Grok Imagine Video vs Kling is a choice between xAI's video model and Kuaishou's. Both turn a picture or a line of text into a clip with sound, and both are sold by the second. Which one fits depends on the shot: how many reference pictures you have, whether you want to choose the last frame, and how many clips you will throw away on the way.
Ziztu runs both, so this guide prices them with one billing code. Ziztu is our product, so read the verdict with that in mind. In short: Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Lite is the cheapest way to draft, Grok Imagine Video 1.5 is the one to try when you have many reference images, and Kling O3 is the better value when you want to set the first and last frame of a story shot.
How we compared them
- Specs and list prices come from each model's page on fal and from xAI's own docs, read on 15 October 2026 (see Sources). Kling's own developer prices were read on 14 October 2026.
- Ziztu prices are quotes from the billing code, in credits and in dollars at the Starter plan's price ($12 for 1,000 credits).
- What we did not do: a blind quality test. Pictures differ by shot and by prompt, so we compare what the models accept and what they cost.
Side by side
| Grok Imagine Video 1.5 | Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Lite | Kling O3 | Kling 3.0 Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maker | xAI | xAI | Kuaishou | Kuaishou |
| Length in Ziztu | 1 to 15 seconds | 1 to 15 seconds | 3 to 15 seconds | 3 to 15 seconds |
| Sizes in Ziztu | 480p, 720p, 1080p | 480p, 720p, 1080p | 720p Standard, 1080p Pro | 1080p |
| Start from | a frame, text, or up to 7 reference images (480p and 720p) | a frame or text | a frame, a first and last frame, text, or up to 4 reference images | a frame and an end frame, or text; characters as elements |
| Sound | Yes, per fal at no extra cost | not stated on its page | Yes | Yes |
| fal list price | $0.08, $0.14, $0.25 a second | $0.02, $0.03, $0.14 a second | $0.084 a second without audio, $0.112 with (Standard) | $0.168 a second with audio at 1080p, on Kling's own page |
| 5 second clip in Ziztu | 102 credits at 480p to 312 at 1080p | 28 credits at 480p to 176 at 1080p | 139 credits at 720p to 174 at 1080p | 208 credits at 1080p |
The list prices in the fal row are per second of output, with 480p, 720p and 1080p in that order for the two Grok models. An input picture adds $0.01 on the Grok models.
Grok Imagine Video 1.5: references first
See the Grok Imagine Video page for the model on its own.
fal describes Grok Imagine Video 1.5 as an xAI image to video model with audio, 24 frames a second, three sizes and up to seven reference images at $0.01 each. xAI's own docs list it at $0.080 a second.
- Good for: a shot where you have several pictures to hold at once, such as a character, her coat and the room, and want the model to use all of them. In Ziztu the references are named in the prompt as IMAGE_0, IMAGE_1 and so on, at 480p and 720p.
- In Ziztu: a first frame, text, or references. No end frame. 102 credits for 5 seconds at 480p, 176 at 720p, 312 at 1080p.
- Limits: it costs more than Kling O3 at 720p, as the table below shows, and you cannot set the last frame.
Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Lite: the cheap draft
fal lists Lite at $0.02 a second at 480p, $0.03 at 720p and $0.14 at 1080p, and xAI's docs list it at $0.020 a second. It takes a first frame or text.
- Good for: drafts, background loops, checking a camera move before you pay for a stronger model, and slideshow-style motion on a still.
- In Ziztu: 28 credits for 5 seconds at 480p and 40 at 720p ($0.48). Ziztu's slideshow, birthday and tribute video tools run on it.
- Limits: no references. The 1080p price jumps to $0.14 a second on fal, so keep it at 720p or below.
Kling O3, 3.0 Pro and Turbo: the story shots
fal describes Kling V3 Pro as cinematic visuals, fluid motion and native audio, with custom elements, multi-shot generation and 3 to 15 seconds. Kling O3 animates a transition between a start frame and an optional end frame, with audio.
- Good for: a shot where you decide how it begins and ends, action, a chase, a fight, and anything with a body moving fast.
- In Ziztu: Kling O3 takes a first and last frame, text and up to four reference images, with sound on: 139 credits for 5 seconds at 720p, 174 at 1080p. Kling 3.0 Pro (208 at 1080p) is for the hero shot, and Kling 3.0 Turbo (139 at 720p) is the quick Kling draft.
- Limits: capped at 15 seconds, and your first frame decides the style.
Kling's own developer page, read on 14 October 2026, lists Kling 3.0 at $0.126 a second with native audio at 720p, sold in prepaid packages whose smallest we saw was $700. That makes the direct route a commitment; Ziztu bills by the clip.
What a 60 second episode costs
A minute is twelve 5 second clips. In Ziztu, on the Starter plan, at 720p unless the model only has 1080p:
| Model | 5 second clip | Twelve clips | In dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Lite, 720p | 40 credits | 480 credits | $5.76 |
| Kling 3.0 Turbo, 720p | 139 credits | 1,668 credits | $20.02 |
| Kling O3, 720p | 139 credits | 1,668 credits | $20.02 |
| Grok Imagine Video 1.5, 720p | 176 credits | 2,112 credits | $25.34 |
| Kling 3.0 Pro, 1080p | 208 credits | 2,496 credits | $29.95 |
Read it this way. Lite is far below the others, which is why drafting on Lite and remaking the keepers on a stronger model is the cheap way to work. Between the two full-size models, Kling O3 is cheaper than Grok Imagine Video 1.5 at 720p. And none of this is the price of a finished episode: add first frames, voices, music and the retakes.
For comparison, MiniMax H3 Max Turbo at 768p is 600 credits ($7.20) for the same minute, which is why it is Ziztu's default model. Our guide to Seedance vs Kling vs Hailuo compares those three.
Which to pick
- Throwaway drafts and loops: Grok Imagine Video 1.5 Lite.
- Many reference pictures in one shot: Grok Imagine Video 1.5.
- A story shot where you set the first and last frame: Kling O3.
- The shot shown full screen: Kling 3.0 Pro.
- A dance copied from a video: Kling Motion Control.
Then plan the whole episode, not one clip: a Director that writes the shot list, a character sheet sent with every shot, and voices, music and the cut in one project. Our guides to the best AI video generators and the best AI anime video generators compare the tools around these models, and the Grok Imagine alternatives and Kling alternatives pages go deeper on each.
The honest limits
- No blind quality test. We compare what the models accept and cost, not which picture is nicer.
- Prices move. The Ziztu figures are computed when the page is built; the fal, xAI and Kling figures carry the date we read them.
- Ziztu is not the cheapest way to buy a single clip of either model. It is the pick for an episode.
New accounts get 40 free credits for scripts, character art, storyboards and voices, with no card. Video starts on any plan. Compare them on your own shot in the AI video generator, start from a picture with image to video or write the shot with text to video.
