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Comparison · prices checked every day
Claude vs Grok: which is worth paying for?
The current plans and our verdict on each tool, side by side. Prices come from each vendor's own pricing page and are checked every day.
The short answer
Choose Claude if…
Our pick for most people
- you need Claude Code, Claude Science, and Opus access for daily work
- you want a free plan that includes web search and memory across conversations
- you prefer a lower entry price of $20/month for the Pro tier
Choose Grok if…
- you want 1080p video creation and higher rate limits in SuperGrok Plus
- you prefer the $30/month SuperGrok tier for frontier model access
- you want a free tier that includes real-time web and X search
Bottom line: Pay for Claude Pro to get Claude Code and Opus for $20/month.
Key differences
- Claude Pro costs $20/month or $200/year. pricing pageSource · vendor pagePricing page (claude.com), checked Sep 29, 2026.Go to sources ↓
- Grok SuperGrok costs $30/month. pricing pageSource · vendor pagePricing page (x.ai), checked Sep 28, 2026.Go to sources ↓
- Claude offers a free plan with web search and memory. pricing pageSource · vendor pagePricing page (claude.com), checked Sep 29, 2026.Go to sources ↓
- Grok offers a free plan with limited web and X search. pricing pageSource · vendor pagePricing page (x.ai), checked Sep 28, 2026.Go to sources ↓
- Claude Pro includes Claude Code and Claude Science. pricing pageSource · vendor pagePricing page (claude.com), checked Sep 29, 2026.Go to sources ↓
- Grok SuperGrok Plus includes 1080p video creation. pricing pageSource · vendor pagePricing page (x.ai), checked Sep 28, 2026.Go to sources ↓
Plans and limits side by side
| Plans | Claude | Grok |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free $0 | Free $0Web, iOS, Android apps Limited |
| Paid plans | Pro $20/mo or $200/yrMax 5x $100/moMax 20x $200/mo | SuperGrok $30/moSuperGrok Plus $100/mo |
| Business plans | Standard seat $25/user/mo or $240/user/yrPremium seat $125/user/mo or $1,200/user/yrEnterprise Custom | Enterprise Custom |
From each vendor's own pricing page · Claude checked Oct 2, 2026 · Grok checked Oct 2, 2026.
Our tests
Scores out of 10 on the same tasks of our public test suite ("Chat assistants", version 2), run hands-on in each app, scored by the same blind judges.
| Task | Claude · paid tier | Grok · free tier |
|---|---|---|
| Decline a meeting politely | 9.3/10 | 9.8/10 |
| Summarize a text in 3 bullets | 9.8/10 | 9.9/10 |
| Work out an arrival time | 9.9/10 | 10.0/10 |
| Solve a small logic puzzle | 8.0/10 | 9.0/10 |
| Extract data as JSON | 10.0/10 | 10.0/10 |
| Write a small Python function | 9.7/10 | 10.0/10 |
| Explain a concept to a 12-year-old | 9.8/10 | 9.8/10 |
| Rewrite a blunt message | 8.7/10 | 9.2/10 |
| Translate into Spanish | 9.3/10 | 9.9/10 |
| Make a 5-day beginner plan | 9.5/10 | 9.4/10 |
| Write a 3-sentence product text | 9.7/10 | 9.0/10 |
| Admit what it cannot know | 9.4/10 | 9.8/10 |
| Average | 9.4/10 | 9.7/10 |
Claude Max scored 9.3/10 on declining a meeting politely 9.3Our test · paid tierClaude · Decline a meeting politely: 9.3/10, 4 of 4 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Grok Free scored 9.8/10 on the same task 9.8Our test · free tierGrok · Decline a meeting politely: 9.8/10, 4 of 4 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Claude Max scored 9.8/10 on summarizing a text in three bullets 9.8Our test · paid tierClaude · Summarize a text in 3 bullets: 9.8/10, 2 of 2 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Grok Free scored 9.9/10 on that task 9.9Our test · free tierGrok · Summarize a text in 3 bullets: 9.9/10, 2 of 2 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Claude Max scored 9.9/10 on working out an arrival time 9.9Our test · paid tierClaude · Work out an arrival time: 9.9/10, 2 of 2 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Grok Free scored 10.0/10 on that task 10.0Our test · free tierGrok · Work out an arrival time: 10.0/10, 2 of 2 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Claude Max scored 8.0/10 on solving a small logic puzzle 8.0Our test · paid tierClaude · Solve a small logic puzzle: 8.0/10, 1 of 3 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Grok Free scored 9.0/10 on that task 9.0Our test · free tierGrok · Solve a small logic puzzle: 9.0/10, 2 of 3 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Claude Max scored 10.0/10 on extracting data as JSON 10.0Our test · paid tierClaude · Extract data as JSON: 10.0/10, 3 of 3 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Grok Free scored 10.0/10 on that task 10.0Our test · free tierGrok · Extract data as JSON: 10.0/10, 3 of 3 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Claude Max scored 9.7/10 on writing a small Python function 9.7Our test · paid tierClaude · Write a small Python function: 9.7/10, 3 of 3 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Grok Free scored 10.0/10 on that task 10.0Our test · free tierGrok · Write a small Python function: 10.0/10, 3 of 3 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Claude Max scored 9.8/10 on explaining a concept to a 12-year-old 9.8Our test · paid tierClaude · Explain a concept to a 12-year-old: 9.8/10, 2 of 2 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Grok Free scored 9.8/10 on that task 9.8Our test · free tierGrok · Explain a concept to a 12-year-old: 9.8/10, 2 of 2 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Claude Max scored 8.7/10 on rewriting a blunt message 8.7Our test · paid tierClaude · Rewrite a blunt message: 8.7/10, 3 of 3 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Grok Free scored 9.2/10 on that task 9.2Our test · free tierGrok · Rewrite a blunt message: 9.2/10, 3 of 3 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Claude Max scored 9.3/10 on translating into Spanish 9.3Our test · paid tierClaude · Translate into Spanish: 9.3/10, 4 of 5 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Grok Free scored 9.9/10 on that task 9.9Our test · free tierGrok · Translate into Spanish: 9.9/10, 5 of 5 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Claude Max scored 9.5/10 on making a 5-day beginner plan 9.5Our test · paid tierClaude · Make a 5-day beginner plan: 9.5/10, 1 of 1 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Grok Free scored 9.4/10 on that task 9.4Our test · free tierGrok · Make a 5-day beginner plan: 9.4/10, 1 of 1 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Claude Max scored 9.7/10 on writing a 3-sentence product text 9.7Our test · paid tierClaude · Write a 3-sentence product text: 9.7/10, 4 of 4 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Grok Free scored 9.0/10 on that task 9.0Our test · free tierGrok · Write a 3-sentence product text: 9.0/10, 4 of 4 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Claude Max scored 9.4/10 on admitting what it cannot know 9.4Our test · paid tierClaude · Admit what it cannot know: 9.4/10, 1 of 1 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Grok Free scored 9.8/10 on that task 9.8Our test · free tierGrok · Admit what it cannot know: 9.8/10, 1 of 1 checks passed.Read the answer ↓.
What users say
Claude
One Reddit user shares that they use Claude to fix frustrations with PDFs for mortgage applications RedditUser report · positive · Redditr/ClaudeAI, posted Jun 26, 2026See the report ↓. Another user notes that Claude Code is steganographically marking requests HNUser report · mixed · Hacker NewsPosted Jun 30, 2026See the report ↓. A reviewer mentions that Claude Code's source code was leaked via a map file in their NPM registry HNUser report · negative · Hacker NewsPosted Mar 31, 2026See the report ↓. Some users report issues with Claude Code refusing requests or charging extra if commits mention specific terms HNUser report · negative · Hacker NewsPosted Apr 30, 2026See the report ↓. One user praises using Plan mode with Claude to write Pull Requests RedditUser report · positive · Redditr/ClaudeAI, posted Jan 2, 2026See the report ↓. Another user finds Claude Fable useful for mashup game genres RedditUser report · positive · Redditr/ClaudeAI, posted Jun 12, 2026See the report ↓.
Reports cited (6)
I used Claude to fix my biggest frustration with PDFs My bank asked for 17 PDF documents regarding my mortgage application. I got tired of opening and closing files and keeping track of things. …
… If my goal is to write a Pull Request, I will use Plan mode, and go back and forth with Claude until I like its plan. From there, I switch into auto-accept edits mode and Claude can usually 1-shot it. A good plan is really important. …
My favorite thing right now is to use Claude Fable to mash game genres. Here's Tetris as a Racing game!
Claude Code's source code has been leaked via a map file in their NPM registry. Related ongoing thread: The Claude Code Source Leak: fake tools, frustration regexes, undercover mode -
Claude Code refuses requests or charges extra if your commits mention "OpenClaw"
Claude Code is steganographically marking requests
Grok
A Reddit user complains that Grok's restrictions went too far, preventing editing of top pictures RedditUser report · negative · Redditr/grok, posted Jan 20, 2026See the report ↓. Another user notes that Grok uploaded their user directory to xAI's servers HNUser report · negative · Hacker NewsPosted Jul 13, 2026See the report ↓. Some users report that Grok Imagine is pretty much useless in its current state RedditUser report · negative · Redditr/grok, posted Jan 24, 2026See the report ↓. One user cancels their subscription after generating only five pictures and getting moderated RedditUser report · negative · Redditr/grok, posted May 18, 2026See the report ↓. Another user notes that Grok 4.6 is more expensive per-task and scores worse than other models HNUser report · negative · Hacker NewsPosted Sep 22, 2026See the report ↓.
Reports cited (5)
RIP GROK 2026 I can't even edit the top picture in grok, but chatgpt still allowed it. The restrictions went too far.
Grok uploaded my user directory to xAI's servers
Goodbye, Grok. The best toy I've had in years, and they took it away. Such is life. Cancelled today. Even after the moderation changes, I tried to make it work, but it’s simply impossible. At this point, I’ve accepted that Grok Imagine is pretty much useless in its current state. Sayonara.
Cancelled I managed to do five pictures only today had enough had a gut full of this crap, I only ever generate SFW and still get moderated but five pictures you guys need to lead by example and cancel your Grok subscription. It’s an absolute joke. What they’ve done to us now. …
… Deepswe results show that grok 4.6 is more expensive per-task and consistently scores worse than: luna xhigh, glm 5.3, astra low, sol high/xhigh, opus 5 medium. …
Questions people ask
Which tool is cheaper?
Claude Pro is $20/month, while Grok SuperGrok is $30/month.
Do both tools have a free plan?
Yes, both Claude and Grok offer free plans with limited features.
Which tool offers video generation?
Grok SuperGrok Plus includes 1080p video creation.
Does Claude include coding tools?
Yes, Claude Pro includes Claude Code and Claude Science.
What is the highest tier for Grok?
Grok offers SuperGrok Plus at $100/month and Enterprise with custom pricing.
What is the highest tier for Claude?
Claude offers Max 20x at $200/month and Enterprise with custom pricing.
Sources
Drafted with AI from these pages, our tests and the linked user reports, and checked automatically against them before publishing: every price, score and report above is tied to the tool it is about.
Claude
- Pricing page · checked Sep 29, 2026claude.com/pricing ↩ text
- Pricing pagesupport.claude.com/en/articles/11049741-what-is-the-max-plan
- Limits pagesupport.claude.com/en/articles/11647753-how-do-usage-and-le…
Grok
- Pricing page · checked Sep 28, 2026x.ai/pricing ↩ text
Each tool's verdict and plans
Claude
YES YES — worth paying for
Claude Pro is worth it for daily users who need Opus, Claude Code, and higher usage limits.
Tested by us on Sep 28, 2026 · with user reports
- Cheapest paid
- $20/mo
- What's free
- $0
- Our test score
- 9.4/10
Our test (hands-on): paid tier 9.4/10, as of Sep 28, 2026
Pro
$20/mo
or $200/yr
Max 5x
$100/mo
Max 20x
$200/mo
Standard seat
$25/user/mo
or $240/user/yr
Premium seat
$125/user/mo
or $1,200/user/yr
Enterprise
Custom
Grok
DEPENDS DEPENDS — worth it for some people
SuperGrok adds speed and video for power users, but the free tier handles most tasks well.
Tested by us on Sep 28, 2026 · with user reports
- Cheapest paid
- $30/mo
- What's free
- $0
- Our test score
- 9.7/10
Our test (hands-on): free tier 9.7/10, as of Sep 28, 2026
Free
$0
SuperGrok
$30/mo
SuperGrok Plus
$100/mo
Enterprise
Custom
How we make money
The "Visit" buttons go through shouldipay.ai/go/ and may be affiliate links, but commissions never decide a verdict or a comparison: the evidence does. Affiliate disclosure