Grok suits people who want answers about what's happening right now, because it searches the web and X live, and who want to make images and short videos in the same chat. Claude suits people who want help with writing, research and building documents, slides and code, with a free plan that includes memory and projects. Choose Grok for live news and visuals, Claude for working through a task.
These two come at AI from different angles. I read xAI's Grok page and Anthropic's Claude plans page, and the facts below are theirs.
Grok and Claude compared
| Grok | Claude | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free to try on the web and in the apps | Yes, Free ('free for everyone') |
| Made by | xAI | Anthropic |
| Live search | The web and X, in real time | Web search, on every plan |
| Images and video | Imagine: up to 2K images and 15-second videos | Not offered as image or video generation on the plans page |
| Making documents | Not covered on the Grok page | Artifacts, Claude Design, Slides and Docs |
| Higher tier | SuperGrok, with multi-agent reasoning | Pro and Max, with Claude Code and Research |
| Sign in | X account or email | Not covered on the plans page |
What Grok does well
Grok's page puts live information first. Its search covers the web and X in real time, with citations, so it's built for breaking news and trends. Multi-agent mode runs several agents in parallel and merges their work into one cited answer, and voice mode handles back-and-forth conversation.
Imagine is the other headline. Grok makes images and videos from text or reference photos, up to 2K resolution and 15-second clips, and you can edit them with follow-up prompts. It's free to try on the web and in the iOS and Android apps, and SuperGrok raises the limits.
What Claude does well
Anthropic's Free plan includes web search, creating files and running code, memory across conversations, connectors to your apps, Artifacts, and Claude Design, Slides and Docs. You get up to 5 projects to keep work organised, using the Sonnet and Haiku models.
Pro adds Research, Claude Code, more models, Claude in Chrome and Microsoft 365, and the option to hand off and schedule tasks. Anthropic also says training on your chats is opt-out on Free, Pro and Max.
The X factor
Here's the detail that sets Grok apart: real-time X integration. If your work depends on what people are saying this hour, about a launch, a news story or your brand, Grok reads that stream directly. Claude's web search covers the open web, but X's live conversation is Grok's home turf.
Flip it round and Claude's edge is the finished piece of work. Slides, documents, designs and code sit inside the Free plan, so you can go from a brief to a draft you can use.
Models are worth a glance too. Anthropic's Free plan uses Sonnet and Haiku, with Opus from Pro upwards, and its context window goes up to 1M tokens depending on the model. Grok's page talks about modes rather than model names: fast answers, multi-agent reasoning, search, voice and Imagine, all in one thread, with SuperGrok unlocking higher limits and multi-agent mode. Both run on the web and on phones, so you can try each one on the device you use most.
Who each assistant suits
Grok suits social media managers, journalists and anyone tracking trends on X, plus creators who want quick images and clips. Claude suits marketers, consultants and business owners who need writing and documents they can send. If Claude's the one, my beginner's guide to building AI agents with Claude shows what it can do next, and these prompts for faster coding work carry over to either assistant.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
My advice on Grok or Claude
Give each the job it's built for before you judge it. Ask Grok what people on X are saying about a topic in your industry today. Ask Claude to turn your notes into a one-page brief or a short slide deck. You'll see quickly which one fits your week, and there's nothing wrong with using Grok for the pulse and Claude for the work.
Do you make AI assistants? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Grok free?
xAI's page says Grok is free to try on the web and in the apps, and SuperGrok gives higher limits.
Is Claude free?
Yes. Anthropic lists a Free plan with web search, file creation, memory and up to 5 projects.
Can Grok search X in real time?
Yes. xAI says Grok searches the web and X live, with real-time X integration for breaking news and trends.
Can Grok make videos?
Yes. Grok's Imagine makes images and videos from text or photos, up to 2K resolution and 15-second clips.
Does Claude make slides?
Anthropic's plans page lists Claude Design, Slides and Docs on the Free plan.
