Affiliate disclosure: we may earn commissions when you sign up through some links below, at no extra cost to you. This never affects our pricing data, comparisons, or recommendations. Learn more.

Grok Free vs Perplexity Free

Same price · Updated 2026-08-31

Grok Free

xai
Free

xAI pricing page lists Free at $0/month with generous free limits for trying Grok.

Full details →

Perplexity Free

perplexity
Free

Unlimited quick searches, 3 Pro searches/day

Full details →
Attribute Grok Free Perplexity Free
Price Free Free
Tier free free
Context window 32K tokens
Provider xai perplexity
Billing free free
Audience consumer consumer
Flagship models grok-4 sonar
Usage note xAI pricing page lists Free at $0/month with generous free limits for trying Grok. Unlimited quick searches, 3 Pro searches/day
Feature count 4 3

Only in Grok Free

  • +real-time web and X search
  • +voice mode
  • +SOC 2 compliance (Type I & II)
  • +connectors

Only in Perplexity Free

  • +quick search
  • +3 Pro searches per day
  • +basic sources

Which one should I pick?

Same price Picking between Grok Free and Perplexity Free usually comes down to three things: which models you want access to, how much you'll actually use, and what ecosystem you already live in.

  • Pick Grok Free if you want grok-4 as your daily driver, or if real-time web and X search matters to you.
  • Pick Perplexity Free if you want sonar, or if quick search is closer to your workflow.

Still unsure? The Subscription vs API calculator tells you the break-even usage where pay-as-you-go API access would be cheaper than either subscription.

Frequently asked questions

What is the price difference between Grok Free and Perplexity Free? +

Grok Free and Perplexity Free are both priced at Free per month, so cost is not a deciding factor — pick based on included models and feature fit.

Which AI models are included with Grok Free vs Perplexity Free? +

Grok Free bundles grok-4. Perplexity Free bundles sonar. The model lineup is usually the most important factor — pick the plan whose flagship models match the work you actually do.

Is Grok Free or Perplexity Free better value for power users? +

Both plans are priced the same, so value comes down to feature depth and model access — see the "Only in" lists above.

Can I switch between Grok Free and Perplexity Free? +

Yes. Both plans are monthly subscriptions you can cancel or downgrade at any time. Many users keep one plan as a daily driver and try the other for a single billing cycle to compare in their own workflow.