ChatGPT vs Grok: pricing and usage limits (Oct 2026)
Both start at $8/mo. Both have a free plan. Every plan from both vendors, the limits each one actually publishes, and what changed recently, with a source on every line.
The short answer
- Cheaper to start
- A tie: ChatGPT Go and Grok Plus both cost $8/mo.
- Free plan
- Both have one. What each includes is quoted under Free plans below.
- Top of the ladder
- ChatGPT Pro 500 at $500/mo vs Grok Ultra at $200/mo.
- Hard numbers
- Neither vendor publishes exact allowances, so the limits below are quoted, not counted.
- Latest move
- Grok, 12 Oct 2026: SuperGrok folded into The X Subscription (Plus $8, Premium $30, Super $100, Ultra $200).
Beyond price and free access, the deciding factor is which models and features you need; we track the money, not the model quality.
Head to head
| Fact | ChatGPT | Grok |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free tier | Free tier |
| Cheapest plan | Go · $8/mo | Plus · $8/mo |
| Top plan | Pro 500 · $500/mo | Ultra · $200/mo |
| Plans tracked | 5 | 4 |
| Yearly discount | None shown | None shown |
| Allowance periods | Not stated | Not stated |
| Latest change | new tierlimit cut | plan restructure |
| Last checked |
Closest price match: ChatGPT Go vs Grok Plus
Plus
Every plan side by side
| Tool | Plan | Price | Limits as stated & source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Go | $8/mo | More messages with tools, more uploads, image creation and voice than Free; longer memory. May include ads. Exact caps not published. Source: chatgpt.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| ChatGPT | Plus | $20/mo | Expanded messages/uploads, advanced reasoning with GPT-6, expanded deep research and Codex. 'Limits apply'; message caps may vary with demand and are not published. Source: help.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| ChatGPT | Pro 100 | $100/mo | Pro reasoning (GPT-6 Astra), longer Codex/Work sessions, 'unlimited' subject to abuse guardrails. Lowest of three Pro tiers; per-model allowances vary by tier and are not published. Source: help.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| ChatGPT | Pro 200 | $200/mo | More usage than Pro 100. New (non-grandfathered) Pro 200 subscriptions get a lower usage allowance than previously offered. Source: help.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| ChatGPT | Pro 500 | $500/mo | Highest included usage; includes GPT-6 Astra Ultrafast and GPT-6.1 Sol Ultrafast. Source: help.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Grok | Plus | $8/mo | Base shared AI usage pool across Grok, Cursor and X; Grok Chat, Voice, Imagine, Build; Grok API. Source: grok.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Grok | Premium | $30/mo | 4x Plus usage; latest Grok models; image & video generation; cloud agents. Promo: 50% off first month ($15). Source: grok.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Grok | Super | $100/mo | 15x Plus usage; 1080p video; priority access at peak times. Promo: $50 first month. Source: grok.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Grok | Ultra | $200/mo | 50x Plus usage; most powerful Chat models; earliest access. Promo: $100 first month. Source: grok.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
Free plans
| Tool | Free? | What you get for $0 & source |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Free tier | Free $0: 'Unlimited text chats with GPT-6' subject to abuse guardrails; limited uploads, image creation, voice, deep research, memory, Codex access. Help center says Free users have GPT-5.6 Luna; tools have separate limits. Ads may appear in some countries. Source: chatgpt.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Grok | Free tier | 'Free to try on the web and in the apps'; free tier has limited Chat, Imagine and Build usage. Limits not published. Source: x.ai · checked 2026-10-16 |
Recent price and limit changes
-
plan restructureSuperGrok folded into The X Subscription (Plus $8, Premium $30, Super $100, Ultra $200)
xAI announced one subscription for Grok, Cursor and X Premium; Premium bundles the benefits of SuperGrok, Cursor Pro and X Premium+ ('previously $90/month combined'). Existing SuperGrok plans continue.
-
new tierlimit cutChatGPT Pro 500 ($500/mo) launched; Pro 200 reopened with a lower usage allowance
Pro 500 adds Ultrafast GPT-6 Astra / GPT-6.1 Sol. New, non-grandfathered Pro 200 subscriptions get a lower allowance; grandfathered users keep the old allowance through Oct 29, 2026.
-
new tierChatGPT adds a $100/month Pro tier (5x Plus Codex usage)
New Pro tier between Plus ($20) and Pro ($200); temporary 10x Codex promo through May 31, 2026. Plus Codex usage rebalanced across the week.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, ChatGPT or Grok?
Neither at the entry level: ChatGPT Go and Grok Plus both cost $8/mo. The top plans are ChatGPT Pro 500 at $500/mo and Grok Ultra at $200/mo.
Is ChatGPT or Grok free?
ChatGPT: Yes. Free $0: 'Unlimited text chats with GPT-6' subject to abuse guardrails; limited uploads, image creation, voice, deep research, memory, Codex access. Help center says Free users have GPT-5.6 Luna; tools have separate limits. Ads may appear in some countries. Grok: Yes. 'Free to try on the web and in the apps'; free tier has limited Chat, Imagine and Build usage. Limits not published.
How do the usage limits compare at the closest price?
ChatGPT Go ($8/mo): More messages with tools, more uploads, image creation and voice than Free; longer memory. May include ads. Exact caps not published. Grok Plus ($8/mo): Base shared AI usage pool across Grok, Cursor and X; Grok Chat, Voice, Imagine, Build; Grok API.
When did ChatGPT and Grok last change their pricing?
12 Oct 2026, Grok: SuperGrok folded into The X Subscription (Plus $8, Premium $30, Super $100, Ultra $200). 29 Sep 2026, ChatGPT: ChatGPT Pro 500 ($500/mo) launched; Pro 200 reopened with a lower usage allowance. 9 Apr 2026, ChatGPT: ChatGPT adds a $100/month Pro tier (5x Plus Codex usage).