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Grok vs ChatGPT: which should you pick?

Grok is xAI's assistant, and the paid plans also include Cursor. ChatGPT is OpenAI's general assistant, with Codex on the paid ChatGPT plans.

Editorial scores, unchanged by this page: Grok 4.4 · ChatGPT 4.6.

The tools

  • Grok

    4.4

    xAI's general assistant, available through xAI's apps and site.

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  • ChatGPT

    4.6

    OpenAI's general assistant for writing, coding, analysis, images, and file work.

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Comparison

What it is

Grok

xAI's assistant. The pricing page sells one subscription for Grok and for Cursor, plus X features such as posting and a checkmark on paid plans.

ChatGPT

OpenAI's general assistant for writing, analysis, images, and files. Codex and ChatGPT Work are features on the same plan table.

Best for

Grok

People who want Grok's chat and image tools, and who may also want Cursor in that subscription.

ChatGPT

People who want a general assistant first, with Codex as part of a ChatGPT plan rather than an xAI plan.

Pricing model

Grok

Freemium. On 1 Nov 2026 x.ai listed Free at $0, Plus at $8 a month, Premium at $30, Super at $100, and Ultra at $200. Prices exclude tax. Plus includes Grok Chat, Voice, Imagine, and Build, plus Cursor. Third-party models in Cursor are billed separately.

ChatGPT

Freemium. On 1 Nov 2026 the ChatGPT pricing page named Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise and did not print individual dollar amounts. The Codex page listed Plus at $20, Pro at $100, and Business at $20 for 2 or more seats billed annually, and said Codex is included in the ChatGPT plan.

Free tier

Grok

Yes. Free is $0 with limited chat and limited agent requests, plus posting on X. Grok Chat, Voice, Imagine, and Build start on Plus.

ChatGPT

Yes. Free includes unlimited everyday text chats with GPT-6, subject to abuse guardrails, and limited uploads, images, voice, deep research, and Codex. The Go price was not printed.

Platforms

Grok

The subscription is on x.ai. Paid plans add Cursor. The page says usage is a weekly pool shared across Grok and Cursor.

ChatGPT

Web, iOS, and Android on the pricing table. Plus and Pro add ChatGPT Work on desktop, web, and mobile. Codex also runs in an editor and the terminal, per the Codex page.

Key strengths

Grok

A low entry price if you want Grok and Cursor together. Premium is described as 4 times Plus usage, Super as 15 times, and Ultra as 50 times. Premium adds newer Grok models, image and video, and cloud agents.

ChatGPT

The broader general assistant, with a free tier aimed at everyday text chats. Plus at $20 on the Codex page is the first listed plan with Codex usage for focused coding sessions each week.

Limitations

Grok

The self-serve plans do not include an allowance for third-party models. Those models in Cursor are billed at API list price. The weekly pool is shared, so a heavy Cursor session spends Grok's allowance too.

ChatGPT

The ChatGPT pricing page did not print a Plus or Pro dollar amount. Use the Codex page's $20 and $100 for those names, and do not invent a Go price. Free Codex is limited.

Prices were checked against the sources below on Nov 1, 2026. They exclude tax unless a source says otherwise, and they change. Where a figure could not be pinned down, the cell says to check the site.

Pick one

  • Pick Grok if

    you want xAI's assistant and Cursor on one bill, and Plus at $8 a month is enough to start.

  • Pick ChatGPT if

    you want OpenAI's general assistant, and Codex matters more than a bundle that includes Cursor.

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Questions

Is Grok cheaper than ChatGPT?
Grok Plus is $8 a month on the 1 Nov x.ai page. ChatGPT's own pricing page did not print a Plus dollar amount that day. The Codex page listed ChatGPT Plus at $20. Those are different products inside the subscriptions: Grok Plus includes Cursor, and ChatGPT Plus includes Codex.
Does Grok include Cursor?
Yes, from Plus up, on the 1 Nov pricing page. Plus is $8 a month and lists Grok Chat, Voice, Imagine, Build, and Cursor. Third-party models inside Cursor are not included. They are billed at API list price.
Does ChatGPT include Grok?
No. ChatGPT plans are OpenAI's. The Codex page says Codex is included in the ChatGPT plan. Grok and Cursor are on x.ai's plans. A ChatGPT subscription does not add the Grok allowance.
What does the free plan include?
Grok Free is $0 with limited chat and limited agent requests. ChatGPT Free includes everyday text chats with GPT-6, with the pricing page's abuse guardrails, plus limited uploads, images, voice, and Codex. Neither free plan is the paid coding tier.
Which one leads the chat shortlist?
ChatGPT is first on the chat shortlist. Grok is fifth, as xAI's assistant. The directory scores are 4.4 for Grok and 4.6 for ChatGPT. This page does not change the order or the scores.

On VibeStack

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