Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence venture, xAI, has officially entered the upper echelons of the AI arms race with the release of Grok 4 on July 9, 2025. Positioned as a technological leap beyond its predecessor and a direct challenger to OpenAI’s GPT-4o (referred to as “o3”) and Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro, Grok 4 is making waves across the tech landscape.
In this comprehensive article, we break down everything you need to know about Grok 4—from its architecture and multimodal capabilities to benchmark performance, pricing tiers, and how it truly stacks up against the reigning giants. We also answer a key question on everyone’s mind: Is Grok 4 better than GPT-4?
What is Grok 4?
Grok 4 is not just a routine upgrade—it’s a fundamental re-engineering of what xAI envisions as “scientific AI.” Powered by 200,000 H100 GPUs on xAI’s in-house Colossus supercomputer, Grok 4 exhibits a massive leap in compute power—10 times more than Grok 3.5.
According to Musk, the model’s core philosophy revolves around first-principles reasoning, a methodology rooted in physics and logic, enabling Grok 4 to reason, solve, and even hypothesize beyond surface-level knowledge. This approach sets the foundation for its scientific and mathematical prowess.
Key Features of Grok 4
Multimodal Capabilities
Grok 4 is fully multimodal, incorporating:
- 130,000-token context window: Ideal for large documents and deep contextual memory.
- Advanced image analysis: Interprets images with high semantic precision.
- Real-time voice interface: Natural and responsive, although some early users report instability.
- Image generation: Powered by the new Aurora model, capable of photorealistic outputs.
Real-Time Knowledge Access via Platform X
Unlike GPT-4 or Gemini, Grok 4 has live access to Platform X (formerly Twitter). This real-time data stream gives it an unmatched ability to reflect on current news, market trends, and viral content, turning it into a dynamic knowledge engine, not just a static text generator.
Developer-Focused Enhancements
xAI clearly aims to make Grok 4 a favorite for engineers and developers:
- Grok 4 Code: A dedicated variant for code generation, debugging, and codebase comprehension.
- API Access: Offered via gRPC, which provides more efficient performance than REST but requires specialized access credentials.
- IDE Integration: Supported in modern editors like Cursor, creating a seamless developer workflow.
Pricing Models: From Free to Enterprise-Grade
xAI uses a three-tier pricing strategy:
| Plan | Price (Monthly) | Features |
| Basic (Grok 3 only) | Free | Limited access, test-use functionality only. |
| SuperGrok | $30 | Full Grok 4 access, multimodal features, speech, and API. |
| SuperGrok Heavy | $300 | Enterprise-grade, multi-agent AI with priority support and early feature access. |
This pricing—especially the $300 plan—places Grok 4 at the premium end of the AI market, surpassing GPT-4o’s pro-tier pricing.
Benchmark Analysis: How Grok 4 Outperforms the Competition
In a bold move, xAI released a series of benchmark results comparing Grok 4 with OpenAI o3 and Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro. Here’s how they stack up:
| Test Name | Focus | Grok 4 (Heavy) | OpenAI o3 | Gemini 2.5 Pro | Comments |
| Humanity’s Last Exam (HLE) | Expert general knowledge | 44.4% | 21.0% | 21.6% | Grok 4 nearly doubles its rivals. |
| GPQA | Physics (doctoral level) | 87-88% | — | 86.4% | Exceeds human PhDs (~70%). |
| AIME | Mathematics (Olympiad) | 95% | 88.9% | — | Near-Suitable problem-solving. |
| SWE Bench | Real-world software tasks | 75% | 71.7% | — | suitable in coding benchmarks. |
| Artificial Analysis Index | Composite reasoning score | 73 | 71 | 70 | Highest overall score. |
The standout result—HLE at 44.4%—is regarded as a breakthrough in expert-level reasoning, long considered a plateau for LLMs.
Is Grok 4 Better Than ChatGPT-4?
Yes, based on the available technical benchmarks, computational architecture, and real-time integration, Grok 4 currently outperforms GPT-4 (o3) in many of the most advanced tests of reasoning, math, and coding.
However, there are nuances:
- User Experience: ChatGPT-4o offers faster response times, highly polished interfaces, and more stable voice mode, especially in global rollouts.
- Ecosystem Maturity: OpenAI’s ecosystem—spanning ChatGPT, API tools, and integrations with Microsoft—is far more mature and enterprise-friendly.
- Moderation & Reliability: ChatGPT has more robust safety filters and generally receives fewer reports of instability or controversial responses.
For cutting-edge users, researchers, and developers, Grok 4 may offer superior raw intelligence. But for general productivity, GPT-4 still holds strong appeal due to its refinement, accessibility, and developer ecosystem.
Accessing Grok 4: Getting Started
To use Grok 4, follow these steps:
- Visit grok.com or download the Grok app from the iOS or Android store.
- Log in or sign up using your X (Twitter) account.
- Choose a subscription tier—SuperGrok ($30/month) is required for full Grok 4 access.
- Start using Grok 4 for text, images, voice, or coding via app or API.
Note: As of now, Grok 4 is available only in select countries (U.S., India, Australia), with Germany and the EU scheduled for upcoming releases.
Real-World Feedback: Promise Meets ImSuitableion
User reviews are generally positive, especially in developer communities and academic circles. Highlights include:
- ⭐ 4.9/5 stars on Google Play with 772,000+ reviews.
- ✅ Strong performance in mathematics, science, and programming.
- 🔧 Criticisms around unstable voice mode and slow customer support.
Elon Musk has hinted that Grok 4 may discover new technologies by year’s end, and potentially uncover new physical laws by 2026. While ambitious, such claims remain speculative until rigorously validated.
Conclusion: A New AI Era with Grok 4
Grok 4 signifies more than just another LLM—it represents a shift toward first-principles AI, with reasoning capabilities that reflect scientific intelligence rather than rote memory. The model has demonstrated a clear lead in benchmarks, particularly in expert-level evaluations of math, physics, and software development.
However, its success will hinge on global accessibility, continued system stability, and ethical moderation policies. If xAI addresses these challenges, Grok 4 could very well become a defining technology of the post-GPT AI landscape.
For users seeking cutting-edge AI that responds with real-time data and pushes the limits of reasoning and computation, Grok 4 is not just another option—it’s the new gold standard.
FAQs:
How does Grok 4 compare to Gemini 2.5 Pro?
Grok 4 outperforms Gemini in benchmark metrics like HLE and AIME but lacks Gemini’s integration with Google’s search and productivity tools.
Is Grok 4 open-source?
No, like OpenAI and Google, xAI has not released Grok 4’s weights or architecture details publicly.
Can Grok 4 be used in commercial products?
Yes, with the enterprise “SuperGrok Heavy” plan, businesses gain access to advanced features suitable for integration into commercial systems.