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ChatGPT vs Grok: Which AI chat app should you pay for?

Facts checked Oct 22, 2026. Every number links to its source.

Summary

Derived from sourced facts, not from builder opinions

ChatGPT Go and Grok's Plus plan both cost $8 a month. The main paid tiers are ChatGPT Plus at $20 and Grok Premium at $30, which also includes Cursor Pro and X Premium+ benefits.
No published test compares the two apps. As models run through the API by Vals AI, GPT-6 Astra (ChatGPT Plus and up) scored 59.60% on Terminal-Bench 4.0 and Grok 4.5, the model announced for the Grok app, 8.59%.
Grok 4.5 is the latest model SpaceXSI has announced for the Grok app, on July 22, 2026.
Both free plans include a coding agent: Codex with GPT-6 Luna in ChatGPT's desktop app, still rolling out, and a starter allowance for Cursor's agents with Grok.

Choose ChatGPT if

You want GPT-6 Astra, which ChatGPT Plus includes.
You want a $20 plan without X benefits you would not use.
You want published usage estimates for agent work in ChatGPT Work and Codex.
You want the stronger model on coding tests: Grok 4.5 scored far below GPT-6 Astra on Terminal-Bench 4.0.

Choose Grok if

You use X and want the checkmark and fewer ads in the same plan.
You use Cursor and want one usage pool for Grok and Cursor.
You want Grok in the Grok tab on X as well as in its app.

ChatGPT

Grok

Follow both to get an email when either one changes its price, limits or behavior.

Plans

ChatGPT plans

Free: Free
Go: $8/month
Plus: $20/month
Pro: $100/month
Business: $25/month

Grok plans

Free: Free
Plus: $8/month
Premium: $30/month
Super: $100/month
Ultra: $200/month

Subscription agents are priced per seat with usage limits, so this compares plans rather than dividing a subscription by a guessed number of tasks.

Side by side

	ChatGPT	Grok
Maker	OpenAI	SpaceXSI (formerly xAI)
Plans	Free $0 · Go $8 · Plus $20 · Pro $100, $200 or $500 · Business $25/user monthly ($20 annual, 2+ users) · Enterprise and Edu by sales	The X Subscription: Free $0 · Plus $8 · Premium $30 (4x Plus usage) · Super $100 (15x) · Ultra $200 (50x) · existing SuperGrok plans continue
Models in the app	GPT-6 Sol and GPT-6 Luna replaced GPT-5.6 in ChatGPT on 2026-10-07 for free and paid plans · Codex and ChatGPT Work still run the September versions of GPT-6 Sol and Luna	Not published
GPT-6 Astra access	Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise plans	Not published
Agent and coding	ChatGPT Work and Codex are included in every plan, on Free and Go with GPT-6 Luna in the desktop app, subject to rollout	Not published
Work and Codex usage limits	Published only for ChatGPT Work and Codex, which share one allowance, not for regular chat: on Plus about 15-160 local messages per 5 hours with GPT-6.1 Sol and 5-45 with GPT-6 Astra · Pro has no five-hour limit · weekly limits may apply	Not published
Usage limits	Not published	One weekly usage pool per paid seat, shared across Grok products and Cursor · no published message counts · extra usage through top-ups
Model in the app	Not published	Grok 4.5 is the latest model SpaceXSI has announced for grok.com, X, iOS and Android (2026-07-22) · the Grok 4.6 and 4.7 announcements name Cursor, Grok Build and the API
Newest model	Not published	Grok 4.7, released 2026-09-21 on the xAI API, Cursor and Grok Build
Coding agent	Not published	Cursor is part of The X Subscription · Free includes a starter allowance for Cursor's agents · third-party models in Cursor are billed separately at API list prices
Build Mode	Not published	Builds and publishes websites, apps and games from chat, in early beta for SuperGrok Heavy

Scores appear side by side only when both were published for the same test. Settings differ between sources, so small gaps can reverse under another harness.

Updates

ChatGPT

19 recorded incidents in the last 90 days.

Default changeOct 28, 2026

GPT-6 Luna in ChatGPT updated on October 28 with more concise replies

OpenAI updated GPT-6 Luna in ChatGPT, which launched there on October 7. The updated model gives more concise responses and reduces overly agreeable language.

After

GPT-6 Luna (October 28)

Plan changeOct 28, 2026

ChatGPT Pro and Business add up to $500 a month in free API credits

Eligible ChatGPT Pro and Business subscribers can claim up to $500 per month in free API credits as a subscription benefit. The benefit is activated from ChatGPT or the API Platform by linking an API organization you own.

After

Up to $500 per month in free API credits

Who is affected:: ChatGPT Pro and Business subscribers who also use the API.
What to do:: Link an API organization you own in ChatGPT or the API Platform to claim the credits.

SuccessorOct 15, 2026

GPT-Live-1.1 and GPT-Live-1.1 Quip replace GPT-Live-1 as ChatGPT voice models

GPT-Live-1.1 succeeds GPT-Live-1 and GPT-Live-1.1 Quip succeeds GPT-Live-1 mini. GPT-Live-1.1 is the default voice model for Plus and higher plans, including in Codex and dots, and GPT-Live-1.1 Quip is the default for everyone else.

Before

GPT-Live-1 and GPT-Live-1 mini

After

GPT-Live-1.1 and GPT-Live-1.1 Quip

Grok

Plan changeOct 12, 2026

The X Subscription replaces separate Grok, Cursor and X Premium plans

SpaceXSI introduced The X Subscription, one plan covering Grok, Grok Bot, Cursor and X Premium with a weekly shared pool of Grok model usage. On Premium and above, third-party models in Cursor are billed separately at API list prices. Current Cursor plans keep included third-party usage until the user switches.

Who is affected:: New Cursor, SuperGrok and X Premium subscribers, and anyone who uses Claude, GPT or Gemini models inside Cursor.
Action needed:: If you rely on third-party models in Cursor, check the cost before switching plans and set a spending cap.

Plan changeJul 28, 2026

Grok adds Build Mode for SuperGrok Heavy subscribers

Build Mode lets Grok build websites, apps, games and dashboards inside the chat and publish them to a link anyone can open. It is in early beta for SuperGrok Heavy subscribers on grok.com, iOS and Android.

Default changeJul 22, 2026

Grok 4.5 now powers Grok on grok.com, X, iOS and Android

Grok 4.5 became the model behind Grok on grok.com, on X and in the Grok apps for iOS and Android. SpaceXSI says it follows longer conversations better, reasons more efficiently on hard questions and can build spreadsheets and slides.

After

Grok 4.5

FAQ

Is ChatGPT better than Grok?

No published test compares the two apps. As models, GPT-6 Astra scored 59.60% on Vals AI's Terminal-Bench 4.0 and Grok 4.5, the model announced for the Grok app, 8.59%. In Arena text votes they are close.

How much does Grok cost?

On The X Subscription: Free, Plus $8, Premium $30, Super $100 and Ultra $200 a month. Existing SuperGrok plans continue until you switch.

Which model does the Grok app use?

Grok 4.5 is the latest model SpaceXSI has announced for the Grok app, on July 22, 2026. Its announcements for Grok 4.6 and Grok 4.7 name Cursor, Grok Build and the API, not the Grok app.

How do Grok's usage limits work?

Each paid plan gets one weekly usage pool shared across Grok products and Cursor. Premium has 4x the Plus pool, Super 15x and Ultra 50x. SpaceXSI does not publish message counts.

Is Grok free?

Yes. The free plan includes daily Grok access and a starter Cursor allowance. Plus costs $8 a month.

What is the newest Grok model?

Grok 4.7, released September 21, 2026 on the xAI API, Cursor and Grok Build.

Does ChatGPT have a free plan?

Yes. ChatGPT Free includes ChatGPT Work and Codex with GPT-6 Luna in the desktop app, still rolling out.

Related comparisons

Claude vs ChatGPT Gemini app vs ChatGPT Claude Code vs ChatGPT Claude vs Grok ChatGPT vs DeepSeek Meta AI vs ChatGPT Microsoft Copilot vs ChatGPT ChatGPT vs Perplexity ChatGPT page Grok page

Sources and method

Prices, specs and limits come from each maker's own pages. Benchmark scores come from independent benchmark publishers and the makers' announcements, with the setting each was measured in. Changes come from changelogs, deprecation pages and status pages. The summary is written from these facts only.