The Grok Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Grok in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Grok
The Insider’s Guide
AI assistant with live X and web search, images, video and voice
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI assistants, read from Grok’s own pages.
Made by SpaceXAI (xAI) · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05After you payGetting your money back, getting out, and getting help
- 06The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 07Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 08About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Grok’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Grok’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 23 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade
Grok is the AI assistant from SpaceXAI (xAI), available at grok.com and in iOS and Android apps. It answers questions using live information from X and the web, analyzes uploaded files, generates images and video with Grok Imagine and holds voice conversations. It is free to start, and paid SuperGrok plans raise limits through one weekly usage allowance shared across its products.
To get you started, here are 10 things to know about Grok, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Several reviewers describe freezes and crashes, but we grade on the rating across that many people.
- 1
Best for following news as it breaks on X
Grok is xAI's AI app, wired into X: it pulls in what people are posting right now, makes images and video, talks back and reads your Gmail or Outlook.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $10.00 (SuperGrok Lite, US App Store; billing period not shown).
- 3
There is a free plan
Free to start, with free-tier limits on Chat and Voice that reset on their own schedule. xAI's docs do not publish the exact limits.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
Live answers from X and the web
Draws on X and the web for current news, trends and conversations, and can run advanced searches on X to show what people are saying.
- 6
Deep research and file analysis
Researches a question across the web and works with uploaded documents, spreadsheets, code, images, audio and video, up to 150 MB per file.
- 7
Grok Imagine
Generates images from text, creates short videos with sound and edits existing images. SuperGrok includes 720p, 30-second video and SuperGrok Plus adds 1080p.
- 8
Refunds: no set window
No window, no guarantee: you fill in a refund form, a team looks at it, and that is the whole policy. Buy through the App Store and even that is Apple's call.
- 9
A 2.6 GPA, above 23 of 57
That is against the other AI assistants we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 10
Keep it
To replace Grok you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Grok at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $10.00 (SuperGrok Lite, US App Store; billing period not shown)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- SpaceXAI (xAI), since 2023
- Category
- AI Assistants
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.9 on the App Store, 1,483,091 ratings
The report card
Best for following news as it breaks on X
Grok is xAI's AI app, wired into X: it pulls in what people are posting right now, makes images and video, talks back and reads your Gmail or Outlook. But xAI doesn't say how much you get for free, the main paid plan is $30 with no billing period stated, paid features pause when a weekly allowance runs out, and there's no Mac or Windows app. If X isn't the point for you, ChatGPT Plus is $20.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | SuperGrok, the plan whose features xAI actually lists, is $30 on the US App Store, and this category's dearest tenth starts at $20. Above it sit $100 and $300 tiers, the plans page showed no prices at all, and no billing period is stated. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free to start, with chat and voice. But xAI's docs won't say how much you get: only that the free limits reset on their own schedule. You find out by running into them. |
| Features | B | Live X posts and web search, deep research, file uploads to 150 MB, images and video with sound, a voice mode, and connectors for Gmail, Drive, Outlook, Teams and Salesforce. No other assistant here searches X live. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.9 from about 1.5 million App Store ratings, and you start by typing a question. Several reviewers describe freezes and crashes, but we grade on the rating across that many people. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android, with an API, a catalog of connectors and room for your own MCP servers. But the docs mention no Mac or Windows app, and Companions are in the iOS app only. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Grok is for
- Fits if you want to know what people on X are saying about something right now
- Works for asking about your Gmail, Google Drive or Outlook from inside a chat
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you just want a paid chatbot: SuperGrok is $30 against $20 for ChatGPT Plus, with $100 and $300 tiers above
- Skip it if you want an app on your Mac or PC, because the docs only list web, iOS and Android
- Not for you if you need limits and billing up front: free limits aren't published, and prices show no billing period
- Tight if you make a lot of video: paid features pause when the weekly allowance runs out, and extra credits cost more per action
- Watch out: Companions are iOS-only, and reviewers report freezes, crashes and chats cut back without warning
Good to know
Good for
- Following news and conversations on X as they happen
- Generating images and short videos alongside chat
- People who want email, files and calendar reachable from a chat
Worth knowing
- Prices are from the US App Store listing, which does not state billing periods; the grok.com plans page showed no prices when read.
- On a paid plan, paid features pause when the weekly allowance runs out, unless you buy Extra Usage Credits, sold from $5 on the web.
- Companions are available in the iOS app only, with no plans to bring them to the web or Android, according to the Grok FAQ.
- The docs list the web, iOS and Android; no Windows or Mac app is mentioned.
What people say
- 4.9on the App Store, from 1,483,091 ratings
What they like
- Several reviewers are there for the companion characters, which talk with a voice and a personality of their own.
- Reviewers and commenters who use more than one assistant say it holds its own against the others, and one reviewer says recent updates have made it markedly better.
What they don’t
- Reviewers report the app freezing in the middle of a conversation or crashing, and a voice mode that sometimes misbehaves.
10 App Store reviews from March 2025 to September 2026, eight of them five stars, and about 12 Hacker News comments from late September and early October 2026
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$10.00
To start. There is a free plan too
Grok has a free plan. Paid plans start at $10.00 (SuperGrok Lite, US App Store; billing period not shown).
But xAI's docs won't say how much you get: only that the free limits reset on their own schedule.
Free
$0
Chat and Voice within free-tier limits. The docs describe Grok as free to start.
SuperGrok Lite
$10.00
US App Store price; billing period not shown
The entry paid tier. The plans page describes SuperGrok as everything in Lite plus more, without listing Lite's own features.
SuperGrok
$30.00
US App Store; also listed at $300.00, periods not labeled
5x longer chats, Expert mode with higher limits, 720p 30-second video, longer Voice conversations and Grok Bot access.
SuperGrok Plus
$100.00
US App Store price; billing period not shown
Everything in SuperGrok, with 1080p video, much higher usage across Chat, Imagine, Voice and Build, and priority access at peak times.
SuperGrok Heavy
$300.00
US App Store price; billing period not shown
Everything in Plus, with the highest usage, a larger team of collaborating agents and X Premium+ at no extra cost.
Enterprise
Custom
Sold through xAI sales, with team workspaces, custom retention policies and the option to disable personal workspaces.
The free plan
Free to start, with free-tier limits on Chat and Voice that reset on their own schedule. xAI's docs do not publish the exact limits.
Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Annual billing costs less
The grok.com plans page offers a "Save with annual" option on SuperGrok plans. The page did not display the amounts when it was read.
Stated on grok.com
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “SuperGrok”, against $30.00 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | ₺1.299,99 | $26.44 | 12% less |
| Indonesia | Rp 499ribu | $27.91 | 7% less |
| Canada | $40.00 | $28.12 | 6% less |
| Philippines | ₱ 1,790.00 | $28.49 | 5% less |
| Australia | $50.00 | $34.91 | 16% more |
| South Africa | R599.99 | $36.29 | 21% more |
| Germany | 35,00 € | $39.22 | 31% more |
| United Kingdom | £30.00 | $39.66 | 32% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
AI assistant with live X and web search, images, video and voice. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, chat assistant, AI search, research.
No other assistant here searches X live.
- Live answers from X and the web
- Draws on X and the web for current news, trends and conversations, and can run advanced searches on X to show what people are saying.
- Deep research and file analysis
- Researches a question across the web and works with uploaded documents, spreadsheets, code, images, audio and video, up to 150 MB per file.
- Grok Imagine
- Generates images from text, creates short videos with sound and edits existing images. SuperGrok includes 720p, 30-second video and SuperGrok Plus adds 1080p.
- Voice Mode
- Spoken conversations with replies in real time and a choice of conversation styles. Paid plans allow longer voice sessions.
- Connectors
- Built-in OAuth connectors reach Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Outlook, OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint and Salesforce, and custom MCP servers can be added.
- Grok Bot
- AI teammates that run on a persistent cloud computer with messaging, approvals, connectors and routines. The plans page lists Grok Bot access under SuperGrok.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- X
- Gmail
- Google Calendar
- Google Drive
- Outlook
- OneDrive
- Microsoft Teams
- Salesforce
Grok is made by SpaceXAI (xAI), and has been around since 2023.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
23/57
Other AI assistants it is graded above
Grok's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 23 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 44 of 57) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 58 AI assistants we grade, cut by the letter each got. Grok’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 57
- CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 57
- BFeaturesAbove 28 of 57
- AEase of useAbove 44 of 57
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 23 of 57
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Grok you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
What you could not
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- A search engine with an AI model behind it.
- A library of papers and sources to search.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, X, Gmail and Google Calendar among them, and has an API.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Grok’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Refunds
After you pay
Getting your money back, getting out, and getting help
What happens once you have paid: whether you can get your money back, how to leave, and how to reach a person when something goes wrong. Each is graded from Grok’s own terms and help pages.
Refunds and cancelling
Ordinary · checked Oct 18, 2026
No window, no guarantee: you fill in a refund form, a team looks at it, and that is the whole policy. Buy through the App Store and even that is Apple's call. The good news is the exit, which is genuinely easy if you subscribed on the web, and your money is at least sent back quickly when a refund is agreed. Case-by-case refunds with a clean self-serve cancellation is the ordinary deal, and a C. We could not read the terms of service, which blocked our reader.
- Refund window
- No set window
- How you cancel
- Yourself, in settings
- Getting your money back
Grok's FAQ says refunds depend on where you bought the subscription. For the website or Google Play they are handled by xAI: you sign in and submit the refund request form, and the team reviews it, with approved refunds usually back on the original payment method within 5 to 10 business days. App Store purchases are refunded by Apple. API credits are not refundable. No time limit or guarantee is stated.
Stated on docs.x.ai- How to cancel Grok
Where you cancel depends on where you subscribed. On the web you sign in and open the billing page, reached through Settings and then Billing on grok.com, to change the plan, update payment or cancel. An App Store subscription is cancelled through Apple and a Google Play one through Google Play. If the billing page will not open, the FAQ blames ad-blockers and says support can escalate the cancellation.
Stated on docs.x.ai- What you keep afterwards
None of the pages read says what happens to paid features after cancelling, beyond the plans page's instruction to cancel at least 24 hours before a renewal to avoid a further charge. On the account itself, the FAQ says an xAI account can be deleted from the accounts site and restored within 30 days by logging in and confirming, and that deleted chats and files are removed within standard retention windows.
Stated on docs.x.ai- Renewals
The plans page says new subscriptions renew automatically until you cancel, that you can cancel at any time, and that cancelling at least 24 hours before a renewal avoids a further charge. It adds that a subscription is managed through whichever platform you bought it on. No reminder before a renewal is mentioned.
Stated on grok.com
In your favour
- Subscribe on the web and you cancel it yourself from the billing page, no email needed.
- An approved refund is usually back on your card within 5 to 10 business days.
- If the billing page will not load, the FAQ says support can push the cancellation through.
- Delete the account by mistake and you have 30 days to log back in and restore it.
Watch out for
- There is no refund window at all: you ask through a form and a team decides.
- Bought it in the App Store? Apple handles the refund, and xAI says so plainly.
- API credits are never refundable, whatever happens to the subscription.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before a renewal and you are charged for the next period.
Customer support
Ordinary · checked Oct 18, 2026
You can get a message to a person here. Report an issue inside the app, an email link in the docs, a Discord and a thorough FAQ that answers the billing questions most people actually have. What you do not get is any promise about the answer: the FAQ says outright there is no guaranteed timeline, and no page gives hours or a reply time. That is where most software sits, and it is a C.
Ways to get help
Email
The documentation's resources menu carries an email support link, and the FAQ adds that billing questions can be raised by replying to the receipt email.
Stated on docs.x.aiHelp inside the app
The FAQ says to use the Report an issue feature in the product to reach a human, and to include your account email, the platform, your browser or operating system, any invoice number and a screenshot or a shared conversation link.
Stated on docs.x.aiHelp centre
The Grok documentation covers billing and subscriptions, usage and limits, accounts and login, image and video generation, files and data, team management and connectors, and is open to anyone.
Stated on docs.x.aiCommunity or forum
The documentation links a public xAI Discord server, which is where the docs point people for discussion alongside the written guides.
Stated on docs.x.ai
Not listed on Grok’s pages: live chat, phone.
- When people answer
Its pages do not say.
- How fast it says it replies
Its pages do not say.
- What depends on your plan
Its pages do not say.
In your favour
- The FAQ answers the awkward billing questions directly, including refunds and double charges.
- You report problems from inside the app, with the detail support needs listed for you.
- There is a public Discord and a status page alongside the written documentation.
Watch out for
- The FAQ says plainly that there is no guaranteed timeline on a reported bug.
- No page states support hours or a reply time for anything.
- There is no live chat and no phone line of any kind.
- Problems with Grok inside X go to X, which xAI says it does not have oversight of.
What these two grades rest on. Read on 18 October 2026: Grok's consumer FAQ in the xAI documentation, which covers billing, cancelling, refunds, accounts and getting help, the documentation's Grok overview, the plans page on grok.com and the app's App Store listing. The terms of service and the refund form both blocked our reader, so neither was read. Nobody here cancelled a plan, asked for a refund or contacted its support. They are graded apart from the five that make the GPA. How we grade refunds and support.
Part 06 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Meta AI
The 5 tools Grok is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.4GPA
ChatGPT
Free plan · from $8/mo
OpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice.
- Only ChatGPT lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Grok also covers research.
- 3.8GPA
Gemini
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Google's AI assistant, tied into Gmail, Docs and other Google apps.
- Only Gemini lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Grok also covers research.
- 3.0GPA
Claude
Free plan · from $17/mo
Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis and coding.
- Only Claude lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Claude lists a browser extension.
- Grok also covers research.
- 2.8GPA
Perplexity
Free plan · from $17/mo
AI search assistant that answers questions with cited sources.
- Only Perplexity lists a browser extension.
- Grok also covers research.
- 2.8GPA
Meta AI
Free plan · from $7.99/mo
Part 07 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
19
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Grok free?
Grok has a free plan. Free to start, with free-tier limits on Chat and Voice that reset on their own schedule. xAI's docs do not publish the exact limits.
How much does Grok cost?
Grok lists 6 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Grok work on?
Grok is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Grok offer any discounts?
Grok publicly lists the following: Annual billing costs less.
How is Grok rated?
Grok's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1,483,091 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 7, 2026.
Is Grok any good?
We have not tested Grok, so this is what reviewers say. Often praised: Several reviewers are there for the companion characters, which talk with a voice and a personality of their own.
Does Grok have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Grok is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Grok have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Grok is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Grok open source?
Grok is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
Does Grok have an API?
Yes. Grok offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Grok integrate with?
Grok's listing names X, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Outlook, OneDrive, Microsoft Teams and Salesforce.
Who makes Grok?
Grok is made by SpaceXAI (xAI). It dates from 2023.
What are the alternatives to Grok?
The closest alternatives to Grok in our directory are ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Meta AI.
Does Grok give refunds?
Grok's FAQ says refunds depend on where you bought the subscription. For the website or Google Play they are handled by xAI: you sign in and submit the refund request form, and the team reviews it, with approved refunds usually back on the original payment method within 5 to 10 business days.
How do I cancel Grok?
Where you cancel depends on where you subscribed. On the web you sign in and open the billing page, reached through Settings and then Billing on grok.com, to change the plan, update payment or cancel.
What happens to my data if I cancel Grok?
None of the pages read says what happens to paid features after cancelling, beyond the plans page's instruction to cancel at least 24 hours before a renewal to avoid a further charge.
How do I contact Grok support?
Grok's pages list these ways to get help: email, help inside the app, help centre and community or forum.
How does Grok compare with other AI assistants?
Grok's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 23 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 6.
Could I make my own version of Grok?
To replace Grok you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Grok’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Based on xAI's Grok documentation (overview, FAQ, connectors and user guide) and its US App Store listing as of 9 October 2026, its App Store reviews and Hacker News threads about it. The plans page on grok.com showed no prices when read. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-06-08.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by SpaceXAI (xAI). Prices change, so check grok.com before you buy.
Part 08 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Grok, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/grok
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Grok: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/grok
Know someone choosing between AI assistants?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/grok/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI assistants after Grok, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Assistants Insider's GuideEvery one of the 58 AI assistants we grade, compared
- Gemini Insider's GuideGoogle's AI assistant, tied into Gmail, Docs and other Google apps3.8 GPA
- Chatbox Insider's GuideAI chat client for your own API keys or a hosted model plan3.4 GPA
- ChatGPT Insider's GuideOpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Grok’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Grok is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by SpaceXAI (xAI). Prices and plans change: check grok.com before you buy.