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Side-by-side comparison · AI Assistants & LLMs

ChatGPT vs Google Gemini vs Grok

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Best overall

ChatGPT

4.3

From $8/mo

Google Gemini

4.2

From $4.99/mo

Grok

3.7

From $8/mo

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

Best overallEasiest to use

Pick it if: Anyone who wants one general-purpose assistant that handles most everyday jobs.

Pick it if: People whose work already runs on Gmail, Google Workspace or an Android phone.

Grok3.7

Pick it if: People who follow news, trends or public sentiment closely and want an assistant hooked into X.

Overview

AttributeChatGPTGoogle GeminiGrok
In one lineOpenAI's all-rounder: chat, images, voice, web search and agents in one app.Google's assistant, built into Gmail, Docs, Drive and Android phones.Elon Musk's AI assistant, plugged into what people are posting on X right now.
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemiumFreemium
Starting price$8/mo$4.99/mo$8/mo
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code No No No

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeChatGPTGoogle GeminiGrok
Overall rating4.3Winner4.23.7
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
4.5
4.0
4.0
FeaturesHow completely it covers the job it's built for, and how well the pieces fit together.
5.0
4.5
4.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.0
4.0
3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
4.0
4.0
3.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.0
4.5
4.0

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeChatGPTGoogle GeminiGrok
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Mobile app Yes Yes Yes
Desktop app Yes No No
Browser extension Yes Yes No
API access Yes Yes Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace Yes Yes Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes Yes Yes
Connects to other apps Yes Yes No
Open source or self-hosted No No No
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes Yes
Understands images Yes Yes Yes
Makes images Yes Yes Yes
Makes video Yes Yes Yes
Writes code Yes Yes Yes
Runs agents or automations Yes Yes Yes
Learns your brand or style Yes Yes No
Works in many languages Yes Yes Yes
Capabilities score16/ 1715/ 1712/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeChatGPTGoogle GeminiGrok
Plans

Free

Free

Trying it out and everyday questions.

Free

Free

Light use and seeing how it feels.

Free

Free

Trying it and occasional questions.

Go

$8/mo

Casual users who hit the free limits.

Google AI Plus

$4.99/mo

Casual users who want Gemini in Gmail and more storage.

Plus

$8/mo

X users who want a bit of Grok on the side.

PlusOur pick

$20/mo

Anyone using it most days for work.

Google AI ProOur pick

$19.99/mo

Anyone who works in Google Workspace every day.

PremiumOur pick

$30/mo

Anyone who uses Grok most days.

Pro

From $100/mo

Heavy users and people living in Codex.

Google AI Ultra

From $99.99/mo

Heavy creative and agent users.

Super

$100/mo

Heavy users who want priority at busy times.

Business

See website

Teams from 2 people up.

Ultra

$200/mo

Power users running agents all day.

Teams

From $30/user/mo

Businesses that want pooled usage and admin controls.

Which plan to pickThe free plan is now good enough to use properly, so stay on it until the image, voice or research limits annoy you. Plus is the sensible upgrade. Only look at Pro if you run Codex or deep research all day, and read the current tier details first because they keep changing.Skip the free plan for anything serious now that it's Flash-Lite only. AI Pro is the one to buy: it's the cheapest way to get Gemini 4 Argon plus Gemini in Docs and Gmail, and the 5 TB of storage offsets a Google One bill. Ultra is for people generating video all day.If you already pay for X Premium, you now get Grok in the same subscription, so start there. Premium at $30 is the real Grok plan. The $100 and $200 tiers are only worth it if you're generating video or running agents constantly.

Key features

AttributeChatGPTGoogle GeminiGrok
Standout features
  • Image generation and editing
  • Voice mode
  • Deep research
  • Agent mode
  • Custom GPTs and connectors
  • Codex
  • Gemini in Gmail, Docs and Drive
  • Deep Research
  • Image and video making
  • Gemini Live
  • Gems
  • Gemini in Chrome
  • Live X search
  • Imagine
  • Voice mode
  • Grok Bot
  • Grok Build and Cursor
  • Built into X

Pros and cons

AttributeChatGPTGoogle GeminiGrok
Pros
  • The widest set of built-in tools of any assistant
  • Free plan now includes unlimited text chat on the main model
  • Image generation and voice mode are the best in the category
  • Huge ecosystem of custom GPTs, connectors and guides
  • One subscription covers the Codex coding agent too
  • Reads and acts on your Gmail, Docs and Drive directly
  • AI Pro bundles the top model, Workspace features and 5 TB of storage for one price
  • Deep Research is included even on the free plan
  • Fast, and the mobile and Android experience is polished
  • Video and image generation included on paid plans
  • Live access to X posts that no other assistant has
  • Fast image and video generation
  • Personality and a willingness to give an opinion
  • One subscription now covers Grok, X Premium and coding tools
  • Capable voice mode
Cons
  • Writing sounds generic unless you work hard on the prompt
  • Plans and limits change often, and Pro now runs to $500 a month
  • Free and Go plans may show ads
  • It's confident when it's wrong, so check facts before you publish
  • Free plan is now Flash-Lite only, so it's weaker than the free tiers of ChatGPT or Claude
  • Plan names and model access keep changing, which is confusing
  • Writing quality sits behind Claude and the answers can be padded
  • Workspace features need a personal Google account or a Workspace admin to turn them on
  • Tone and looser guardrails make it risky for client-facing work
  • High-usage tiers are expensive and plan names keep changing
  • Strong opinions and a bias toward X as a source can skew answers
  • Fewer business integrations than ChatGPT or Gemini
  • Repeated controversies around content and moderation

Who each one is for

AttributeChatGPTGoogle GeminiGrok
Best for
  • Everyday questions and brainstorming
  • Making and editing images in the chat
  • Voice conversations on your phone
  • Quick research with web search
  • Searching and summarising your Gmail
  • Drafting in Google Docs
  • Image and video generation on paid plans
  • Hands-free help on Android
  • Tracking what's trending right now
  • Gauging how people are reacting to news
  • Casual, chatty answers
  • Image and short video generation
You'll find it used by
  • Marketers
  • Small business owners
  • Students
  • Developers
  • Google Workspace teams
  • Marketers
  • Small business owners
  • Android users
  • Social media managers
  • Journalists
  • Traders
  • X power users

Questions people ask

Which is better, ChatGPT, Google Gemini or Grok?

ChatGPT scores highest overall in our ratings (ChatGPT 4.3/5, Google Gemini 4.2/5 and Grok 3.7/5). ChatGPT is best for everyday questions and brainstorming and making and editing images in the chat. Google Gemini is best for searching and summarising your Gmail and drafting in Google Docs. Grok is best for tracking what's trending right now and gauging how people are reacting to news.

Which is cheaper, ChatGPT, Google Gemini or Grok?

ChatGPT: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo. Google Gemini: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $4.99/mo. Grok: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo.

Which is easier to use, ChatGPT, Google Gemini or Grok?

ChatGPT rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who wants one general-purpose assistant that handles most everyday jobs.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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