Category: AI Platform
Fast and current, but under Ofcom investigation.
Grok is xAI's assistant, distinguished mainly by its real-time access to posts on X, which makes it genuinely useful for understanding what is being said about a topic right now in a way models working from training data cannot match. Grok Imagine adds image and video generation. It is sold standalone across several tiers and bundled with X Premium, with API access priced per token. There is no first-party MCP server; everything described as one is a community wrapper around the xAI API. Data training is on by default with an opt-out in data controls that is not retroactive.
The real-time access to X is a genuine capability and for social listening, trend spotting or understanding a breaking conversation it does something the other assistants cannot. The models are fast and capable. We would not list it without the regulatory position, though, because it is material and UK-specific. In January 2026 Ofcom opened a formal investigation under the Online Safety Act into X over reports that Grok was used to generate sexualised images of real people, including material that may constitute child sexual abuse material. Penalties under that Act can reach eighteen million pounds or ten per cent of global turnover, with service-blocking powers available. X restricted image generation to paid users following the reports. Separately, the Irish regulator obtained an undertaking regarding EU data use for training, and the ICO is investigating whether xAI has a lawful basis for training on UK users' data. No outcomes have been published. For a brand considering it as a business tool, that belongs in the decision.
Best for: Anyone who needs to understand live conversation on X, and is comfortable with the regulatory position set out below.
Pricing: Free, then from around $10/mo (Freemium)
Rating: 3/5