Imagine overview). On this site, use grok-imagine-video-1-5 at 480p / 720p. Do not treat Grok Imagine Image 2.0 as the same model.
MiniMax H3 is MiniMax’s general-purpose multimodal video model, launched 2026-07-31, with native stereo sound and up to 15 seconds at 2K on the H3 family (H3 launch; open-source note). MiniMax H3 Max is the documented fast T2V / I2V SKU: 480P / 768P, 5–15 seconds, first / last frame, no 2K (video guide; create-task API). Open H3-Base weights exist under the MiniMax H3 Community License (GitHub). This article only answers which clip model for which shot.
For stills first, use the Image 2.0 guide, then come back to this site’s video generator.
Start frames for the matched prompts
These three stills are start-frame references generated for this article. They are not Video 1.5 or H3 Max outputs. Upload the same file (or paste the same prompt) on both sides if you want a fair clip test.
Prompt A — product reveal (16:9, 5s)
Slow orbital move around a matte glass serum bottle labeled LUMEN on pale stone, one eucalyptus sprig, soft window light from the left, a gentle highlight traveling across the glass, quiet luxury product film, 5 seconds, no extra logos, no watermark
Prompt A start frame · 16:9 · generated for this comparison, published on this site. Score label lock, glass, and whether the camera move stays on the bottle.
Prompt B — vertical social hook (9:16, 6s)
Vertical 9:16. A woman in a rust coat under one sodium streetlamp, wet asphalt, she looks up and takes one step toward camera, shallow depth of field, cinematic night, 6 seconds, no text overlay, no watermark
Prompt B start frame · 9:16 · generated for this comparison, published on this site. Score identity hold, step timing, and whether stray type appears.
Prompt C — landscape push-in (16:9, 8s)
Slow push-in toward a lone wooden fishing boat on a glassy lake at blue hour, thin mist, distant pine ridge, water barely moving, cinematic landscape, 8 seconds, no people, no text, no watermark
Prompt C start frame · 16:9 · generated for this comparison, published on this site. Score camera smoothness and whether the boat stays the subject.
What we did not do: we did not cherry-pick clip winners or import a third-party Elo as a trophy. A second seed can move water, gait, or glass highlights. Re-run before you lock a campaign take.
Scenario winners
| If your bottleneck is… | Prefer | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | A 1–4 second hook this site can actually bill | Video 1.5 | H3 Max’s documented floor is 5 seconds (create-task API). | | Fastest browser default on this site | Video 1.5 | This site’s video generator already selects it. | | A still you already like, animated as the opening frame only | Video 1.5 here | This site’s generator takes text or one first frame. | | A shot that must arrive on a known last frame | H3 Max | First / last frame is in the H3 Max mode table (video guide). Try it on H3 Max. | | 768P family output (not this site’s 720p ladder) | H3 Max | Documented 480P / 768P; 2K is H3, not H3 Max (create-task API). | | Official 1080p T2V / I2V | xAI’s own API — not this site | This site’s generator stops at 720p (generation). | | Up to seven reference stills + preset voices | xAI’s reference-to-video API — not this site | Cap is 7 images / 720p (reference-to-video). |
Pro move: lock the still on this site’s image generator, animate it on this site’s video generator, then only open H3 Max when last-frame control is the actual bottleneck.
Credits on this site (honest, not a price war)
Signup gives 10 credits on this site. That is not enough to finish the 8-second default.
| Default clip | Credits | What 10 credits cover | | --- | --- | --- | | Video 1.5 · 480p · 5s | 10 | One short draft | | Video 1.5 · 480p · 8s (site default) | 16 | Not covered by signup | | Video 1.5 · 720p · 2s | 10 | One 2-second 720p try |
We do not publish other hosts’ per-second dollar tables. Compare tasks, then generate here.
What We Know vs. What We Don’t
| We know (sourced) | We don’t know / won’t claim |
| --- | --- |
| Video 1.5 model id + 2026-05-30 alias; T2V / I2V / R2V; duration 1–15s; 480p / 720p / 1080p on the API (model card; generation) | That this site clones grok.com chrome or exposes 1080p / R2V |
| Fast-lane claim on 2026-06-17: ~25s for a 6s 720p clip (xAI; India Today) | A live queue time on this site |
| MiniMax H3 launch 2026-07-31; H3 Max documented as 480P / 768P, 5–15s, T2V + I2V, first / last frame (H3; video guide) | That H3 Max is MiniMax H3 renamed, or that it outputs 2K |
| Design Arena video board snapshot 2026-08-29: MiniMax H3 Max Elo 1293, listed generation time 4.9s; Grok Imagine Elo 1240 (Design Arena) | A live rank, or that Elo picks your product film |
| LM Arena image-to-video snapshot 2026-08-25: grok-imagine-video-1.5-720p score 1459 (LM Arena) | That a 720p Arena row equals this site’s 480p default |
| This site: 480p = 2/s, 720p = 5/s, default 8s 480p = 16; signup 10 | A starter pack that finishes three matched clips at default length |
How to evaluate on this site (same prompts)
- Open this site’s video generator (already the default).
- Paste Prompt A at 5s / 480p / 16:9. Then B at 6s / 9:16. Then C at 8s / 16:9 only if you have credits left.
- Score: label lock, identity hold, camera smoothness, extra junk type, and whether audio arrived with the picture.
- If the brief needs a last frame or 768P, run the same strings on the dedicated H3 Max workspace linked in the table above.
- Keep only the second-pass clip. Do not invent a new brief mid-test.
Need a hero still before you spend the motion credit? Make it on this site’s image generator, then upload it as the first frame here.
FAQ
Is MiniMax H3 Max better than Grok Imagine Video 1.5?
Not universally. Pick by bottleneck: last frame / 768P family → H3 Max; 1–4s hook, this site’s default, or first-frame-only → Video 1.5 (video guide; generation).
Is “Grok Imagine” the same as Video 1.5?
No. Video 1.5 is the clip model (model card). Image 2.0 is the stills Quality Mode on this site’s image generator.
Does Video 1.5 do 1080p here?
No. This site’s generator is 480p / 720p. xAI’s API lists 1080p for T2V / I2V (generation).
Can H3 Max do 2K?
No. MiniMax documents H3 Max at 480P / 768P. 2K is MiniMax H3, not H3 Max (create-task API).
Can I run both models from this site?
Video 1.5 is this site’s video generator default. H3 Max is not on this site. Use the dedicated H3 Max generator (first-try cell in the table) when last-frame control is the job.
Do 10 free credits finish a fair A/B?
They finish one 5-second 480p clip — not the 8-second default, and not a two-model grid. Plan the first credit on Video 1.5 here.
Should I trust Arena #1 as the decision?
No. Design Arena’s 2026-08-29 video board listed H3 Max at Elo 1293, not first (Design Arena). Boards move. Run Prompt A–C on your brief.
Did you copy a third-party clip ranking?
No. The stills above are start-frame references for the same prompts. We do not import another site’s scoreboard.
Where should I start if I only have one prompt today?
Start on this site’s Video 1.5 generator. Switch to H3 Max only if last-frame control is the actual fail.
Grok Imagine Video vs H3 Max — does word order change the answer?
No. Same two models. We cover the reversed query here so you do not need a second article.
About Avery Cole
Avery Cole is an AI Image Release Analyst who tracks Grok Imagine releases and turns launch claims into clear try paths on Grok Imagine Image 2.0. Facts in this post follow the linked primary sources and the credit table on this site — not a private bake-off trophy.
