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.

Chat assistantsChecked Sources on every line

The short answer

Verdict from the data
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

FactChatGPTGrok
Free planFree tierFree tier
Cheapest planGo · $8/moPlus · $8/mo
Top planPro 500 · $500/moUltra · $200/mo
Plans tracked54
Yearly discountNone shownNone shown
Allowance periodsNot statedNot stated
Latest changenew tierlimit cut plan restructure
Last checked

Closest price match: ChatGPT Go vs Grok Plus

Go

$8/mo
Limits 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

Plus

$8/mo
Limits Base shared AI usage pool across Grok, Cursor and X; Grok Chat, Voice, Imagine, Build; Grok API.Source: grok.com · checked 2026-10-16

Every plan side by side

ToolPlanPriceLimits as stated & source
ChatGPTGo$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
ChatGPTPlus$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
ChatGPTPro 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
ChatGPTPro 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
ChatGPTPro 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
GrokPlus$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
GrokPremium$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
GrokSuper$100/mo
15x Plus usage; 1080p video; priority access at peak times. Promo: $50 first month.
Source: grok.com · checked 2026-10-16
GrokUltra$200/mo
50x Plus usage; most powerful Chat models; earliest access. Promo: $100 first month.
Source: grok.com · checked 2026-10-16

Free plans

ToolFree?What you get for $0 & source
ChatGPTFree 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
GrokFree 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

  1. plan restructure
    SuperGrok 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.

  2. new tierlimit cut
    ChatGPT 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.

  3. new tier
    ChatGPT 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).

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