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Gemini vs Grok is a close call on our scores, 3.4 against 3.3, with clear strengths on each side. Gemini costs less, gives more on its free plan and works inside Gmail and Google Docs. Grok 4.7 scores higher on Artificial Analysis’s Intelligence Index, leads on coding agents and reads X in real time.
Grok’s prices come from third-party readings of SpaceXAI’s pages, and Bloomberg reported on September 30, 2026 that its pricing may change. Google announced Gemini 4 Argon the same day, starting with AI Ultra. The sections below compare prices, scores, data and safety.
Gemini vs Grok: The Short Answer
Choose Gemini for price, free features and Google apps; choose Grok for X and for coding. Google AI Plus costs $4.99 a month against a reported $10 for SuperGrok Lite, and Google AI Pro $19.99 against a reported $30 for SuperGrok. Grok Build with Grok 4.7 scores 56 on Artificial Analysis’s coding agent index, against 41.9 for Gemini’s best entry.
On the general boards, the picture splits. Grok 4.7 scores 46 on Artificial Analysis’s Intelligence Index and Gemini 3.8 Flash 41. On Arena’s text board of September 30, 2026, gemini-3.8-flash-high placed 11th and grok-4.5 48th.
Head to Head
| Criterion | Gemini | Grok |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest paid plan | Google AI Plus $4.99/mo | SuperGrok Lite $10/mo (reported) |
| Standard plan | Google AI Pro $19.99/mo | SuperGrok $30/mo (reported) |
| Free plan | Deep Research, Notebook, images | Limited; no published counts |
| AA Intelligence Index | 41 (Gemini 3.8 Flash) | 46 (Grok 4.7) |
| Arena text rank (Sep 30) | 11th (gemini-3.8-flash-high) | 48th (grok-4.5) |
| Coding Agent Index | 41.9 (via BenchLM) | 56 (Grok Build) |
| Ads | Google says chats are not used for ads | Announced for answers on X; launch unconfirmed |
| Our score | 3.4 | 3.3 |
Prices and Plans
Gemini is cheaper at every level we can compare. Google AI Plus costs $4.99 a month with 400 GB, and Google AI Pro $19.99 with 5 TB and a 1M-token context. Google AI Ultra costs $99.99 or $199.99.
SuperGrok costs $30 a month, according to an AllAble reading of x.ai/pricing on September 22, 2026. Guides list SuperGrok Lite at $10 and Heavy at $300. X Premium+ at $40 a month includes SuperGrok access. Bloomberg reported that SpaceXAI is weighing a single Grok and X subscription with four tiers.
What the Independent Boards Show
On Artificial Analysis’s indexes, Grok leads. Grok 4.7 scores 46 on the Intelligence Index against 41 for Gemini 3.8 Flash, and 32 on the knowledge index against 30. Artificial Analysis also measured Grok 4.7 at a 29% hallucination rate, a figure our sources do not give for Gemini.
On Arena, Gemini leads the text board. Gemini 3.8 Flash placed 11th on September 30, 2026 against 48th for grok-4.5, and Google’s unreleased Gemini 4 Argon placed first. On the Search board of August 24, grok-4.5 placed eighth at 1213 and gemini-3.1-pro-grounding ninth at 1210, a near tie.
On coding agents, Grok leads. Grok Build with Grok 4.7 scored 56, and Google’s Antigravity SDK with Gemini 3.8 Flash 41.9, according to BenchLM’s mirror of the index. Our list of the best AI for coding covers the full field.
⚠️ Only Gemini has a news-accuracy result in our sources. The EBU and BBC found significant issues in 76% of Gemini’s news answers. That study did not include Grok, so it offers no head-to-head comparison.
Free Plans and Research
Gemini’s free plan includes Deep Research, Gemini Notebook with 50 sources per notebook, and image generation. Reports export to Google Docs, and eligible college students can get a year of Google AI Pro free, Google’s plan page says. Our guide to Gemini for research covers how to check its reports.
Grok’s free tier has no published counts in the sources we read. Its strength is real-time access to posts on X.
Ads, Training and Safety
Neither ad story is fully settled. Google says it does not currently use Gemini chats for ads. Musk told advertisers in August 2025 that X would place ads in Grok’s answers, and we could not confirm whether those have launched.
Both train on consumer chats by default. Gemini’s training follows Keep Activity, with possible human review for up to three years, and turning it off disconnects Gmail and Drive. SpaceXAI’s consumer FAQ says authorized staff may review Grok conversations, and signed-out users outside the EU and UK cannot opt out.
In January 2026, people used Grok’s image tool to create sexualized, nonconsensual edits of real people. Indonesia and Malaysia temporarily blocked Grok, Ofcom and news reports said. The sources behind our Gemini review contain no comparable incident.
Where Each One Is Weakest
Gemini is weakest on accuracy and the privacy trade-off. Its news-accuracy result is the worst of the assistants the EBU and BBC tested, and keeping Gmail and Drive in Gemini means leaving training on.
Grok is weakest on price, clarity and its record. Its standard tier costs more, and its plan pages do not render fully for automated reading. Its January image scandal also led to blocks in two countries.
Winners by Category
Price: Gemini, at $4.99 and $19.99 against a reported $10 and $30. Free plan: Gemini, with Deep Research and Notebook. Google apps and storage: Gemini. Intelligence index: Grok, 46 against 41. Arena text board: Gemini, 11th against 48th. Search board: a near tie, eighth against ninth. Coding agents: Grok, 56 against 41.9. Real-time X content: Grok. Privacy defaults: a split, with trade-offs on both sides. 2026 safety record: Gemini, since our sources show no comparable incident.
When to Choose Grok Instead
Take Grok if you follow news on X, code with an agent, or already pay for X Premium+, which includes SuperGrok. Use Private Chat for sensitive work, and check the plan page before paying.
Take Gemini for a lower price, a stronger free plan and work inside Google’s apps. For Grok against Claude, see our Claude vs Grok comparison, and for Gemini against ChatGPT, our ChatGPT vs Gemini comparison.
How We Research
This comparison reuses the sources behind our Gemini review and our Grok review, rechecked on October 1, 2026. Rankings come from Arena and Artificial Analysis, each dated where used, and Grok prices from third-party readings of SpaceXAI’s pages.
Both scores come from the same five criteria, applied to each tool in its own review. We run no tests of our own. The criteria behind every score live on our about page.
Gemini vs Grok FAQ
Our reviews score Gemini 3.4 and Grok 3.3. Gemini costs less and gives more for free; Grok scores higher on Artificial Analysis’s index and on coding agents.
Gemini. Google AI Plus costs $4.99 and Google AI Pro $19.99, against a reported $10 for SuperGrok Lite and $30 for SuperGrok.
Grok, on Artificial Analysis’s coding agent index: 56 for Grok Build against 41.9 for Gemini’s best entry, as mirrored by BenchLM.
Possibly. It placed first on Arena’s text board of September 30, 2026, marked preliminary, but it reaches AI Ultra subscribers first and has few independent results yet.
Both, by default. Gemini follows Keep Activity, with possible human review; Grok’s FAQ says authorized staff may review conversations.
The Verdict
Gemini vs Grok goes to Gemini on our score, 3.4 to 3.3, mainly on price and free features. Grok wins on Artificial Analysis’s index, coding agents and real-time X.
Recheck once Gemini 4 Argon reaches subscribers and Grok’s new pricing is announced. On either one, turn off training before you paste anything private.