Grok vs Gemini: pricing and usage limits (Oct 2026)
Grok starts at $8/mo, Gemini at $4.99/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
- Gemini. Google AI Plus is $4.99/mo; the cheapest Grok plan, Grok Plus, is $8/mo ($3.01 more).
- Free plan
- Both have one. What each includes is quoted under Free plans below.
- Top of the ladder
- Grok Ultra at $200/mo vs Google AI Ultra (20x) at $199.99/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).
Pick Gemini if you want the lowest monthly bill. 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 | Grok | Gemini |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free tier | Free tier |
| Cheapest plan | Plus · $8/mo | Google AI Plus · $4.99/mo |
| Top plan | Ultra · $200/mo | Google AI Ultra (20x) · $199.99/mo |
| Plans tracked | 4 | 4 |
| Yearly discount | None shown | None shown |
| Allowance periods | Not stated | Monthly |
| Latest change | plan restructure | price cutnew tier |
| Last checked |
Closest price match: Grok Super vs Google AI Ultra (5x)
Google AI Ultra (5x)
Every plan side by side
| Tool | Plan | Price | Limits as stated & source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Gemini | Google AI Plus | $4.99/mo | 2x standard (Free) usage limits; 128k context; 200 Google Flow credits; 400 GB storage. Source: gemini.google · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Gemini | Google AI Pro | $19.99/mo | 4x standard usage limits; 1M-token context; 1,000 Flow credits; higher Jules limits; entry Antigravity rate limits; $10/mo Google Cloud credits; 5 TB storage. Source: gemini.google · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Gemini | Google AI Ultra (5x) | $99.99/mo | 5x AI Pro usage limits; 10,000 Flow credits; higher Antigravity limits; YouTube Premium; from 20 TB storage. Source: gemini.google · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Gemini | Google AI Ultra (20x) | $199.99/mo | 20x AI Pro usage limits; 25,000 Flow credits; highest Antigravity limits. Source: gemini.google · checked 2026-10-16 |
Free plans
| Tool | Free? | What you get for $0 & source |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Gemini | Free tier | Free $0 with a Google Account: 'standard limits' (compute-based; refresh every 5 hours until a weekly limit); 32k-token context window; limited Nano Banana Pro; 15 GB storage. Source: support.google.com · 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.
-
price cutnew tierGoogle AI Ultra cut from $249.99 to $199.99; new $99.99 Ultra (5x Pro) tier
Announced at Google I/O 2026. The top Ultra tier keeps 20x AI Pro limits at the lower price.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Grok or Gemini?
Gemini is cheaper to start: Google AI Plus costs $4.99/mo, against $8/mo for Grok Plus. At the top end, Grok Ultra is $200/mo and Google AI Ultra (20x) is $199.99/mo.
Is Grok or Gemini free?
Grok: Yes. 'Free to try on the web and in the apps'; free tier has limited Chat, Imagine and Build usage. Limits not published. Gemini: Yes. Free $0 with a Google Account: 'standard limits' (compute-based; refresh every 5 hours until a weekly limit); 32k-token context window; limited Nano Banana Pro; 15 GB storage.
How do the usage limits compare at the closest price?
Grok Super ($100/mo): 15x Plus usage; 1080p video; priority access at peak times. Promo: $50 first month. Google AI Ultra (5x) ($99.99/mo): 5x AI Pro usage limits; 10,000 Flow credits; higher Antigravity limits; YouTube Premium; from 20 TB storage.
When did Grok and Gemini last change their pricing?
12 Oct 2026, Grok: SuperGrok folded into The X Subscription (Plus $8, Premium $30, Super $100, Ultra $200). 19 May 2026, Gemini: Google AI Ultra cut from $249.99 to $199.99; new $99.99 Ultra (5x Pro) tier.