Grok 3 AI is now free to all X users – here's how it works

X’s new Grok 3 AI-powered chatbot is now free for anyone to use. Launched earlier this week, the latest flavor of Grok initially required a paid subscription, but that restriction has now been lifted, according to a new post from xAI, the AI company created by Elon Musk.

Beyond the usual AI chat features, Grok 3 offers a DeepSearch mode. Similar to the Deep Research option from ChatGPT Pro, Gemini Advanced, and Perplexity AI, this capability uses a virtual agent to search the web on your behalf and present a detailed report about your topic. The latest version of Grok also provides a mode called Think, which uses a reasoning model to tackle challenging problems in math, science, and coding.

Also: Yikes: Jailbroken Grok 3 can be made to say and reveal just about anything

Though the new AI is free for all X users, paid subscribers will still enjoy some advantages. X Premium+ and SuperGrok subscribers will score increased access to Grok and advanced features like Voice Mode. Due to be officially rolled out soon, Voice Mode will let the AI speak using different voices, transcribe audio, and share the transcriptions if you wish. But these subscriptions won’t come cheap.

This week, X bumped the cost of X Premium+ to $40 per month, almost double the $22 previously charged. SuperGrok is a new type of subscription that will offer users the advanced features of Grok without the other aspects of a premium account. X has yet to reveal the cost of a SuperGrok plan, but expect it to be on the high side.

To take Grok 3 for a spin, simply sign into X and select the entry for Grok on the left. Write and submit your request at the prompt. Grok consults a variety of websites and user posts to deliver its response.

You can even access and view all the sources used to answer your request. You’re also able to upload a variety of file types for analysis, including PDFs, JPG and PNG images, text files, CSV files, XML files, Microsoft Word documents, and Excel spreadsheets.

Select the DeepSearch button for more in-depth results. At the prompt, type and submit a more complex request, one that would require extensive online research. Grok then searches a host of online sources for the information and presents its findings in a comprehensive report.

Also: How to try DeepSeek R1 – without the censorship or security risk

To give Grok 3 even more of a challenge, select the Think button. At the prompt, type and submit a complex math question or science puzzle. The AI breaks down the problem into individual pieces. It then shows you its line of reasoning step by step before coming up with the results.

Beyond using Grok 3 in X, you can also use it through its dedicated web page, its iOS app, and its Android app.

As my ZDNET colleague Sabrina Ortiz noted, “xAI’s Grok 3 is better than expected.” I’d have to agree. After using the AI for typical requests as well as those requiring DeepSearch and Think, I was impressed with the results. Based on my preliminary testing, Grok 3 seems able to give ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and other AIs a run for their money.