xAI launched Grok 4 on July 9, 2025, during a livestream at 8 PM PT, positioning it as a leading AI model.
This release skips Grok 3.5, introducing advanced features and enhanced performance to challenge competitors.
What is Grok 4?
Overview and Variants
Grok 4, developed by xAI, is a next-generation AI model designed to advance human discovery.
It offers two variants:
a Generalist Model for tasks like writing, research, and reasoning, with support for function calling and structured output; and Grok 4 Code, a developer-focused tool for code generation and bug detection, integrating with IDEs like Cursor.
Key Features
With a 130,000-token context window, Grok 4 handles extended conversations and complex document analysis.
Initially text-based, it plans to add multimodal capabilities (vision, image generation, video, audio) in updates.
The Grok 4 Heavy multi-agent system enhances reasoning by enabling collaborative AI agents, improving accuracy.
Upcoming Updates
Future enhancements include an AI coding model (August 2025), a multimodal agent (September 2025), and a video generation system (October 2025), exclusive to premium subscribers.
How Does Grok 4 Perform?
Benchmark Achievements
Grok 4 outperforms Grok 3 in math, reasoning, and coding. Key benchmarks include:
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GPQA: 87 (standard), 88 (reasoning), vs. Grok 3's 84.6.
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Humanity's Last Exam (HLE): 25.4% (no tools), 44.4% (with tools).
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SWE-Bench: 72 (standard), 75 (reasoning).
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AIME '25: 95, excelling in mathematical reasoning.
Performance Enhancements
Optimized training and compute resources drive these gains, bypassing Grok 3.5 due to a revamped architecture.
The multi-agent system further boosts accuracy for complex queries.
Cost & Accessibility
Pricing Structure
Grok 4 is available via xAI's API for developers and enterprises, and through the SuperGrok Heavy subscription at $300/month, the highest among major AI providers. This tier offers early access to advanced features.
Access Options
Limited free access to earlier models like Grok 3 may be available on xAI platforms (grok.com, x.com, mobile apps), but Grok 4's full capabilities require the premium subscription or API. Visit x.ai or x.ai/api for details.
How is Grok 4 Compares to Other AI Models
Model | Context Window | Intelligence | Price (USD/1M Tokens) | Output tokens/s | Latency |
Grok 4 |
256k
|
73
|
$6.00
|
75.3
|
5.69
|
Gemini 2.5 Pro |
1m
|
70
|
$3.44
|
142.4
|
37.46
|
OpenAI o3 |
200k
|
70
|
$3.50
|
151.2
|
19.32
|
DeepSeek R1 0528 |
128k
|
68
|
$0.96
|
21.5
|
3.69
|
Claude 4 Opus Thinking |
200k
|
64
|
$30.00
|
68.0
|
2.38
|
(Data source: Artificial Analysis)
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths:
Grok 4 excels in intelligence (73), driven by its multi-agent system, making it ideal for complex reasoning and coding tasks (95 on AIME '25, 75 on SWE-Bench).
Its 256k context window supports extended tasks, and its $6.00 per million tokens balances cost and performance.
Weaknesses:
The 256k context window lags behind Gemini 2.5 Pro's 1M, limiting its use for massive datasets.
Moderate output speed (75.3 tokens/s) and latency (5.69s) make it less suited for real-time applications compared to OpenAI o3 or Claude 4.
The $300/month subscription may deter casual users.
Competitive Positioning
Grok 4 leads in reasoning and coding but faces challenges from Gemini 2.5 Pro's larger context window and OpenAI o3's faster output.
DeepSeek R1 offers unmatched affordability, while Claude 4's low latency suits quick-response tasks.
Planned multimodal updates will strengthen Grok 4's versatility.

Editor's Comments
Grok 4's launch marks a pivotal moment for xAI, showcasing its ambition to lead the AI race. The multi-agent system and Grok 4 Code variant are standout innovations, particularly for developers and enterprises.
The $300/month subscription, while costly, reflects confidence in its value, especially with multimodal updates on the horizon.
However, its initial text-only focus and smaller context window compared to potential competitors like GPT-5 pose challenges.
xAI's rapid development pace suggests Grok 4 could redefine AI applications, but timely delivery of promised features will be critical.
As AI advances, ethical considerations and neutrality, as highlighted by recent discussions, remain key for xAI to address to maintain user trust.
FAQs
1. What is Grok 4?
Grok 4 is xAI's next-generation AI model, launched on July 9, 2025, designed for advanced reasoning, research, and coding tasks, with a 130,000-token context window and planned multimodal capabilities.
2. How does Grok 4 differ from Grok 3?
Grok 4 outperforms Grok 3 in math, reasoning, and coding (e.g., 95 vs. 84.6 on AIME '25), with a new architecture and multi-agent system, skipping Grok 3.5.
3. What are the variants of Grok 4?
Grok 4 includes a Generalist Model for tasks like writing and research, and Grok 4 Code, a developer-focused tool for code generation and bug detection.
4. How can I access Grok 4?
Grok 4 is available via xAI's API or the SuperGrok Heavy subscription ($300/month). Limited free access to earlier models like Grok 3 may be available on grok.com, x.com, or mobile apps.
5. What are Grok 4's key features?
It offers a 130,000-token context window, multi-agent reasoning, and planned multimodal updates (vision, image generation, video, audio) starting August 2025.
6. How does Grok 4 compare to other AI models?
Grok 4 excels in intelligence (73) and coding (75 on SWE-Bench) but has a smaller context window (256k) and slower output (75.3 tokens/s) compared to Gemini 2.5 Pro or OpenAI o3.
7. What is the cost of using Grok 4?
The SuperGrok Heavy subscription costs $300/month, and API pricing is $6.00 per million tokens. Visit x.ai or x.ai/api for details.
8. What updates are planned for Grok 4?
Future updates include an AI coding model (August 2025), a multimodal agent (September 2025), and a video generation system (October 2025), exclusive to premium subscribers.
9. Is Grok 4 suitable for real-time applications?
Its moderate output speed (75.3 tokens/s) and latency (5.69s) make it less ideal for real-time tasks compared to models like Claude 4 or OpenAI o3.
10. How does xAI ensure ethical AI use with Grok 4?
xAI emphasizes neutrality and ethical considerations to maintain user trust, though specific measures are not detailed in the article.