Grok Imagine Image 2.0 vs Qwen Image 3.0

Grok Imagine Image 2.0 vs Qwen Image 3.0 at a glance

Grok Imagine Image 2.0 from xAI and Qwen Image 3.0 from Alibaba Cloud are both in the Image Generation category, available through the EmpirioLabs API.

Key differences

• Grok Imagine Image 2.0 is the newer release (Aug 7, 2026); Qwen Image 3.0 was released on Jul 21, 2026.
• Capabilities listed only for Qwen Image 3.0: multilingual text, dense layouts, photorealism.

Grok Imagine Image 2.0 vs Qwen Image 3.0: specs

Grok Imagine Image 2.0 vs Qwen Image 3.0: API pricing

Live rates from the EmpirioLabs catalog for both models. Each rate card always matches what the API charges.

Grok Imagine Image 2.0 vs Qwen Image 3.0: API parameters

Request parameters each model lists on EmpirioLabs, with the allowed values or range where one applies. A dash marks a parameter the model does not list.

Grok Imagine Image 2.0 vs Qwen Image 3.0: limits and notes

Grok Imagine Image 2.0

Generates images from a text prompt, or edits up to five source images from a natural-language instruction.

Modes

• Text-to-image: send a prompt with no image.
• Image editing: attach one image and describe the change you want.
• Multi-image editing: attach two to five images to combine subjects, transfer a style, or compose a scene. Refer to them in the prompt as <IMAGE_0>, <IMAGE_1>, and so on.

Example multi-image prompt

Place the product from <IMAGE_0> onto the marble surface in <IMAGE_1>.

Defaults

• Auto quality at 1K resolution
• Auto aspect ratio, so the model picks the best fit for the prompt
• One output image per request

Quality and resolution

Quality selects how much work goes into the render. Auto lets the model choose the tier for each request and currently serves low for a text prompt and medium for an edit. Low returns in a few seconds. Medium takes longer and resolves finer detail. Resolution selects the 1K or 2K output tier. Quality and resolution combine into four price points, so a low 1K image is the cheapest option and a medium 2K image the most detailed.

Controls

Supports prompt, source images (URL or upload), quality, resolution, aspect ratio across sixteen ratios including auto and the 21:9 and 5:2 widescreen formats, number of images, and response format.

Limits

• Up to 5 source images per edit
• Up to 10 output images per request
• Prompt up to 8,000 characters

Billing

• Charged per output image at the quality and resolution served, plus a per-image fee for each source image you attach. Text-to-image has no source-image fee.
• With auto quality the charge follows the tier the model served for that request. Set quality to low or medium when you want the price fixed in advance.
• A request that fails validation or is rejected before any image is produced is not billed.
• An image that is produced but then blocked by content policy is still billed. This follows xAI usage policy, which charges for the generation even when the output is blocked by the content safety check. Keep prompts and source images within the usage policy to avoid this.

Content safety

Generated images pass an automated content-safety check. An image flagged as explicit is not returned. Because the image is generated before the check runs, a flagged generation is still billed.

Qwen Image 3.0

Qwen Image 3.0 combines Base and Pro image generation and editing in one model. Pro is selected by default, output starts at 2K, and aspect ratio starts in Auto. Base provides a lower-cost option for fast iteration.

Variants

• Choose qwen-image-3.0-pro for photorealism, dense layouts, fine multilingual typography, and complex multi-image edits.
• Choose qwen-image-3.0 for lower-cost generation and routine edits.
• Choose with model_variant. Without it, the model ids qwen-image-3.0, alibaba/qwen-image-3.0 and alibaba/qwen-image-3-0 run Base and every other id of this model runs Pro.

Modes

• Text to image from a prompt.
• Image editing and reference-guided generation from one to three images.
• Direct prompt extension works for generation and editing. Agent prompt extension provides deeper refinement for text-to-image requests only.

Output and input limits

• One to six output images per request.
• 1K, 2K, automatic, aspect-ratio presets, or an exact custom size.
• Preset and custom sizes stay between 512x512 and 2048x2048 pixels, with each selected side up to 2048 pixels and aspect ratio from 1:8 to 8:1. Automatic sizing can choose its own dimensions within the 1K or 2K output tiers.
• Input images can be JPG, JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, WEBP, or GIF, up to 10 MB each.
• Prompts support up to 4,500 tokens.

Billing

• Base uses one output rate across 1K and 2K.
• Pro outputs up to 2.25 megapixels use the 1K rate. Larger Pro outputs use the 2K rate.
• Every reference image adds the input-image rate shown above.

Performance

• 1K generations are optimized for interactive iteration. Complex 2K edits can take several minutes.

Content safety

Generated images pass an automated content-safety check. An image flagged as explicit is not returned. Because the image is generated before the check runs, a flagged generation is still billed.

How to call Grok Imagine Image 2.0 and Qwen Image 3.0

Grok Imagine Image 2.0 runs through POST /v1/images/generations. The request returns a job_id right away; poll GET /v1/jobs/{job_id} until the job completes and read the output URLs from the result. Or add "sync": true to skip polling: the request stays open and returns the finished OpenAI-style image response directly, so OpenAI SDKs work as-is. Both models are called through the same endpoint. Set model to grok-imagine-image-2-0 or qwen-image-3-0. Get an API key from the EmpirioLabs dashboard.

curl https://api.empiriolabs.ai/v1/images/generations \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $EMPIRIOLABS_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "grok-imagine-image-2-0",
    "prompt": "Describe what you want Grok Imagine Image 2.0 to generate."
  }'

Grok Imagine Image 2.0 vs Qwen Image 3.0: common questions

What is the difference between Grok Imagine Image 2.0 and Qwen Image 3.0?

Grok Imagine Image 2.0 is the newer release (Aug 7, 2026); Qwen Image 3.0 was released on Jul 21, 2026. Capabilities listed only for Qwen Image 3.0: multilingual text, dense layouts, photorealism. The specs, rate cards, and parameters on this page come from the live EmpirioLabs catalog.

Which is newer, Grok Imagine Image 2.0 or Qwen Image 3.0?

Grok Imagine Image 2.0 is the newer release (Aug 7, 2026); Qwen Image 3.0 was released on Jul 21, 2026.

Which has the lower rate, Grok Imagine Image 2.0 or Qwen Image 3.0?

The two models are priced on different units or tiers, so compare the live rate cards on this page. They always match what the API charges.

Can I switch between Grok Imagine Image 2.0 and Qwen Image 3.0 without rebuilding my integration?

Yes. Both models use POST /v1/images/generations with the same EmpirioLabs API key, so most integrations switch by changing the model value. Check the parameters table on this page first if you rely on a model-specific parameter.

Can I try Grok Imagine Image 2.0 and Qwen Image 3.0 in the browser before integrating?

Yes. Open each model in the EmpirioLabs playground and run the same prompt on both, with the parameters the API exposes.