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The Bottom Line#
ChatGPT is the better choice for most people. It has the stronger free offer, with unlimited text chats on GPT-6 subject to abuse guardrails, and its paid plans add deep research, projects, scheduled tasks, custom GPTs, Codex, and ChatGPT Work in one product.
Grok is the better choice if you live on X or also want Cursor. Grok's API has a dedicated X Search tool, and The X Subscription combines Grok, Cursor, and X benefits in one bill, from $8/month. ChatGPT has nothing comparable to that bundle of a chatbot, a coding editor, and a social network.
Grok
$30/mo
xAI chatbot with real-time X data and fast API access
ChatGPT
$8/mo
The most widely used AI assistant with 900M+ weekly users
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Verdict Table#
| Category | Grok | ChatGPT | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Limited chat, images, and Grok Build | Unlimited text chats on GPT-6, limited tools | ChatGPT |
| Lowest paid plan | Plus, $8/month | Go, see OpenAI's pricing page | Depends |
| X and real-time social data | X Search tool in the API | No equivalent listed | Grok |
| Productivity features | Chat, Voice, Imagine, Build | Projects, scheduled tasks, custom GPTs, Work, deep research | ChatGPT |
| Coding | Grok Build and Cursor in the same plan | Codex in the same plan | Tie |
| Video generation | From Premium ($30/month) | Not listed on the pricing page | Grok |
| API price, flagship | $2 input, $6 output per 1M tokens | $2 input, $10 output (GPT-6.1 Sol) | Grok |
| Overall | Best for X users and Cursor buyers | Best all-round assistant | ChatGPT |
How We Built This Comparison#
This comparison uses the vendors' own pricing pages and documentation, read on November 9, 2026. We did not run benchmarks, and we do not quote model quality scores, because the two companies measure different things and neither publishes a direct comparison.
OpenAI's pricing page shows amounts by region and does not expose them in a form we could verify, so we link to chatgpt.com/pricing instead of quoting ChatGPT subscription prices. Grok plan prices come from Cursor's pricing page, since Grok and Cursor are now sold as one subscription.
Is Grok Better Than ChatGPT?#
No, not as a general assistant. ChatGPT includes more work features at every paid level, and its free plan is more generous for text. Grok is better only for specific needs: following what is happening on X, or getting a chatbot and Cursor together in a single subscription.
Who Should Choose Which?#
Choose Grok if you already pay for X Premium or Cursor, because The X Subscription can replace them with one plan. Premium, Super, and Ultra include full X Premium+ benefits.
Choose Grok if your work depends on what people are saying on X. The X Search tool in Grok's API is built for that, and ChatGPT's pricing page lists no equivalent.
Choose ChatGPT if you want one assistant for writing, research, files, and recurring work. Projects, scheduled tasks, and custom GPTs start on Plus.
Choose ChatGPT if you want the most usable free plan. Text chats on GPT-6 are not metered in the same way as Grok's limited free access, though abuse guardrails apply.
Feature-by-Feature#
Models#
Grok: xAI's current flagship is Grok 4.7, which its documentation calls "our flagship model for code and everything else." It has a 500k token context window in the API and configurable reasoning. On the consumer side, Cursor's plan table lists the latest Grok models from the Premium plan up.
ChatGPT: The pricing page lists GPT-6 for all plans, and GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Astra from Plus. Pro adds Pro reasoning powered by GPT-6 Astra.
Winner: tie. Both have a current flagship, and we have no independent test to separate them.
Context Window#
ChatGPT publishes its limits per plan: 27K tokens on Free for GPT Instant, 54K on Go and Plus, and 128K on Pro. GPT Reasoning goes up to 256K on Go and Plus and 400K on Pro.
Grok lists 500k tokens for the Grok 4.7 API. Consumer plan limits are not published in the sources we could read, so we cannot say how much of that applies in the app.
Winner: Grok for API users. For app users, ChatGPT is the only one of the two with a public number.
Work and Productivity#
ChatGPT includes projects, scheduled tasks, custom GPTs, deep research, and ChatGPT Work from Plus, with higher limits on Pro, which also adds Dot, an always-on agent.
Grok focuses on chat, voice, image generation through Imagine, and coding through Grok Build. Grok Bot and cloud agents start at Premium.
Winner: ChatGPT. It has more features aimed at everyday knowledge work.
Image and Video#
Grok includes image generation on Plus and video generation from Premium. The API offers image generation from $0.02 per image and video from $0.02 per second.
ChatGPT includes image creation on every plan, with limits rising by tier. Its pricing page does not list video generation.
Winner: Grok for video. ChatGPT for image creation on the free plan, where Grok's image access is limited too.
Coding#
ChatGPT includes Codex on every plan, with limited access on Free and expanded usage on Plus.
Grok includes Grok Build, and paid plans also include Cursor, with a usage pool shared between Grok and Cursor. Third-party models such as Claude or GPT inside Cursor are billed separately at API list prices.
Winner: tie. Both include a coding product. If you want a full editor, Grok's bundle with Cursor is hard to match. See Cursor vs Claude Code for how that compares.
Pricing Comparison#
Grok runs from $0 to $200/month, with paid plans at $8, $30, $100, and $200. ChatGPT has Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans; see OpenAI's pricing page for the current amount in your region. Grok prices as of November 9, 2026.
| Plan level | Grok | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, limited chat, images, and Build | Free, unlimited text chats on GPT-6 |
| Entry | Plus $8/month, shared usage pool, Grok API access | Go, more tools and uploads, may include ads |
| Standard | Premium $30/month, 4x Plus usage, latest Grok models, video | Plus, advanced reasoning, projects, custom GPTs |
| High usage | Super $100/month, 15x Plus usage, priority at peak times | Pro, choice of 3 usage tiers |
| Top tier | Ultra $200/month, 50x Plus usage | Pro's highest tier |
API Pricing#
If you are building on these models, API costs per 1M tokens are published on both sides:
| Model | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Grok 4.7 (under 200k prompt tokens) | $2.00 | $6.00 |
| Grok 4.7 (200k prompt tokens and above) | $4.00 | $12.00 |
| GPT-6.1 Sol | $2.00 | $10.00 |
| GPT-6.1 Terra | $1.00 | $5.00 |
| GPT-6 Luna | $0.10 | $0.50 |
| GPT-6 Astra | $10.00 | $50.00 |
Grok 4.7 costs less on output than GPT-6.1 Sol at the same input price. OpenAI also has much cheaper models, GPT-6.1 Terra and GPT-6 Luna, for work that does not need its flagship.
More Comparisons and Guides#
Read our full Grok guide and ChatGPT guide for plan details. For other assistants, see ChatGPT alternatives, the AI chatbots category, ChatGPT vs Claude, and Gemini vs ChatGPT.
FAQ#
Is Grok free?#
Yes, there is a free plan with limited chat, image generation, and Grok Build. Paid plans start at $8/month.
Is ChatGPT better than Grok?#
For general work, yes. ChatGPT has a stronger free text plan and more productivity features from Plus up. Grok is the better pick for X data and for people who also want Cursor.
What is The X Subscription?#
It is a single subscription that brings Grok, Cursor, and X together. Grok and Cursor share a weekly usage pool, and X benefits depend on your plan once you connect a personal X account.
Does Grok have a bigger context window than ChatGPT?#
In the API, Grok 4.7 lists 500k tokens. ChatGPT publishes per-plan app limits of up to 128K for GPT Instant and 400K for GPT Reasoning on Pro. Grok does not publish a per-plan figure for its apps in the sources we could read.
Which is cheaper for API use?#
At the flagship level, Grok 4.7 at $2 input and $6 output per 1M tokens costs less than GPT-6.1 Sol at $2 and $10. OpenAI's GPT-6 Luna at $0.10 and $0.50 is far cheaper if a smaller model is enough.
Can I use Grok inside Cursor?#
Yes. Grok models are included in Cursor plans, and Cursor Plus at $8/month is limited to Grok models.
