ChatGPT vs Grok: Which is better in 2026?
Both start at $8 a month, so decide by what you need beyond everyday chat.
Tested hands-on: 4 tests on a MacBook Pro (M1 Pro), October 21, 2026. How we tested
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Quick answer
- Choose ChatGPT if: You want to stay on a free plan for daily use: ChatGPT Free includes unlimited everyday text chats, subject to abuse guardrails, plus web search, projects and limited uploads, image creation and voice chats.
- Choose Grok if: You want an assistant that keeps up with live news and conversation: Grok searches the web and posts on X in real time and shows live citations.
- Price at a glance: ChatGPT: Free plan; paid from $8/mo · Grok: Free plan; paid from $8/mo
At a glance
 ChatGPT |  Grok | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Paid plans | From $8/mo | From $8/mo |
| Our tests | Won 1 of 42 ties | Won 1 of 42 ties |
| Best for | People who want one assistant for writing, research, images and voice, with room to move from Free to Go, Plus or a Pro tier as their use grows. | People who want an assistant that follows the news on X and the web, makes images and videos, and comes in one plan with Cursor and X Premium benefits. |
ChatGPT, from OpenAI, and Grok, from xAI (now branded SpaceXSI), cover much of the same ground: answering questions, reading uploaded files, searching the web, creating images and holding voice conversations, on the web and in apps for iOS and Android. Both have a free plan and a first paid step at $8 a month. The differences lie in limits, billing and extras. Grok searches posts on X in real time, makes videos from its Premium plan and, since October 12, 2026, is sold to new self-serve customers through The X Subscription, which also covers Cursor and X benefits. This comparison sets out plans, limits, features and privacy settings from each vendor's own pages as of October 2026.
Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly (12-month total) |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | ||
| FreeUnlimited text chats subject to abuse guardrails; limited uploads, image creation, voice and deep research | Free Free plan | |
| GoBilled monthly only; may include ads | $8/mo | no yearly price |
| PlusBilled monthly only | $20/mo | no yearly price |
| Pro 100Billed monthly only | $100/mo | no yearly price |
| Pro 200Billed monthly only; more usage than Pro 100 | $200/mo | no yearly price |
| Pro 500Billed monthly only; highest usage, includes Ultrafast | $500/mo | no yearly price |
| Business (Standard seat)Per user/month; $20 per user/month billed annually; minimum 2 seats | $25/mo | $240/yr ($20/mo) |
| Business (Premium seat)Per user/month; $100 per user/month billed annually; 5x Standard usage | $125/mo | $1,200/yr ($100/mo) |
| EnterpriseContact sales | Custom | |
| Grok | ||
| FreeLimited chat, voice, image generation and Grok Build; no video generation, API access or Grok Bot | Free Free plan | |
| Plus$80 billed yearly (listed as $7/month); base usage pool shared with Cursor; no video generation or Grok Bot; not for teams | $8/mo | $80/yr ($6.67/mo) |
| Premium$300 billed yearly (listed as $25/month); 4x Plus usage; video generation, Grok Bot, X Premium+ benefits | $30/mo | $300/yr ($25/mo) |
| Super$1,000 billed yearly (listed as $84/month); 15x Plus usage; priority model access at peak times | $100/mo | $1,000/yr ($83.33/mo) |
| Ultra$2,000 billed yearly (listed as $167/month); 50x Plus usage; earliest access to products and models | $200/mo | $2,000/yr ($166.67/mo) |
| TeamsFrom $30 per user/month: Premium $30, Super $100 or Ultra $200 seats, mixable; SAML/OIDC SSO, central billing | $30/mo | no yearly price |
| EnterpriseContact sales; pooled usage, invoice billing, SCIM, audit logs | Custom | |
Prices checked on .
Features compared
| Feature | ChatGPT | Grok |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes · Unlimited text chats; limited uploads, images and voice | Yes · Limited chat, voice and images; no video or API access |
| File upload | Yes · Limited on Free; more on paid plans | Yes · Up to about 100 files at once on the web (20 on Android); most files up to 150 MB |
| Web search | Yes · All plans, even signed out | Yes · Real-time web and X search with live citations |
| Image generation | Yes · Limited on Free | Yes · Grok Imagine, limited on Free; video generation from Premium |
| Voice mode | Yes · Limited on Free | Yes · Voice conversations, incl. Free with limits |
| Memory/projects | Yes · Memory and projects on all plans; memory limited on Free | Yes · Memory across chats; projects on grok.com |
| API access | Add-on · OpenAI API, billed separately | Add-on · xAI API on prepaid credits (invoicing on request), billed separately from plans |
| Mobile apps | Yes · iOS and Android | Yes · iOS and Android |
| Team plan | Yes · Business from $25/user/mo ($20 billed yearly), 2+ seats | Yes · Teams from $30/seat/mo (Premium, Super or Ultra seats); SSO |
| Training opt-out | Yes · All individual plans; Business not used for training by default | Yes · Improve the Model setting or Private Chat; not for signed-out use in some regions; business content not used |
How we tested
We gave ChatGPT and Grok the same 4 tasks on the same MacBook Pro (M1 Pro). Each test below lists the task, how we judged it, both results and screenshots; select a screenshot to see it at full size.
- Device
- MacBook Pro (M1 Pro) · macOS 26.6.2 · Chrome 155
- Tested
- October 21, 2026
- Plans used
- ChatGPT: Free · Grok: Free
- App versions
- ChatGPT: chatgpt.com, Temporary Chat, chatgpt.com, regular chat (Temporary Chat cannot make images) · Grok: grok.com, Private chat, Fast mode, grok.com, Private chat, Fast mode (ran code)
| Test | ChatGPT | Grok | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find a public fact and link the official source | Pass | Pass | Tie |
| Create a shop-sign image with exact wording | Pass | Partial | ChatGPT |
| Total a year of monthly orders from pasted figures | Pass | Pass | Tie |
| Scale a recipe from 4 to 6 servings (timed) | Partial2 s | Pass63 s | Grok |
| Tests won | 1 | 1 | 2 ties |
Test 1: Find a public fact and link the official source
The task
Send this prompt in a new chat:
What is the federal minimum wage in the United States today, and since what date has it applied? Answer in one or two sentences and link the official U.S. government page you used.
How we judged it
The right answer is $7.25 an hour, effective July 24, 2009 (U.S. Department of Labor).
Pass: $7.25 an hour, the date July 24, 2009, and a working link to a dol.gov page that states both.
Partial: the right amount, but the date missing or wrong, or a source that is not a U.S. government page.
Fail: a wrong amount, no source, or a link that does not open or does not support the answer.
ChatGPT
Pass
$7.25 an hour since July 24, 2009, in one sentence, linking the Department of Labor minimum-wage page, which states both.
Grok
Pass
$7.25 an hour since July 24, 2009, in one sentence, linking the Department of Labor minimum-wage FAQ, which states both.
Run signed in to both tools on their free plans: a ChatGPT Temporary Chat (no memory) and a Grok private chat in Fast mode (custom instructions empty), each in its default mode. Each prompt was sent once. Every link was opened and checked. Grok asked the owner to confirm a birth year before its first answer.
Test 2: Create a shop-sign image with exact wording
The task
Send this prompt in a new chat (Fernhill Goods is a FICTIONAL shop):
Create a square image of a painted wooden sign hanging above the door of a small shop. The sign has two lines of text and nothing else: FERNHILL GOODS on the first line and OPEN 9 TO 5 on the second. No other words anywhere in the image.
How we judged it
Ignore any watermark or logo the tool adds itself.
Pass: one square image; both lines of the sign spelled exactly as asked and easy to read; no other words in the image.
Partial: a square image with one wrong, missing or extra character on the sign, or a few stray letters elsewhere.
Fail: no image, no sign, two or more mistakes on the sign, or text that cannot be read.
ChatGPT: Winner
Pass
One square image (1254 x 1254); the sign reads exactly FERNHILL GOODS / OPEN 9 TO 5 and no other words appear.
Grok
Partial
The sign reads exactly FERNHILL GOODS / OPEN 9 TO 5 with no other words, but the image is portrait (784 x 1168), not the square asked for.
Run signed in to both tools on their free plans: a regular ChatGPT chat (Temporary Chat cannot make images; memory was empty) and a Grok private chat in Fast mode (custom instructions empty), each in its default mode. Each prompt was sent once. Each tool made one image, judged at full size; the image size is the tool's own.
Test 3: Total a year of monthly orders from pasted figures
The task
Send this prompt in a new chat (the figures are FICTIONAL):
Here are the monthly online orders of a small shop in 2025. Give the total for the year, the best and the worst month, and the percentage change from the first half of the year (January to June) to the second half (July to December), rounded to one decimal place.
Jan 112, Feb 98, Mar 131, Apr 125, May 140, Jun 152, Jul 147, Aug 160, Sep 138, Oct 171, Nov 205, Dec 248
How we judged it
The right answers: a total of 1,827 orders; best month December (248), worst month February (98); first half 758 and second half 1,069, a change of +41.0%.
Pass: all four answers right.
Partial: three of the four right, or all four right with the change rounded differently (41% or 41.03%).
Fail: two or more answers wrong, or figures changed from the list.
ChatGPT
Pass
All four right: 1,827 orders, best December (248), worst February (98), and +41.0% from 758 to 1,069.
Grok
Pass
All four right: 1,827 orders, best December (248), worst February (98), and +41.0% from 758 to 1,069, after working for 2 min 13 s.
Run signed in to both tools on their free plans: a ChatGPT Temporary Chat (no memory) and a Grok private chat in Fast mode (custom instructions empty), each in its default mode. Each prompt was sent once. Grok ran code before answering.
Test 4: Scale a recipe from 4 to 6 servings (timed)
The task
Send this prompt in a new chat:
Scale this pancake recipe from 4 servings to 6. Keep every unit as it is and write amounts as whole numbers or simple fractions (like 1 1/2). List the ingredients only.
1 1/3 cups flour; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 1/4 cups milk; 2 eggs; 3 tablespoons melted butter
How we judged it
The right amounts: 2 cups flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 7/8 cups milk, 3 eggs, 4 1/2 tablespoons melted butter.
Pass: all seven amounts right, in the original units.
Partial: one amount wrong, or a right amount given in another unit or as a decimal.
Fail: two or more amounts wrong, or an ingredient missing.
The time is measured from sending the prompt until the answer stops appearing.
ChatGPT
Partial 2 s
Every amount right, but baking powder came back as 1 tablespoon instead of 3 teaspoons, against “keep every unit”.
Grok: Winner
Pass 63 s
All seven amounts right in the original units: 2 cups, 3 tbsp, 3 tsp, 3/4 tsp, 1 7/8 cups, 3 eggs, 4 1/2 tbsp.
Run signed in to both tools on their free plans: a ChatGPT Temporary Chat (no memory) and a Grok private chat in Fast mode (custom instructions empty), each in its default mode. Each prompt was sent once. Times run from pressing Enter until the answer stopped changing, measured in the browser and rounded to the nearest second.
Our verdict
Both start at $8 a month, so decide by what you need beyond everyday chat.
ChatGPT gives more everyday chat for free: its Free plan includes unlimited everyday text chats (subject to abuse guardrails), while Grok's Free plan limits chat requests. ChatGPT Plus, at $20 a month, adds advanced reasoning models and expanded deep research, and Pro tiers at $100, $200 and $500 cover heavy use. The trade-offs: Go, Plus and Pro are billed monthly only, and Go may show ads.
Grok suits people who follow what is happening on X. It searches the web and X posts in real time with live citations, and Grok Imagine creates images on Free and videos from Premium at $30 a month. Every paid individual plan has a yearly price, from $80 for Grok Plus to $2,000 for Ultra, and the same subscription covers Cursor and, from Premium on, X Premium+ benefits. The trade-offs: paid limits are a weekly pool stated as multiples of Plus, with no message counts on the pricing page, and generated images and videos carry a Grok watermark.
For teams, both offer single sign-on and mixable seat types: ChatGPT Business costs $25 per user a month ($20 billed annually, two seats minimum), and Grok's Teams seats start at $30 per user a month.
Choose ChatGPT if
You want to stay on a free plan for daily use: ChatGPT Free includes unlimited everyday text chats, subject to abuse guardrails, plus web search, projects and limited uploads, image creation and voice chats. It also fits if you want advanced reasoning models and expanded deep research for $20 a month on ChatGPT Plus, a Pro tier at $100, $200 or $500 a month for heavy use, or ChatGPT Business for a team of two or more at $20 per user a month billed annually.
Choose Grok if
You want an assistant that keeps up with live news and conversation: Grok searches the web and posts on X in real time and shows live citations. It also suits you if you want to make videos with Grok Imagine (from Premium at $30 a month), prefer to pay yearly (Grok Plus is $80 a year), upload many files at once (about 100 on the web), or already use Cursor or X, since the same subscription covers Cursor and, from Premium, X Premium+ benefits.
Frequently asked questions
Is ChatGPT or Grok cheaper?
They start at the same price: ChatGPT Go and Grok Plus both cost $8 a month, and Grok Plus is also $80 billed yearly. The next steps differ. ChatGPT Plus costs $20 a month, while Grok Premium costs $30 a month or $300 a year. For heavy use, ChatGPT Pro comes in $100, $200 and $500 monthly tiers, and Grok offers Super at $100 a month ($1,000 a year) and Ultra at $200 a month ($2,000 a year). ChatGPT's Go, Plus and Pro plans are billed monthly only, with no annual discount. Both tools also have a free plan.
Can ChatGPT and Grok search the web?
Yes. OpenAI says ChatGPT web search is available on every plan, including Free, and to people who are not signed in, and its web answers include cited sources. xAI says Grok searches both the web and posts on X in real time, with live citations.
How do the usage limits of ChatGPT and Grok differ?
ChatGPT Free includes unlimited everyday text chats, subject to abuse guardrails, with limits on uploads, image creation, voice chats and deep research; Go raises the limits on uploads, image creation and memory. Grok Free includes limited chat, voice and image generation. On Grok's paid plans, usage is a weekly pool stated as a multiple of Plus (Premium 4x, Super 15x, Ultra 50x) and shared between Grok and Cursor, and the pricing page lists no message counts. With both, API usage is billed separately from the plan.
Do ChatGPT and Grok use my chats to train their models?
They can, but both let you opt out. In ChatGPT, turn off “Improve the model for everyone” in Data controls; your new chats are not used for training and still appear in your history. OpenAI also says it does not train on ChatGPT Business workspace data by default. In Grok, turn off the Improve the Model setting in Settings, or use Private Chat, and xAI says it does not use business content for training. With both, feedback you choose to give on a response, such as a rating, may still be used for training. Signed-out use of Grok cannot be opted out of training in some regions outside the EU and UK.
Do ChatGPT and Grok have plans for teams?
Yes. ChatGPT Business costs $25 per user a month, or $20 billed annually, with a two-seat minimum; a Business Premium seat at $125 a month ($100 billed annually) gives five times Standard usage. Grok's Teams plan starts at $30 per user a month and lets you mix Premium ($30), Super ($100) and Ultra ($200) seats. Both team plans list single sign-on (SAML for ChatGPT, SAML or OIDC for Grok), centralized billing and mixable seat types. Both vendors sell an Enterprise plan through sales, and both list invoice billing and SCIM for it.
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