Elon Musk announced Monday that xAI’s advanced AI model, Grok 4, is now free for all users worldwide, with the free tier limiting users to a small number of daily queries and requiring a subscription for unlimited access.
The move aims to broaden the user base for Grok 4, which was initially released last month and previously exclusive to paid subscribers, as part of xAI’s strategy to democratize access to cutting-edge AI technology while monetizing heavy usage.
The announcement follows a competitive surge in the AI landscape, where OpenAI recently made its GPT-5 model available to all registered users, prompting xAI to respond with this free access initiative. It reflects a broader industry trend of AI companies vying for market share through free or low-cost model access, which could boost user adoption and facilitate data collection for future AI training.
Musk’s post also emphasized xAI’s development approach, noting Grok 4’s features like routing complex queries to the advanced model in “Auto” mode and offering manual control via “Expert” mode to balance accessibility with sophisticated interactions.
This aligns with xAI’s mission to advance scientific discovery and deepen understanding of the universe, highlighted by the company’s recent $200 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense for AI solutions.