Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools
Amp vs Grok Build
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.
At a glance
Pick it if: Developers and engineering teams working on large codebases who want agents running in the background, not tied to their laptop.
Pick it if: Developers who already pay for an X Subscription or Grok and want a Claude Code-style agent included in it.
Overview
| Attribute | Amp | Grok Build |
|---|---|---|
| In one line | A coding agent that keeps working on remote machines after you close your laptop. | xAI's open-source terminal coding agent, included in every paid X Subscription plan. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Paid |
| Starting price | $20/mo | $8/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | Yes |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Amp | Grok Build |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0Winner | 3.5 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 3.5 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Amp | Grok Build |
|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | No |
| Desktop app | Yes | No |
| Browser extension | No | No |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
| Teams & business | ||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| AI abilities | ||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | – |
| Makes images | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No |
| Writes code | Yes | Yes |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | – | – |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 13/ 17 | 9/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Amp | Grok Build |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | HobbyOur pick Free Developers with their own model subscription or keys. | X Subscription Plus $8/mo Trying Grok Build alongside Grok and X Premium. |
Megawatt $20/mo Individuals who want Amp to host the machines. | X Subscription PremiumOur pick $30/mo Developers who use Grok most days. | |
Gigawatt $200/mo Heavy users running many big jobs. | Super / Ultra $100/mo or $200/mo Heavy users running agents all day. | |
Enterprise Custom Large companies with security and compliance needs. | xAI API Pay as you go CI pipelines and people who prefer paying per use. | |
| Which plan to pick | Start on Hobby and link a ChatGPT or Claude subscription you already pay for. Move to Megawatt at $20 a month only when you want Amp to host the machines so tasks run while you're away. Teams can create a workspace at no extra charge. | If you already pay for X, try it on the plan you have. Premium at $30 a month is the sensible level for regular coding, but if you're choosing a coding agent from scratch, Claude Code or Codex are the safer picks today. Plans changed on 12 October 2026, so check x.ai before you buy. |
Key features
| Attribute | Amp | Grok Build |
|---|---|---|
| Standout features |
|
|
Pros and cons
| Attribute | Amp | Grok Build |
|---|---|---|
| Pros |
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
Who each one is for
| Attribute | Amp | Grok Build |
|---|---|---|
| Best for |
|
|
| You'll find it used by |
|
|
Questions people ask
Which is better, Amp or Grok Build?
Amp scores highest overall in our ratings (Amp 4.0/5 and Grok Build 3.5/5). Amp is best for running several coding tasks in the background at once and working on big, messy codebases. Grok Build is best for X Subscription users who want a coding agent included and Trying Grok models on real coding work.
Which is cheaper, Amp or Grok Build?
Amp: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $20/mo. Grok Build: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $8/mo.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
Swap in another tool
More tools from Coding & Dev Tools in the library.
