Grok Build
xAI's terminal coding agent, now defaulting to Grok 4.6. Plan mode, subagents, skills, MCP, and sandboxed runs from your shell.
Updated 2026-08-17
Yes, within limits. Grok Build runs a free tier with paid plans above it.
Listed pricing: Product page says you can try it free; SuperGrok and X Premium+ still listed as paid paths.
Overview
Grok Build is xAI's terminal coding agent. The August 12, 2026 product page banner says it is now powered by Grok 4.6. That replaces the earlier default of Grok 4.5. The same day's model post offered 2x included usage in Grok Build and Cursor for the first week after launch (August 12 through August 19, 2026).
Install from the product page: curl -fsSL https://x.ai/cli/install.sh | bash. Documented surfaces include plan mode (edits blocked until you approve), subagents that run in parallel with their own context, skills and /skillify, hooks, MCP servers, AGENTS.md, sandboxed execution, and a headless mode for CI. Docs live at docs.x.ai/build/overview.
Access is mixed. The August 2026 product page says you can try Grok Build for free. A SuperGrok link still sits next to the install command. Older listings also named X Premium+ as a path. Confirm the live plan on x.ai/build and grok.com/plans rather than assuming the May 2026 beta gate is still the rule. This is not Grok Bot and it is not grok.com chat.
Is Grok Build free?
Yes, within limits. Grok Build runs a free tier with paid plans above it.
What the free tier covers: The August 2026 product page advertises a free try. Limits are not spelled out on that page.
Listed pricing: Product page says you can try it free; SuperGrok and X Premium+ still listed as paid paths.
Pricing verified . That is the date the plans were last re-checked against the vendor's own pages, not today's date. Confirm on the official site before you pay.
What the free tier leaves out
Read straight off the plan list below. Vendors move features between tiers, so check the current split before you pay.
- SuperGrok $30/mo Still linked from the Build page as a paid path. Confirm live price on grok.com/plans.
- API (grok-build-0.1) $1 / $2 per 1M tokens Separate model id on docs.x.ai, 256k context. $2 / $4 at or above 200k prompt tokens. This is the API SKU, not the CLI subscription.
Grok Build pricing
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Try free | $0 to start | x.ai/build says Grok Build is available to try for free. Confirm current caps on that page. |
| SuperGrok | $30/mo | Still linked from the Build page as a paid path. Confirm live price on grok.com/plans. |
| API (grok-build-0.1) | $1 / $2 per 1M tokens | Separate model id on docs.x.ai, 256k context. $2 / $4 at or above 200k prompt tokens. This is the API SKU, not the CLI subscription. |
x.ai/build says Grok Build is available to try for free. Confirm current caps on that page.
Still linked from the Build page as a paid path. Confirm live price on grok.com/plans.
Separate model id on docs.x.ai, 256k context. $2 / $4 at or above 200k prompt tokens. This is the API SKU, not the CLI subscription.
Pricing verified . That is the date the plans were last re-checked against the vendor's own pages, not today's date. Confirm on the official site before you pay.
Is Grok Build worth it?
Worth it for Developers who want a terminal agent on Grok 4.6 with a plan you approve before edits.
You can test that on the free tier before paying anything. The recorded trade-offs are listed below, and any one of them can settle the question on its own.
The 8.2/10 AI Score is an editorial read of published capability, price and shipping pace. Nobody here has hands-on hours with Grok Build. How we verify.
Worth it if
The strengths recorded against this entry.
- Defaults to Grok 4.6 as of August 12, 2026
- Plan review before edits is built in, not a plugin
- Skills, hooks, and MCP are documented on the product page
- Install is a single documented curl command
Not worth it if
Any one of these blocks your use case.
- Free-try limits are not published on the product page
- Terminal-only; no first-party IDE listed next to the CLI
- Not the same product as Grok Bot, which has its own paid gate
- First-week 2x usage offer ends August 19, 2026
What sets Grok Build apart
- Default model is Grok 4.6 as of the August 12, 2026 product page
- Plan mode blocks edits until you approve, comment, or rewrite the plan
- Skills, hooks, plugins, and MCP servers are first-class
- Install is one curl to x.ai/cli/install.sh
Key features
Grok 4.6 as the default
x.ai/build states Grok 4.6 now powers the agent. The Aug 12 model post put 4.6 in Grok Build and Cursor the same day, with 2x included usage for the first week.
Plan mode
Start in plan mode for larger tasks. Every edit is blocked until you approve the plan, comment on a step, or rewrite it. Approved changes show up as diffs.
Subagents, skills, MCP
Larger jobs can spawn specialized subagents, including in their own worktrees. Skills, hooks, plugins, and MCP servers install from a marketplace or a git repo.
One-line install
curl -fsSL https://x.ai/cli/install.sh | bash. The product page repeats this as the get-started path.
How it compares
| Tool | Best for | Pricing | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grok Build | Developers who want a terminal agent on Grok 4.6 with a plan you approve before edits. | Product page says you can try it free; SuperGrok and X Premium+ still listed as paid paths | 8.2/10 |
| Grok | People who want Grok 4.6 in chat and need a clear map of Free, SuperGrok, SuperGrok Plus, Heavy, and the API. | Free + SuperGrok $30/mo + SuperGrok Plus $100/mo + Heavy $300/mo | 8.7/10 |
| Grok Bot | Teams already on SuperGrok Heavy or top Cursor plans who want an always-on agent that works inside existing apps. | Included with SuperGrok Heavy ($300/mo), Cursor Ultra ($200/mo), or Cursor Premium Teams ($120/seat/mo). Enterprise waitlist. No free tier. | 8.1/10 |
| Cursor vs Cursor → | Professional developers handling complex, multi-file refactors who want AI built into a familiar VS Code-based editor. | Freemium | 9.5/10 |
| Claude Code vs Claude Code → | Developers who want an agent that works inside an existing repo and toolchain rather than in a hosted editor, and who already pay for a Claude plan. | Included with Claude Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans | 9.3/10 |
Learn to use Grok Build
Step-by-step, each one stamped with the date it was last checked against the docs.
Compare head-to-head
Related reading
Grok 4.6 vs 4.5: Pricing, Evals, Where It Ships
xAI shipped Grok 4.6 on August 12. Official $2/$6 API price, vendor evals vs 4.5, and same-week placement in Build, Cursor, and Copilot.
What Grok Bot Is and Who Can Use It
Grok Bot is xAI's always-on teammate with its own cloud computer. Who can use the Aug 11 beta, what it costs, and how it differs from Grok chat and Grok Build.
SpaceX Buys Cursor for $60B: AI Coding Shakeup
SpaceX is buying Cursor maker Anysphere for $60B in stock days after its IPO. Here's what the deal means for AI coding tools.
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