Grok vs ChatGPT
Both offer a free plan and paid tiers from $8 a month; Grok bundles its plans with X and Cursor and shares one weekly usage pool, while ChatGPT lists separate Go, Plus and Pro tiers.
Pick Grok if…
Pick Grok if you already use X or Cursor, or want one weekly usage pool across chat, voice, and image and video creation. It also fits if you want the Grok tab inside X.
Pick ChatGPT if…
Pick ChatGPT if you want desktop apps for Mac and Windows or a Chrome extension, which its download page lists. It also fits if you want its free plan's unlimited text chats, subject to abuse guardrails.
Price
- Freemium
- Freemium
Starting price
Free plan
Open source
Works on
| Feature | AI assistant from xAI for chat, voice, file analysis, and image and video creation, on web, iOS, Android and X. | OpenAI's AI chat assistant for text, voice, images, research and coding, on web, desktop and mobile. |
|---|---|---|
| Price |
|
|
| Starting price | $8/month (Plus) | $8/month (Go) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | No |
| Works on | Web, iOS, Android | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser extension |
| Try Grok (opens the Grok website in a new tab) | Try ChatGPT (opens the ChatGPT website in a new tab) |
Pricing is close at the entry level. Grok's Free plan is $0 and its Plus plan is $8/month ($80/year), then Premium is $30, Super $100 and Ultra $200 a month. ChatGPT's Free plan is $0, Go is $8/month, Plus is $20/month and Pro starts at $100/month. The two tier ladders do not line up one to one, and Grok's paid plans bundle Cursor and X benefits, so the cost is not for a chat assistant alone.
Free plans differ in how limits are described. ChatGPT's pricing page lists unlimited text chats subject to abuse guardrails, with limited uploads, image creation, voice chats, deep research and memory. Grok's docs describe free access to Chat and Voice with limits that reset on their own schedule, and the pricing page lists usage only as limited, with no numbers. Neither source gave full numeric limits for paid plans.
Platforms overlap on web, iOS and Android. ChatGPT additionally lists Mac and Windows downloads and a Chrome extension. Grok is also available inside X through the Grok tab, and has an iOS-only Companions feature. Grok's docs list voice, file uploads, connectors, and Grok Imagine for image and video creation; ChatGPT's page lists voice chats, uploads, image creation, deep research, memory, projects, scheduled tasks and custom GPTs.
Both vendors have changed plan structures recently, so check the live pricing pages. ChatGPT's Go plan may include ads per its pricing page. Grok's plans were restructured on October 12, 2026, and existing SuperGrok, Cursor and X Premium subscribers can keep their old plans. This comparison makes no claim about answer quality or model performance.
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Last updated 16 October 2026. How we make money