AI assistant from xAI with chat, image and video generation, voice, and a developer API.
Free stops at: Limits not stated on the pages checked
Listed Not yet reviewed
Pricing US price unconfirmed
Head-to-head · profiles checked Oct 1, 2026
Grok vs ChatGPT in 2026: which one fits your work
Pick ChatGPT for confirmed prices, desktop and mobile apps, or a team workspace; pick Grok for live web and X search plus image and video generation. ChatGPT Plus starts paid use at $20 per month, while Grok's SuperGrok and SuperGrok Heavy prices were not visible when we checked. Grok and ChatGPT both have a free tier.
Starting priceFree; paid prices not confirmed · Free; Plus $20/moGrok · ChatGPT
Free tierYes · YesGrok · ChatGPT
Plans documented4 · 10Grok · ChatGPT
API input / output per 1M tokens$2.00 / $6.00 (grok-4.7) · $2 / $10 (gpt-6.1-sol)Grok · ChatGPT
We compared our Grok profile (verified October 1) and our ChatGPT profile (verified September 30), both built from official pages and docs; we ran no benchmark, use no third-party tests and take no vendor payments.
Is Grok better than ChatGPT? The short answer
Pick Grok if you want live web and X search, image and video generation, and a per-token API in one assistant, and you can accept that its paid consumer prices were not confirmed. Pick ChatGPT if you want published USD prices, apps for web, desktop and mobile, and team plans with SSO and no training on workspace data. Developers should note that both bill their APIs separately from the chat subscription. The documented gaps differ: Grok's are missing prices and privacy terms, ChatGPT's are plan-dependent usage caps.
Based on our Grok profile verified on October 1 and our ChatGPT profile verified on September 30, built from official pages and docs; no benchmark was run.
Grok or ChatGPT: which to use, by task
If you only want the answer, this is the table. Everything below is the evidence from the two documented profiles.
| You want to | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Check breaking news with sources | Grok | Grok documents live web and X search with citations; ChatGPT also cites web sources |
| Write a long research report from many sources | ChatGPT | ChatGPT documents deep research that produces cited, structured reports |
| Generate images | Either | Grok Imagine makes images up to 2K; ChatGPT creates and edits images on all plans |
| Make a short video clip | Grok | Grok generates video up to 15 seconds in chat; ChatGPT's profile lists no video generation |
| Analyze a spreadsheet or PDF | ChatGPT | ChatGPT documents file uploads, data analysis and charts; Grok lists uploaded files as an input only |
| Talk to an assistant by voice | Either | Grok and ChatGPT both document voice; Grok's longer voice conversations need SuperGrok |
| Set up a shared workspace for a team | ChatGPT | ChatGPT Business is $25 per seat per month with admin controls; Grok's business plan is not confirmed |
| Build an app on an API | Either | Grok and ChatGPT both have separate per-token APIs; Grok requires prepaid credits |
| Delegate a multi-step task to an agent | ChatGPT | ChatGPT documents ChatGPT Work, Codex and scheduled tasks; Grok Heavy lists collaborating agents, with details not stated |
| Keep chats out of model training | ChatGPT | ChatGPT documents an opt-out and no training by default on business plans; Grok's privacy terms are not stated |
Who should pick which
Pick Grok if
- You want built-in web and X search for current events
- You want image and video generation (video up to 15 seconds in chat) in the same assistant
- You want a documented API at $2.00 per 1M input tokens and $6.00 per 1M output tokens for grok-4.7
- You use X and want SuperGrok Heavy, which includes X Premium+ at no extra charge
Pick ChatGPT if
- You want clear USD plan prices: Plus at $20 per month, Pro at $100, $200 or $500
- You need a shared workspace: Business Standard is $25 per user per month, with SSO and no training by default
- You want deep research, file and data analysis, projects, memory and custom GPTs
- You need documented privacy controls, including an opt-out of training on consumer plans
What Grok does better, and what ChatGPT does better
Grok
- Built-in web and X search tools, in chat and in the API
- Video generation up to 15 seconds in chat, and an Imagine API from $0.05 per second
- Voice API with agent, text-to-speech and speech-to-text pricing
- SuperGrok Heavy includes X Premium+ at no extra charge
ChatGPT
- Deep research reports with citations
- File uploads, data analysis, projects, memory and scheduled tasks
- Apps for web, desktop and mobile, and Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Google Sheets plugins
- Team plans with SSO, SCIM, a DPA and no training by default
Grok vs ChatGPT pricing: plans and free tiers
| Plan | Tool | Price | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grok Free | Grok | $0 | Limits not stated on the pages checked |
| SuperGrok | Grok | Not confirmed | Chats 5x longer than Lite; Expert mode with higher limits on the best model |
| SuperGrok Heavy | Grok | Not confirmed | Maximum usage at the fastest speed |
| API: grok-4.7 | Grok | $2.00 per 1M input, $6.00 per 1M output tokens | 500k token context |
| ChatGPT Free | ChatGPT | $0 | Unlimited everyday text chats; separate limits on uploads, images, voice and data analysis |
| ChatGPT Go | ChatGPT | Not confirmed | Higher limits than Free for eligible features |
| ChatGPT Plus | ChatGPT | $20/mo | May include usage limits such as message caps, especially during high demand |
| ChatGPT Pro 100 | ChatGPT | $100/mo | Model allowances vary by tier |
| ChatGPT Pro 200 and Pro 500 | ChatGPT | $200/mo and $500/mo | More usage than Pro 100; Pro 500 has the highest included usage |
| ChatGPT Business Standard and Premium seat | ChatGPT | $25 and $125 per seat per month | 2-seat minimum; Premium has 5x the usage of Standard |
| ChatGPT Enterprise | ChatGPT | Via sales | Seat types and billing terms depend on agreement |
| OpenAI API | ChatGPT | Per 1M tokens, billed separately | gpt-6.1-sol $2 input / $10 output; gpt-6-luna $0.10 / $0.50 |
USD as published on each vendor's pricing page, checked Oct 1, 2026. Grok pricing in full · ChatGPT pricing in full
Usage limits: what the vendors state
| Grok | ChatGPT | |
|---|---|---|
| Messages / rate limits | Free limits not stated; SuperGrok has chats 5x longer than Lite | Unlimited everyday text chats on Free; caps on other tools vary by plan and can change |
| Context / file size | 500k token context on grok-4.7; images up to 20MiB each | Consumer context: Free 27K, Go and Plus 54K, Pro 128K tokens for GPT Instant; 256K to 400K for GPT Reasoning |
| Seats / team | Not stated; business plan details not confirmed | Business from 2 seats; Enterprise via sales |
Feature comparison
| Feature | Grok | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Image generation | Yes | Yes |
| Video generation | Yes | Not stated |
| Voice | Yes | Yes |
| File upload | Yes | Yes |
| Web search | Yes, web and X | Yes, with citations |
| Agents / tools | Function calling and remote MCP in the API | ChatGPT Work, Codex, scheduled tasks |
| API | Yes, billed per token | Yes, billed separately |
| Mobile apps | Free access listed on iOS and Android; mobile apps not confirmed | Yes |
Privacy and data training
| Grok | ChatGPT | |
|---|---|---|
| Training on your data | Not stated | Consumer chats may be used unless you opt out or use temporary chat; Business, Enterprise and API are not used by default |
| Retention | Not stated | Temporary chats may be kept up to 30 days for safety; consumer default not verified |
| Business controls | Enterprise terms, DPA and BAA are linked from the site | SSO, SCIM, role-based access, DPA, SOC 2, customer-controlled retention on Enterprise |
Taken from each vendor's published policy pages at the time of our check. Policies change; the source links are at the bottom.
Cost per answer on the API
Support assistant: 2,500 input + 500 output tokens
| Model | Tool | Cost per answer |
|---|---|---|
| Grok 4.7 | Grok | $0.0080 |
| gpt-6.1-sol | ChatGPT | $0.0100 |
| gpt-6-luna | ChatGPT | $0.0005 |
| gpt-6-astra | ChatGPT | $0.0500 |
USD at list API prices from research/pricing/models.json; chat subscriptions are flat-rate and not included Run your own numbers in the calculator.
Switching between Grok and ChatGPT: what carries over
Grok → ChatGPTCarries over
- Text prompts and uploaded files or images
- Voice and image workflows, which ChatGPT also documents
- API code needs rewriting for the separate OpenAI API
- X search and X-linked features
- Video generation in chat
- SuperGrok Heavy's X Premium+ bundle
ChatGPT → GrokCarries over
- Text prompts, files and images
- Voice and image generation
- Web search with citations
- Deep research reports, projects and memory
- Business workspace controls and SSO
- Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Google Sheets plugins
Pros and cons
Grok
- Public developer API with documentation
- Multimodal: text, image, video, voice
- Built-in web and X search tools
- Consumer plan prices not shown in the viewed locale
- Higher limits and best model require SuperGrok or SuperGrok Heavy
- API usage requires purchasing credits
ChatGPT
- Free tier with unlimited everyday text chat plus search, uploads and image creation
- Training opt-out and temporary chats on every plan
- Web, iOS, Android and desktop apps
- Usage limits vary by plan and can change with demand
- API usage is never included in any ChatGPT plan
- Custom GPT creation removed from personal plans
The two tools
OpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for writing, research, analysis, image generation and coding help.
Free stops at: Unlimited everyday text chats subject to abuse-prevention safeguards, Separate usage limits for file uploads,…
Listed Not yet reviewed
Free · paid from $20/mo US · checked Sep 30
Grok or ChatGPT: how to choose
- Need confirmed USD prices before you buy? Choose ChatGPT.
- Need a team workspace with SSO and no training by default? Choose ChatGPT.
- Need live X search or video generation in chat? Choose Grok.
- Building on an API and watching token cost? Grok 4.7 lists lower per-token rates than gpt-6.1-sol; test both on your prompts.
- Handling sensitive data? ChatGPT documents its privacy controls; Grok's are not stated.
- Default pick: ChatGPT for work and teams, Grok for news and X-centered use.
Frequently asked questions
Is Grok or ChatGPT cheaper?
A paid price comparison is not possible yet. ChatGPT has confirmed USD prices, starting with Plus at $20 per month. Grok has a free tier, but SuperGrok and SuperGrok Heavy prices were not shown when we checked.
Do Grok and ChatGPT have a free plan?
Yes, Grok and ChatGPT both have a free plan. Grok is free to try on web, iOS and Android, with SuperGrok for higher limits. ChatGPT Free gives unlimited everyday text chats, with separate limits on uploads, images, voice and data analysis.
Does a Grok or ChatGPT subscription include API access?
ChatGPT plans never include API access; the OpenAI API is billed separately. Grok's API is also billed per token and requires purchasing credits, and whether SuperGrok includes API use is not stated.
Does Grok or ChatGPT handle current events better?
Grok is the closer fit for current events: Grok documents live web and X search, and the Grok API offers Web Search and X Search tools. ChatGPT documents web search with citations and deep research reports.
Why do people use Grok instead of ChatGPT?
Grok has built-in live web and X search, generates video up to 15 seconds in chat, and SuperGrok Heavy bundles X Premium+. ChatGPT has more documented apps, deep research with citations and team plans with SSO.
Which is safer to use for work data, ChatGPT or Grok?
ChatGPT documents team plans with SSO, SCIM, a DPA and no training on workspace data by default. Grok's privacy terms and paid consumer prices were not confirmed in our profile, so verify them before using it for work data.
Sources
- https://grok.com/plans
- https://x.ai/grok
- https://docs.x.ai/developers/models
- https://chatgpt.com/pricing/
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6950777-what-is-chatgpt-plus
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9793128-about-chatgpt-pro-tiers
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11989085-what-is-chatgpt-go
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9275245-chatgpt-free-tier-faq
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8792828-chatgpt-business-overview
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8265053-what-is-chatgpt-enterprise
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/7730893-data-controls-in-chatgpt
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9260256-chatgpt-capabilities-overview
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12677804-what-is-chatgpt-faq
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes
- https://openai.com/enterprise-privacy/
- https://platform.openai.com/docs/pricing
- https://platform.openai.com/docs/models
Only official vendor pages. No third-party benchmarks, forum threads or press were used. How we review.