August 13, 2025 • News
Elon Musk’s xAI is an artificial intelligence company that has been racing to develop advanced AI models. One of its flagship products is Grok, a conversational chatbot that uses a powerful AI model. The latest version, Grok 4, was released on July 9, 2025 as part of xAI’s new multi-tier model lineup. Grok 4 is billed as a multimodal reasoning model that outperforms previous Grok versions and competes with other state-of-the-art AI systems.
In a surprising development, xAI announced in August 2025 that Grok 4 would be made free for all users worldwide. Previously, Grok 4 was restricted to xAI’s SuperGrok and X Premium subscribers, but the company said it is now open to everyone under a limited-time offer. xAI posted that it is 'rolling out generous usage limits so you can explore Grok 4’s full potential'. This expanded access comes roughly a month after Grok 4’s original release. Users can now visit Grok’s website or app and use Grok 4 at no charge under the stated usage limits.
Grok 4 is designed with two primary modes to balance speed and accuracy. In Auto mode, Grok automatically decides whether a query requires deeper reasoning, providing faster responses while conserving computing resources. In Expert mode, users can manually trigger the higher-capability model for more detailed answers. For example, if a prompt involves complex logic or coding, switching to Expert mode forces Grok 4 to spend extensive computation for a thorough answer. By default, Grok will answer in Auto mode to handle most queries efficiently. The model’s most capable variant, Grok 4 Heavy, remains locked behind xAI’s subscription tiers.
The decision to make Grok 4 free comes amid intense competition in generative AI. Just days before xAI’s announcement, OpenAI launched its own next-generation model, GPT-5, and likewise opened it to all users. Both companies are now allowing anyone to try their latest chatbots at no cost, signaling an escalating 'arms race' for user adoption. This move reflects a broader trend of major AI developers vying for mindshare by removing barriers to entry.
OpenAI Unveils GPT-5 Amidst Thriving AI Competition.
The near-simultaneous free rollout of Grok 4 and GPT-5 highlights how leading AI developers are trying to attract more users and gather data. It’s a boon for AI enthusiasts but also raises questions about which platform will capture larger mindshare. Other AI models like Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini are part of this broader context of competition. For now, the key point is that two of the industry’s most powerful chatbots are accessible to the public for free.
For end users, the free release of Grok 4 is a major opportunity to test a cutting-edge AI model without paying. It opens the door for developers, researchers, and enthusiasts to experiment with Grok’s advanced capabilities alongside other top models like ChatGPT and Claude. Only a 'small number' of free queries are allowed per day; to continue beyond that, users will need to upgrade to a paid plan. This initial access is likely to accelerate adoption of AI chatbots and encourage more experimentation.
For xAI, making Grok 4 free is clearly a strategy to grow its user base. By lowering the barrier to try the model, xAI hopes to gather more user feedback and data, and eventually convert trial users into paying customers. Elon Musk has noted that additional usage will likely require a subscription, and the company may rely on subscriptions or ads to cover the substantial GPU costs of running Grok. This mirrors a broader trend: OpenAI similarly opened up GPT-5 for everyone at launch.
In the short term, consumers benefit from having multiple powerful AI chatbots available at no cost. This competitive push encourages rapid innovation, as companies race to offer the most compelling features. However, it also means these tools may become more restrictive or paid as providers seek revenue. Overall, xAI’s decision to free Grok 4 underscores how fast the AI landscape is moving and gives users a new chance to explore advanced AI features with minimal commitment.