# Grok Bot vs Claude Cowork: plans, prices and differences

> Grok Bot starts at xAI's $30 Premium plan and Claude Cowork at Claude Pro's $20 a month. Both run work in the cloud, and neither company publishes usage numbers.

URL: https://claudegpt.si/news/grok-bot-vs-claude-cowork  
Published: 2026-11-02T18:51:09.959Z  
Author: ClaudeGPT Si Newsroom  
Section: Reviews  
Topics: Grok, xAI, Claude, Claude Cowork, Anthropic, Comparison  
Publisher: ClaudeGPT Si

## Key takeaways

- As of November 2, 2026, Grok Bot is included from xAI's Premium plan at $30 a month, and Plus does not include it.
- Claude Cowork is included in paid Claude plans only, from Pro at $20 a month or $17 billed annually.
- Both draw on shared usage allowances that the companies do not size in messages or tasks.

Grok Bot vs Claude Cowork comes down to what each one is built around. [Grok Bot](https://docs.x.ai/grok-bot/overview) is xAI's set of named, always-on Bots that share one persistent cloud computer. [Claude Cowork](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/13345190-get-started-with-claude-cowork) is Anthropic's agent mode for non-coding work, which runs in Anthropic's cloud or reaches your own files through the Claude desktop app. Grok Bot comes with xAI's Premium plan at $30 a month and up. Cowork comes with Claude Pro at $20 a month ($17 billed annually) and up. Everything below is as of November 2, 2026.

This comparison is based on the products' docs and published pricing, not on our own hands-on testing. Neither company publishes message or task counts for these products, so this article can't say which one gets more done per dollar.

## Grok Bot vs Claude Cowork at a glance

| | Grok Bot | Claude Cowork |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Maker | xAI | Anthropic |
| What it is | Named Bots with persistent jobs, memory and a shared cloud computer | An agent mode in Claude for multi-step work such as documents, spreadsheets and slides |
| Free plan | Not listed | Not included |
| Cheapest plan with it | Premium, $30 a month or $300 a year | Pro, $20 a month or $17 a month billed annually |
| Higher individual plans | Super $100, Ultra $200 a month | Max $100, Ultra $200 a month |
| Team seats | Premium $30, Super $100, Ultra $200 per seat | Team standard seat $20 a month billed annually ($25 monthly), premium seat $100 |
| Where it runs | A persistent cloud computer with a browser, filesystem and terminal | Anthropic's cloud, or locally through the desktop app |
| Desktop apps | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux (Linux in beta) |
| Mobile | iPhone and Android | Web and mobile on Pro, Max, Ultra and Team (Team in beta) |
| Scheduling | Saves a workflow as a skill and reruns it on a schedule | `/schedule` and a Scheduled sidebar, run in the cloud |
| How usage is limited | Weekly pool shared with Grok and Cursor, sized in multiples of Plus | Limits every five hours and every week, no fixed counts |

Grok Bot prices come from [xAI's X Subscription pricing page](https://docs.x.ai/x-subscription/pricing). Claude prices come from [claude.com/pricing](https://claude.com/pricing). Both exclude sales tax and were read on November 2, 2026.

## What Grok Bot does

xAI's docs describe Grok Bot as named Bots whose jobs and context persist over time. Each Bot has memory, files, browser sessions and preferences that carry across sessions. Bots can run in parallel, share context in group chats and hand tasks to each other.

All of a user's Bots share one cloud computer owned by the account, with its files, browser sessions and app logins. Each Bot gets its own screen on it, and one Bot runs one computer-use task at a time. Bots use connected apps where there are any and computer use for the rest. The docs warn that sites may block automation, expire sessions or need a human step, which the Bot hands back to you.

You set a Bot up by talking to it, by typing, dictating or voice chat, rather than in a workflow builder. You can also tag @bot on X, which needs a connected X account and is not available in every region. A Bot can save a multi-step workflow as a skill and rerun it on a schedule. Work continues when your laptop or phone is closed.

## What Claude Cowork does

Anthropic's help center says Cowork brings the agent design behind Claude Code to non-coding work, with no terminal needed. You describe an outcome, and Claude plans the steps, splits them into subtasks when needed, runs code in an isolated environment and hands back files you can preview and download, such as Excel files with working formulas and PowerPoint decks.

Cloud tasks run on Anthropic's servers and continue if you close your laptop. When a task needs your local files or browser, Claude reaches them through the desktop app, which has to stay open. Cowork also has projects with their own files and memory, plugins that bundle skills and connectors, and scheduled tasks that run in the cloud.

## Plans and prices

Cowork is not on the Free plan. It is on Pro, Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise. On the pricing page, Pro is $17 a month billed annually or $20 monthly, Max is $100 a month, Ultra is $200 a month, and Team standard seats are $20 a month billed annually or $25 monthly.

Grok Bot is on Premium, Super and Ultra. xAI's pricing page says "Plus does not include Grok Bot." Premium is $30 a month or $300 a year, Super is $100 a month or $1,000 a year, and Ultra is $200 a month or $2,000 a year. The docs also say linking an individual SuperGrok, SuperGrok Plus, SuperGrok Heavy or X Premium+ subscription, or having a seat on a self-serve Grok Business plan, grants access.

At the entry point, then, Grok Bot costs $10 a month more than Claude Pro's monthly price. At $100 and $200 the two companies charge the same.

## How the usage limits differ

Both products spend a shared allowance, and both companies keep the size vague. xAI says Grok Bot draws from the same weekly pool as the Grok apps and Cursor, sized as 4x, 15x and 50x the Plus plan for Premium, Super and Ultra. Our article on the [Grok weekly limit](https://claudegpt.si/news/grok-weekly-limit) covers how that pool works and what happens when it runs out.

Anthropic's pricing page says paid plans have limits every five hours and every week, and that how fast you hit them depends on the model. The Cowork help article warns that multi-step tasks use much more than quick questions, and suggests grouping related work and checking Settings > Usage.

## Safety and admin controls

Both products can act on your behalf, so both ask before risky actions. Cowork has three modes: Manual, where Claude asks before acting, Auto, where read-only tools are approved and a review step checks writes and deletes, and Skip, which checks nothing. Auto is the default on Pro, Max, Ultra and Team. Claude can only read and write files in folders you connect, and must get explicit permission before permanently deleting files.

Grok Bot uses approvals (Allow once, Always allow, Deny) and an Auto Review model that checks shell commands, app calls and computer use before they run. xAI's security page lists network policy, audit logs, action recording and OpenTelemetry export as Enterprise-only. Grok Bot computers run in the US, and US data residency is available through an account team.

## Which one fits

Cowork is the more document-focused of the two, with spreadsheet, slide and file outputs named in Anthropic's help center and a lower entry price. Grok Bot is the more persistent-assistant design: several named Bots, each with its own memory, sharing one computer and logins. Someone already paying for Premium or higher on X or Grok gets Grok Bot without paying more, and someone on Claude Pro gets Cowork the same way.

For a comparison with a different rival, see [ChatGPT Work vs Claude Cowork](https://claudegpt.si/news/chatgpt-work-vs-claude-cowork). Both companies change plans often, so check the pricing pages before you buy. xAI's docs also give no usage numbers for Grok Bot, so the only way to know what a plan gets you is to try it.

## FAQ

### Is Grok Bot free?

Not on the Free plan. xAI's pricing page lists Grok Bot as included on Premium, Super and Ultra, and Plus does not include it.

### Is Claude Cowork free?

No. Cowork is not available on the Free plan. It needs Pro ($20 a month, or $17 billed annually), Max, Ultra, Team or Enterprise.

### Can Grok Bot run while my computer is off?

Yes. xAI's docs say Bots work on a persistent cloud computer and that work continues when your laptop or phone is closed.

### Can Claude Cowork access my local files?

Yes, in folders you connect, through the Claude desktop app. The app has to be open and connected for local tasks. Cloud tasks run on Anthropic's servers instead.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Grok Bot free?

Not on the Free plan. xAI's pricing page lists Grok Bot as included on Premium, Super and Ultra, and Plus does not include it.

### Is Claude Cowork free?

No. Cowork is not available on the Free plan. It needs Pro ($20 a month, or $17 billed annually), Max, Ultra, Team or Enterprise.

### Can Grok Bot run while my computer is off?

Yes. xAI's docs say Bots work on a persistent cloud computer and that work continues when your laptop or phone is closed.

### Can Claude Cowork access my local files?

Yes, in folders you connect, through the Claude desktop app. The app has to be open and connected for local tasks. Cloud tasks run on Anthropic's servers instead.

## Sources

- [Grok Bot overview](https://docs.x.ai/grok-bot/overview), xAI
- [The X Subscription pricing](https://docs.x.ai/x-subscription/pricing), xAI
- [Grok Bot security](https://docs.x.ai/grok-bot/security), xAI
- [Claude pricing](https://claude.com/pricing), Anthropic
- [Get started with Claude Cowork](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/13345190-get-started-with-claude-cowork), Anthropic