Grok Build

Grok Build is xAI's coding agent for the terminal, the text window developers type commands into. Like Claude Code, it reads your project, edits files, runs commands and searches the web, either in a full-screen view you chat with or in the background for scripts. It launched in May 2026, reached version 1.0 in August, and xAI (now SpaceXAI) published its code on GitHub under the Apache 2.0 licence in July.

Since 12 October 2026 it comes with every paid X Subscription plan, which bundles Grok, the Cursor editor and X Premium from $8 a month. You can also run it with a pay-as-you-go xAI API key, or point it at other models through its settings. It supports MCP servers, skills, plugins and hooks, and can run inside editors that speak the Agent Client Protocol.

The catch is that it's new. There's little independent review yet, xAI hasn't shown that its coding models match Claude or GPT on hard tasks, and early access was locked to very expensive plans before the October bundle. It's worth a try if you already pay for X, but it isn't a reason to switch on its own.

• Developers
• X power users
• Open-source fans

Developers who already pay for an X Subscription or Grok and want a Claude Code-style agent included in it.

• Full-screen terminal agent

  Chat with it in the terminal while it reads your code, edits files, runs commands and searches the web.

• Headless mode

  Run it from scripts, bots or CI pipelines without the chat screen.

• Skills, plugins and MCP

  Add skills, plugins, hooks and MCP servers (connectors to other apps) to extend what it can do.

• Works in editors

  Runs inside editors that support the Agent Client Protocol, such as Zed.

• Open source

  The Rust source is on GitHub under Apache 2.0, so you can read it, build it yourself or point it at other models.

• X Subscription Plus

  $8/mo

  Trying Grok Build alongside Grok and X Premium.

  • Grok Build, Grok Chat, Voice and Imagine
  • Cursor access
  • X Premium checkmark
• Our pick

  X Subscription Premium

  $30/mo

  Developers who use Grok most days.

  • 4x the Plus usage
  • Latest models
  • Grok Bot and Cursor cloud agents

• Super / Ultra

  $100/mo or $200/mo

  Heavy users running agents all day.

  • 15x or 50x the Plus usage
  • Priority access at busy times

• xAI API

  Pay as you go

  CI pipelines and people who prefer paying per use.

  • Use an API key from console.x.ai
  • Billed per token

Prices in USD unless noted, checked 3 November 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on their site before you buy.

Ways Grok Build can slot into your week.

1. 1

   A second agent on your X plan

   Use it for routine edits and quick scripts when your main coding agent hits its limit.

2. 2

   Automate checks in CI

   Run it headless in a pipeline to fix lint errors or write release notes.

3. 3

   Compare models on your own code

   Give Grok Build and Claude Code the same task and see which result you'd rather keep.

It sits in the terminal next to your editor and Git, much like Claude Code. If you pay for the X Subscription, it comes with Cursor and Grok Bot in the same bill.

The closest alternatives to Grok Build in the library, best rated first.

• 

  Claude Code

  4.4

  Best for building a whole feature, start to finish

  Compare with Grok Build
• 

  Zed

  4.3

  Best for Running Claude Code inside an editor

  Compare with Grok Build
• 

  OpenAI Codex

  4.2

  Best for background tasks in the cloud

  Compare with Grok Build
• 

  Warp

  4.1

  Best for A nicer home for Claude Code

  Compare with Grok Build