Grok vs MiniMax
Grok and MiniMax are both AI assistants tools. Grok is aimed at creators and developers, while MiniMax is aimed at developers and small businesses. Grok costs less, from $8/mo versus $22/mo for MiniMax. Both have a free plan.
xAI's AI assistant with live X data, bundled with X and Cursor
Low-cost agentic coding models, video and speech via API and M Plan
| Pricing | Freemium · $8 | Freemium · $22 |
| Starting price | $8/mo | $22/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Creators, Developers, Freelancers, Small businesses | Developers, Small businesses, Enterprise, Creators |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web, macos, windows, linux, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2023 | — · 2022 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Grok if
Heavy X users and Cursor developers who want real-time social context and one subscription across Grok, X Premium and coding.
- Most up-to-date view of conversations happening on X
- Low-cost Plus tier that also includes X Premium perks
- Bundles Cursor coding access with the assistant
Look elsewhere if: Teams that need strict content safety, enterprise data controls or carefully sourced research (ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity).
Choose MiniMax if
Developers and cost-sensitive teams that run agentic coding and automation workloads and want low token prices behind Anthropic- or OpenAI-style APIs.
- Very low token prices for agentic coding workloads
- Drop-in base URL for tools built on the Anthropic SDK
- One platform covers text, video, speech and image generation
Look elsewhere if: Teams that need top-tier frontier models with mature enterprise admin and compliance controls (Claude, Gemini).
Grok vs MiniMax pricing
Grok
- Free$0Limited chat and agent usage
- Plus$8/mo$80/yr; shared AI pool for Grok, Cursor, X Premium perks
- Premium$30/mo$300/yr; 4x Plus usage, latest Grok models, image and video
- Super$100/mo15x Plus usage, priority access to Grok models
- Ultra$200/mo50x Plus usage, early access to new products
MiniMax
- MiniMax Code Free$0Limited M3.1 Flash, image and speech use in MiniMax Code
- M3.1 Flash API$0.15/1M input tokensOutput $0.60/1M, cached input $0.015/1M; pay-as-you-go
- M3 API$0.30/1M input tokensUp to 512k input, after permanent 50% off; output $1.20/1M
- M Plan Go$22/moM3.1 Flash, image and speech models; $220 billed yearly
- M Plan Explore$55/mo3x Go usage, adds H3 video; $550 billed yearly
Grok · Key features
- Real-time search across X posts plus the web
- DeepSearch multi-step research with cited sources
- Grok Imagine image and short video generation
- Voice mode on iOS and Android apps
- Grok Build terminal coding agent and Grok Bot AI teammates
- Shared usage pool across Grok, Cursor and X on paid plans
Cons
- Repeated moderation and safety controversies
- X-sourced answers can amplify misinformation
- Plan names and limits have changed often
MiniMax · Key features
- MiniMax-M3.1-Flash at $0.15 input and $0.60 output per 1M tokens
- 1M-token context window on M3.1 Flash and M3
- Effort setting on M3.1 Flash, from low to max, to trade thinking depth for cost
- Anthropic- and OpenAI-compatible endpoints, plus the Responses API
- M Plan key usable in Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode
- MiniMax Code agent on web, desktop, CLI, iOS and Android
Cons
- M Plan is for individual interactive use, not production traffic
- Usage resets in 5-hour and weekly windows that can cut sessions short
- M2.5 and M2.7 retire on November 18, 2026, forcing migrations
Grok vs MiniMax: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Grok or MiniMax?
Grok starts at $8/mo and MiniMax at $22/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Grok and MiniMax have a free plan?
Yes, both Grok and MiniMax have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.