Grok vs ChatGPT vs Gemini: plans, limits and API prices
Three assistants from xAI, OpenAI and Google. Grok’s plans page showed no prices to a signed-out visitor, so its price cells are marked instead of guessed.
Facts checked 1 Oct 202675 of 93 cells sourced, 18 marked not verified
The short version
- Prices: ChatGPT Plus is $20 a month and Google AI Pro is $19.99 a month. Grok’s plans page listed Lite, SuperGrok and SuperGrok Heavy but showed no prices to a signed-out visitor, so we do not state one.
- Search: xAI lists search across the live web and X with citations. OpenAI lists deep research as limited on Free and expanded on Plus; Google lists Deep Research on the Free plan.
- Images and video: Grok lists image and video creation as a trial on Lite and HD 720p, 30-second video on SuperGrok. ChatGPT lists limited image creation on Free. Gemini lists image generation and editing on Free and video generation on paid plans.
- Apps: Grok is listed on web, iOS and Android. ChatGPT lists web, iOS and Android plus a desktop app on macOS and Windows. Gemini has Android and iOS apps and a web app.
- API: grok-4.7 lists $2 input and $6 output per million tokens with a 500k-token context window. gpt-6-astra lists $10 and $50 at its standard rate with 1.05M tokens; gemini-3.1-pro-preview lists $2 and $12 for prompts up to 200k tokens with 1,048,576 input tokens.
Plans and prices
US dollars unless a cell says otherwise. Vendors show different prices in different countries and add tax in some.
| What | GrokxAI | ChatGPTOpenAI | GeminiGoogle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes. xAI says Grok is free to try on the web and in the apps; free limits are not statedSource: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Yes. Unlimited text chats with GPT-5.6 Luna; limited uploads, images, voice and deep researchSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Yes, with a Google Account. Access to 3.6 Flash and varying access to 3.1 Pro; 15 GB storageSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Low-cost tier | Lite. Lists 2x longer conversations, Expert mode and increased limits at regular speedPrice not verified: the plans page showed none to a signed-out visitor.Source: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Go. A$13/month on the Australian page; this plan may include adsUS dollar price not verified: OpenAI's help page for Go gives no figure and points to the pricing page, which showed A$ from our connection (re-checked 2 Oct 2026).Source: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Google AI Plus, $4.99/month. 2x the Free usage limits, 400 GB storageSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Main paid plan | SuperGrok, marked most popular. Lists 5x longer conversations, the best model with higher limits, and image and video creationPrice not verified: the plans page showed none to a signed-out visitor.Source: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Plus, $20/month, billed monthlySource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Google AI Pro, $19.99/month. 4x the Free usage limits, 5 TB storageSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Heavy-use plans | SuperGrok Heavy. Lists the highest usage at the fastest speed and a larger team of agentsPrice not verified: the plans page showed none to a signed-out visitor.Source: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Pro 100, Pro 200 and Pro 500: $100, $200 and $500/monthSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Google AI Ultra, $99.99/month (5x AI Pro limits) or $199.99/month (20x)Source: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Team plan | Not verified The plans page has a Business tab; we did not read it. | Business: standard seat $20/month on annual billing or $25 monthly; premium seat $100 or $125. At least 2 seatsSource: OpenAI, checked 2 Oct 2026 | Not verified Google points business accounts to the Gemini Enterprise app; we did not read its pricing. |
| Bundled extras on the main paid plan | SuperGrok Heavy lists X Premium+ at no extra cost. Nothing outside Grok is listed for SuperGrokSource: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | No cloud storage or other non-ChatGPT service is listed for Plus on the pricing pageSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | AI Pro lists 5 TB of storage across Gmail, Drive and Photos, a YouTube Premium Lite plan, and the Google Home Premium Standard planSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
Limits and models
| What | GrokxAI | ChatGPTOpenAI | GeminiGoogle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Context window in the app | Not verified The plans page speaks of 2x and 5x longer conversations but gives no token figure. | Instant models: 27K (Free), 54K (Go and Plus), 128K (Pro). Reasoning models: 256K (Go and Plus), 400K (Pro)Source: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Not verified The plans page gives file-upload size (up to 1,500 pages) but no token figure for the app. |
| How usage limits are described | Lite: increased limits at regular speed. SuperGrok: higher limits and faster replies. SuperGrok Heavy: highest usage at the fastest speed. No counts on the plans pageSource: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Free: limited messages with uploads. Go: more messages with tools and more uploads. Plus: expanded messages and uploads. Pro: three usage tiers. Exact message counts are not published on the pricing pageSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Compute-based limits that refresh every 5 hours up to a weekly limit; paid tiers are 2x, 4x and up to 20x. AI credits can extend themSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Models you get | Lite: access to "our latest, best model" in Expert mode. SuperGrok: the best model with higher limits. The page heading names Grok 4.6Source: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Free: GPT-5.6 Luna. Plus: advanced reasoning models with GPT-6. Pro: Pro reasoning powered by GPT-6 AstraSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Free: 3.6 Flash, varying access to 3.1 Pro. Paid plans raise access to 3.1 Pro; Ultra adds first access to Deep ThinkSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
Features by plan
| What | GrokxAI | ChatGPTOpenAI | GeminiGoogle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep research | Search across the live web and X with citations, and a multi-agent mode. SuperGrok is described as adding multi-agent; no per-plan limits are statedSource: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Limited on Free; expanded on Plus; maximum on ProSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Deep Research is listed on the Free planSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Coding agent | Code generation is listed; SuperGrok lists "more powerful coding tools"Source: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Codex: limited on Free, expanded on Plus, longer sessions on ProSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Jules (beta) with higher limits from AI Pro; entry rate limits for the Google Antigravity agent from AI ProSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Voice | Voice conversations are listed; SuperGrok lists longer voice conversationsSource: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Limited voice chats on Free; more on GoSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Gemini Live on the Free planSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Image generation | Image and video creation: a trial on Lite; SuperGrok lists HD 720p, 30-second videoSource: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Limited on Free; more on Go; unlimited and faster on ProSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Image generation and editing on the Free plan; video generation on paid plansSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Memory | The page says Grok remembers preferences and past conversations; no per-plan detailSource: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Limited memory and context on Free; longer on Go; expanded on PlusSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Not verified Google lists 'Personal Intelligence' and memory import as features; plan-level detail was not on the page we read. |
| Projects and custom assistants | Not verified Not listed on the pages we read. | Projects, scheduled tasks and custom GPTs from PlusSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Gems and Canvas on the Free planSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Works inside other apps | Grok Bot is listed from SuperGrok; X describes it as working in the background and signing into your appsSource: X, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Google Sheets extensions are listed; which plan gets what was not readable on the pageSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Gemini in Gmail, Vids and more from AI Plus; Docs and Gemini in Chrome from AI ProSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Training on your chats | Not verified Not stated on the plans page; we did not read xAI's privacy pages. | Opt-out available on Free, Go, Plus and ProSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Not verified The plans page links to 'how Google handles data' but states no setting; not checked further. |
| Ads | Not verified Nothing about ads in Grok is stated on the plans page. | Ads may appear on the Free tier in certain countriesThe pricing page says the Go plan “may include ads”.Source: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Not verified Nothing about ads in the Gemini app is stated on the plans page. |
Voice, files and access
| What | GrokxAI | ChatGPTOpenAI | GeminiGoogle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voice: where it works and limits | Voice conversations are listed for Grok on web, iOS and Android; no limits are stated on the product pageSource: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Free: limited access to GPT-Live-1 mini. Go: 3 hours of GPT-Live-1 mini. Plus: 3 hours of GPT-Live-1, measured over a rolling 24 hours. Live does not support video or screen sharingSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Gemini Live needs the Gemini mobile app and a signed-in Google Account; it is not available in the Gemini web app. It supports video streaming and screen sharingSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| File uploads | Document uploads and PDF analysis are listed; no size limit is stated on the product pageSource: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | 512MB per file; text and document files capped at 2M tokens; images 20MB each. Free users: 3 file uploads a daySource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Up to 10 files per prompt; 100 MB per file. Paid Google AI plans raise upload limitsSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Video | Text-to-video up to 15 seconds at 720p is listedThe plans page lists 30-second HD 720p video on SuperGrok.Source: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | In voice, Live does not support video or screen sharing; video and screen sharing remain available to eligible subscribers in the iOS and Android apps when using AdvancedVideo upload and video generation were not read.Source: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Upload: each video up to 2 GB; 5 minutes in total, or 1 hour with Google AI Pro or UltraVideo generation is listed on paid plans (see Image generation).Source: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Can you use it without an account? | xAI says Grok is free to try and that you sign in with an X or email accountSource: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Yes at chatgpt.com in supported countries (not yet in Europe, except the UK). Logged out you get one conversation at a time and chats are not savedSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Some features of the Gemini web app work without signing in. More features, and saving activity, need a Google AccountSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Where it runs | Web, iOS and AndroidSource: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Web, iOS and Android for voice in chat; a desktop app on macOS and WindowsSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | The Gemini app on Android (including as the phone's assistant) and on iOSThe web app at gemini.google.com is described on Google's sign-in help page.Source: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
For developers: API
API prices are separate from the app subscriptions above. Prices are per one million tokens.
| What | GrokxAI | ChatGPTOpenAI | GeminiGoogle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top API model and price per 1M tokens | grok-4.7: $2 input, $6 outputSource: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | gpt-6-astra: $10 input, $50 outputSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | gemini-3.1-pro-preview: $2 input, $12 output for prompts up to 200k tokens; $4 and $18 above thatSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Mid-priced API model | Not verified The models page lists one text model, grok-4.7; no mid-priced text model is shown. | gpt-6.1-sol: $2 input, $10 outputSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | gemini-3.8-flash: $0.75 input, $3.75 output through 31 Dec 2026; $1.50 and $7.50 from 1 Jan 2027Source: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Cheapest current API model | Not verified The models page lists one text model, grok-4.7. | gpt-6-luna: $0.10 input, $0.50 outputSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Not verified Google lists several Flash-Lite models; we did not read their prices today. |
| API context window | 500k tokens on grok-4.7Source: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | 1.05M tokens on gpt-6-astra, gpt-6.1-sol and gpt-6-lunaSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | 1,048,576 input tokens on gemini-3.1-pro-preview and gemini-3.8-flashSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| API maximum output | Not verified Not stated on the models page. | 128K tokensSource: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | 65,536 tokensSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Long-prompt surcharge | Not verified Not stated on the models page. | A separate, higher 'long context' rate is listed: gpt-6-astra $20 input, $75 outputThe token threshold where the long-context rate starts was not captured.Source: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Yes on gemini-3.1-pro-preview: prompts over 200k tokens cost $4 input, $18 outputSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Free API tier | Not verified Not read. | Not verified Not read today. | gemini-3.8-flash has a free tier (content may be used to improve Google products); gemini-3.1-pro-preview has noneSource: Google, checked 1 Oct 2026 |
| Knowledge cutoff of top model | May 2026 (Grok 4.7)Source: xAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | 30 Apr 2026 (gpt-6-astra)Source: OpenAI, checked 1 Oct 2026 | Not verified Not captured from the model page. |
Best for, and not ideal for
Each point follows from a row in the tables above. We have not run quality or speed tests, so nothing here says which one writes or codes better.
Grok
Best for
- People who want live posts from X in their answers. xAI lists search across the live web and X.
- Developers watching token price: grok-4.7 lists $2 input and $6 output per million tokens.
- Making images and short videos in the chat. Image and video creation is listed as a trial on Lite, and SuperGrok lists HD 720p, 30-second video.
Not ideal for
- Anyone who wants to see a price before signing in. The plans page showed plan names and features but no prices to a signed-out visitor.
- Very large API prompts. grok-4.7 lists a 500k-token context window.
- People who need to know how chats are used for training before they start: we could not verify it from the plans page.
ChatGPT
Best for
- People who want tiers to grow into: there are Go, Plus and three Pro levels between free and $500 a month.
- Heavy image use. Image creation is listed from the Free plan and becomes unlimited on Pro.
- Developers who need a very cheap model: gpt-6-luna lists $0.10 per million input tokens, the lowest price among the models we read today.
Not ideal for
- Pasting very long documents on a $20 plan. Plus is capped at a 54K context window on Instant models and 256K on reasoning models.
- Anyone who wants an ad-free low-cost plan: OpenAI says Go may include ads.
Gemini
Best for
- People already paying for Google storage. AI Pro bundles 5 TB and AI Plus 400 GB.
- A low paid price: AI Plus at $4.99 a month, the lowest paid price we could verify among ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.
- Free users who want research and image tools. Deep Research and image generation are on the Free plan.
- Developers watching token cost at the top end: gemini-3.1-pro-preview lists $2 input and $12 output per million tokens for prompts up to 200k tokens, and $4 and $18 above that.
Not ideal for
- Long API responses. Maximum output is 65,536 tokens; OpenAI and Anthropic list 128K.
- People who want a plain token number for the app: Google describes app limits as compute-based, refreshing every 5 hours.
Questions people ask
- How much does Grok cost compared with ChatGPT and Gemini?
- We could not verify Grok’s consumer prices: the plans page showed plan names and features but no prices to a signed-out visitor. ChatGPT Plus is $20 a month and Google AI Pro is $19.99 a month. On the API, grok-4.7 lists $2 input and $6 output per million tokens.
- Can you use them without an account?
- OpenAI says ChatGPT can be used at chatgpt.com before creating an account in supported countries, with one conversation at a time and no saved chats. Google says some features of the Gemini web app work without signing in. xAI says Grok is free to try and that you sign in with an X or email account.
- Which has the largest API context window?
- OpenAI lists 1.05M tokens on gpt-6-astra and Google lists 1,048,576 input tokens on gemini-3.1-pro-preview. xAI lists 500k tokens on grok-4.7.
Sources
Every figure on this page was read from these vendor pages on 1 Oct 2026. A cell marked “Not verified” means we could not confirm it from a vendor page that day, so we left it blank.
- xAI: Grok product page, checked 1 Oct 2026.
- OpenAI: ChatGPT pricing page, checked 1 Oct 2026. Read in a browser from an Australian connection; plan prices on this page were shown in A$.
- Google: Google AI plans (United States page), checked 1 Oct 2026.
- xAI: Grok plans page, checked 1 Oct 2026. Read signed out. The page listed plan names and features but showed no prices to a signed-out visitor.
- OpenAI: What is ChatGPT Plus? (Help Center), checked 1 Oct 2026.
- OpenAI: About ChatGPT Pro tiers (Help Center), checked 1 Oct 2026.
- OpenAI: ChatGPT Business overview (Help Center), checked 2 Oct 2026. The page gives these as USD prices for most countries and says pricing may vary by country and currency.
- X: About X Premium (X Help Center), checked 1 Oct 2026.
- OpenAI: ChatGPT Free Tier FAQ (Help Center), checked 1 Oct 2026.
- xAI: Models and pricing (xAI developer docs), checked 1 Oct 2026.
- OpenAI: Models (API docs), checked 1 Oct 2026.
- Google: Gemini API pricing, checked 1 Oct 2026.
- Google: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview model page, checked 1 Oct 2026.
- OpenAI: Pricing (API docs), checked 1 Oct 2026.
- OpenAI: ChatGPT Voice (Help Center), checked 1 Oct 2026.
- Google: Talk naturally with Gemini Live (Gemini Apps Help), checked 1 Oct 2026.
- OpenAI: File Uploads FAQ (Help Center), checked 1 Oct 2026.
- Google: Upload and analyze files in Gemini Apps (Gemini Apps Help), checked 1 Oct 2026.
- OpenAI: The ChatGPT home page (Help Center), checked 1 Oct 2026.
- Google: What you need to sign in to Gemini Apps (Gemini Apps Help), checked 1 Oct 2026.
- Google: Get started with the Gemini mobile app (Gemini Apps Help), checked 1 Oct 2026.
Other comparisons
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