Runway vs Elyumfor Grok Imagine 1.5
The model is the same. Elyum charges only kept takes; Runway charges every completed render, refunding hard errors only.
Grok Imagine 1.5 from xAI is a stylized video model for short clips, up to 15s. It takes text-to-video, image-to-video, and reference-to-video. The look is graphic and fast. People who already like this model use it for mood pieces, motion studies, and first-pass boards, not as a finishing suite. The Grok Imagine 1.5 page is the studio listing on Elyum.
The weights are the same vendor model. The bill is not. Elyum returns every render as a free preview and charges only a KEEP. A KILL refunds in full. Runway lists grok_imagine_1_5 (text-to-video and image-to-video, plus an image variant) in its developer model guide. Credits return only on a hard generation error. An off-prompt clip that still completes is billed. Runway's pricing page starts paid access at Standard, $15/mo for 625 credits. Elyum pricing starts at Plus $9/mo, or up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them) on Free with no card.
Runway is the fuller production suite. Brand kits, voice clones, 4K upscaling, HDR/ProRes on Max, Aleph in-context edits, and Gen-4.5 sit in one credit pool. Elyum does not ship a timeline editor, stock footage, avatars, a mobile app, team seats, or a community feed. If you need those, stay on Runway. The rest of this page is for people who already picked Grok Imagine 1.5 and want the cheaper, refundable take. See the Runway alternative page for the broader suite gap.
Grok Imagine 1.5 on Runway
On Runway, Grok Imagine 1.5 is listed as grok_imagine_1_5 for video (text-to-video and image-to-video), plus a separate image variant. Standard ($15/mo, 625 credits), Pro ($35/mo, 2,250 credits), and Max ($95/mo, 9,500 credits) all say they include all AI video and image models. The free tier is 125 one-time credits, 5GB storage, and a limited model set. Whether grok_imagine_1_5 sits in that limited set is not published. Runway does not publish a credit rate for this model.
A bad render costs the full generation if it finishes. Runway's help center states credits return automatically only when a job ends in a hard generation error. Low-quality or off-prompt output is not refunded. That gap shows up in reviews. A Trustpilot reviewer wrote that the AI often ignores clear, detailed prompts and still burns credits on the attempt. Paid plans have no watermark. Commercial-use terms were not independently verified from official ToS in this research. Monthly credits reset each cycle on Standard and Pro (Max rolls over one month).
Grok Imagine 1.5 on Elyum
On Elyum, Grok Imagine 1.5 runs 1s to 15s at 6 credits per second. A 5s keep is {{price grok-imagine-1-5 per second 5}}. A 15s keep is {{price grok-imagine-1-5 per second 15}}. Modes are text-to-video, image-to-video, and reference-to-video. The first file you see is a free preview. KEEP is the only charge. KILL refunds in full. A failed generation is never charged. Free-plan kills are capped at one a month; Plus, Pro, and Ultra kill freely.
Kept takes download clean, no watermark, commercial use included. Plans are Free (up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card), Plus $9/mo, Pro $29/mo, and Ultra $69/mo, plus top-ups. 1 credit equals $0.01. You can run the same balance from Claude, ChatGPT, or Cursor via the MCP server or the REST API. Other Grok Imagine 1.5 matchups live on compare pages.
What a Grok Imagine 1.5 take costs
| Scenario | Runway | Elyum |
|---|---|---|
| One 5s take you keep | Not published. Runway lists no Grok Imagine 1.5 credit rate. | {{price grok-imagine-1-5 per second 5}} |
| Ten 5s takes, keep two | Not published. Completed takes are billed even if unused. | {{price grok-imagine-1-5 per second 5 x2}} |
| A failed generation | Refunded only on a hard generation error | Never charged |
| Monthly plan to access the model | Standard $15/mo, 625 credits. Free-tier inclusion not published. | Free plan, up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card |
| Watermark on the download | None on paid plans. Free-tier watermark not confirmed. | None on kept takes |
| One 15s take you keep | Not published | {{price grok-imagine-1-5 per second 15}} |
Elyum: 1 credit = $0.01, charged only when you keep a take. Runway figures from its own pricing pages and independent reviews, verified 2026-09-07; sources at the end. Full rate card on the Grok Imagine 1.5 page.
Where the two differ
Elyum moves credits only on KEEP. A preview costs nothing. Runway bills when a generation completes. An unwanted but finished clip still spends the credits.
On Elyum, KILL is a full automatic refund (one kill a month on Free; paid plans kill freely). Failed jobs are never charged. Runway auto-refunds hard generation errors only. Off-prompt or low-quality output stays billed.
Elyum runs this model from 1s to 15s. Runway published no universal max clip length in this research, and no official grok_imagine_1_5 duration figure.
Elyum Plus is $9/mo. Free is up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them). Runway Standard is $15/mo ($12/mo yearly) for 625 credits. Runway Free is 125 one-time credits with a limited model selection.
Runway adds Aleph, Gen-4.5, brand kits, voice clones, 4K upscaling on Standard+, HDR/ProRes on Max, and 5/15/20 parallel generations. Elyum is one studio and one balance across 50+ models, with no timeline editor, stock, avatars, or team seats.
Runway's public API includes grok_imagine_1_5. Runway MCP is listed on Pro. Elyum MCP and REST use the same credit balance as the web studio.
Pick Runway when
- You want Gen-4.5 and Aleph in the same dashboard as grok_imagine_1_5, on one credit pool.
- You need brand kits, voice clones, 4K upscaling, or HDR/ProRes (Max) around the clip.
- You already pay Standard $15/mo or higher and want Grok Imagine 1.5 inside that allotment.
- You need Runway's public developer API for grok_imagine_1_5 outside the consumer UI.
Pick Elyum when
- You iterate. Previews are free; only KEEP spends credits, and KILL refunds in full.
- A 5s keep is {{price grok-imagine-1-5 per second 5}}. Plans start at $9/mo, or up to 150 credits (our algorithm may grant them) on Free.
- Kept files have no watermark and include commercial use. Failed jobs are never billed.
- You want the same model from Claude, ChatGPT, or Cursor through Elyum MCP.
Grok Imagine 1.5 in three styles, rendered on Elyum
Getting the most out of Grok Imagine 1.5
- Name one camera move. Dolly in, pan left, or a short handheld drift. Stacking orbit plus crash zoom plus whip pan in one line makes Grok Imagine 1.5 overdrive the motion.
- Lock medium, lighting, and palette in the first clause, then write the action. This model grabs style early. If the look is last, the grade drifts while the camera hunts.
- On image-to-video or reference-to-video, treat the still as the master frame. Prompt only what should move or change. Restating the whole scene fights the reference.
- Keep first tests at 3s to 5s. At 15s, write a start, a middle action, and a hold. Left open, the model invents a second beat that does not match the first.
- Do not ask for readable signage, tiny logos, or UI chrome. Glyphs smear on this stylized model. Describe the sign as color and shape, not as copy.
- State 16:9 or 9:16 in the prompt if the control is not locked. Vertical needs a closer crop. Wide masters lose faces at the edge.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Grok Imagine 1.5 video cost on Elyum vs Runway?
Is Grok Imagine 1.5 the same model on both?
What happens to a bad Grok Imagine 1.5 take?
Do I need a subscription to use Grok Imagine 1.5 on Elyum?
Does Runway watermark Grok Imagine 1.5 clips?
Can I call Grok Imagine 1.5 from an API?
- Runway Pricing (official) (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Available Runway AI Models — Runway Developer Docs (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Kling 3.0 on Runway (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Creating with FLUX 3 — Runway Help Center (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Can I have credits refunded? — Runway Help Center (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Runway Reviews — Trustpilot (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Runway AI Pricing 2026: Free Plan, Credits, Max Plan & Best Value — Somake AI (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Runway AI pricing in 2026: every plan, credit cost, and what you actually get — eesel AI (accessed 2026-09-07)
- AI Video Startup Runway Valued at $5.3 Billion With New Funding — Bloomberg (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Runway on X — API model list changelog announcement (accessed 2026-09-07)
Related comparisons
Create everything. Keep the best.
Grok Imagine 1.5 is a AI video generator you can preview free on Elyum. Keep the takes you love, kill the rest for a full refund.