Side-by-side comparison

Claude vs Grok

Plans, free tiers and API access for Claude and Grok, from each vendor's own pages. Last checked Oct 4, 2026.

ClaudeAssistant

GrokAssistant

The short answer

Claude has the lower entry price at $20/mo, against $30/mo for Grok.
Both Claude and Grok have an ongoing free plan.
On LiveBench (2026-06-25), Claude's best model (Claude Fable 5.1 Max Effort) scores 83.4 against 78.0 for Grok's best (Grok 4.6 xHigh).

Pricing and features

ClaudeGrok

Starting price

$20/mo

$30/mo

Paid plans

Pro$20/mo
Max$100/mo

SuperGrok$30/mo

Free plan

Free planFree plan at $0 with web, desktop, and mobile chat

Free planLimited daily queries on base Grok models

API access

API availableClaude Platform API with per-token model pricing

API availableSeparate pay-as-you-go token pricing through the xAI developer platform

Best for

Knowledge workers who want long-context chat, file and code tools, and optional Claude Code or team workspaces on paid plans.

People wanting an assistant with live web and X data plus optional paid tiers for heavier use.

Watch out for

Usage resets on rolling five-hour windows with additional weekly caps on paid tiers; enterprise features and SSO require higher plans. Platform API usage is metered separately from claude.ai seats.

Usage limits per plan aren't listed as fixed numbers. The lower figure is the per-month price when billed annually.

How to choose

Claude Pro costs $20 per month with a monthly or annual option, and Max starts at $100 per month. Grok offers one listed paid tier, SuperGrok, at $30 per month or $25 per month billed annually; its free tier is limited daily queries on base models. Claude's free plan adds web, desktop and mobile chat. The products differ in pitch: Claude for long-context work with file and code tools and team workspaces, Grok for live web and X data. Claude's paid plans use five-hour windows and weekly caps, while Grok's per-plan limits were not confirmed. Each API is separate and pay per token.

Claude: You want long-context chat with file and code tools, or a team workspace, starting at $20 per month.
Grok: You want an assistant that uses live web and X data and accept $30 per month, or $25 per month on annual billing.
Either: You plan to stay on a free plan for light daily use and compare how each handles your questions.

Reviewed Oct 5, 2026. Prices and plans can change, so confirm on the vendor's site.

LiveBench results

Best-scoring model per vendor in the 2026-06-25 LiveBench release (13 Anthropic and 5 xAI configurations). Scores are out of 100.

Claude Fable 5.1 Max EffortGrok 4.6 xHigh

Overall

83.4

78.0

Reasoning

91.7

90.5

Coding

86.4

76.8

Agentic Coding

66.1

57.0

Mathematics

97.0

92.6

Data Analysis

80.3

73.9

Language

89.5

83.7

Instruction Following

73.0

71.9

Cost per successful task

$1.21

$0.207

Source: LiveBench, imported Oct 5, 2026. Explore every model.

Common questions

Which is cheaper, Claude or Grok?

Claude has the lower starting price ($20/mo versus $30/mo). Compare plans before choosing, since limits differ.

Is Claude free?

Free plan. Free plan at $0 with web, desktop, and mobile chat

Is Grok free?

Free plan. Limited daily queries on base Grok models

Which scores higher on benchmarks, Claude or Grok?

In the 2026-06-25 LiveBench release, Claude Fable 5.1 Max Effort scores 83.4 and Grok 4.6 xHigh scores 78.0 overall. Scores measure the benchmark, not your own workload.

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