xAI’s Grok 4 Is Now Free for All, Competing with OpenAI’s GPT-5

In a move to attract a wider audience, Elon Musk’s xAI has made its Grok 4 AI model free for all users globally. This decision comes shortly after OpenAI’s debut of its own new model, GPT-5.

Previously, Grok 4 was only available to paid subscribers of xAI’s SuperGrok and X Premium plans. The company announced the change on its social media platform, X, stating it would be a “limited time” offer with “generous usage limits.” While the standard Grok 4 is now free, the more powerful Grok 4 Heavy remains exclusive to SuperGrok Heavy subscribers.

This strategy suggests xAI is aiming to expand its user base while still reserving its most advanced features for paying customers. The timing of this release is notable, following the introduction of OpenAI’s freely accessible GPT-5.

Grok 4’s Modes and Features

Grok 4 offers two main modes:

• Auto Mode: The AI automatically determines if a user’s prompt requires a more detailed, reasoning-based response. This mode is designed to be faster and more efficient with computing resources.
• Expert Mode: If a user isn’t satisfied with the initial response in Auto mode, they can manually switch Grok 4 into a more intensive reasoning mode.

In addition to Grok 4, xAI recently made its AI video generation feature, Grok Imagine, free for all users in the United States. However, this feature quickly drew controversy after reports emerged that it could be used to generate explicit videos. Paid subscribers outside the U.S. can access higher usage limits for all features.

In a separate announcement, Elon Musk revealed plans to introduce ads within the Grok chatbot interface to help cover the significant costs of the powerful GPUs needed to run the AI models. These ads will appear between answers and suggestions on both the Grok website and mobile app.