What xAI announced#
Until now, using Grok, Cursor and X Premium together meant three subscriptions, three bills and three usage limits. The X Subscription puts all of it in one workspace with one bill. xAI is rolling it out globally over a few days, and new customers start on it automatically.
Behind the move is a change in ownership. SpaceX's AI company bought Cursor in August, so the bundle is less a partnership than one company selling its own products together. The plan covers four things:
- Grok for chat, voice, and image and video generation.
- Grok Bot, xAI's AI teammate that carries out tasks for you.
- Cursor, the coding editor with local and cloud coding agents.
- X Premium, which adds the checkmark, creator tools and fewer ads.
- monthly price range
- $8–$200
- usage at Ultra vs Plus
- 50x
- old combined cost vs Premium, per xAI
- $90 to $30
- minimum coding usage vs the matching Cursor plan, per xAI
- 2x
Tool profileGrok on BettrListOur rating, plans and verdict for Grok.The tiers, side by side#
Every paid tier shares the same pool of Grok model usage across the Grok apps, the Grok tab on X, and Cursor. xAI describes each plan as a multiple of Plus, the entry paid tier, and refreshes the allowance weekly.
| Plan | Price | Usage | What you add at this level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Limited | Daily Grok access, a starter allowance for Cursor agents, standard X |
| Plus | $8 | Base | Grok chat, voice, Imagine and Build, Grok API access, Cursor with Grok models, X checkmark and creator tools |
| Premium | $30 | 4x Plus | Grok Bot, latest models, video generation, cloud agents, code hosting and reviews, ad-free X, third-party models in Cursor (billed separately) |
| Super | $100 | 15x Plus | Priority access to models at peak times |
| Ultra | $200 | 50x Plus | Earliest access to all products and models |
Does the math work?#
xAI says each new tier gives more usage per dollar than the plan it replaces. That is hard to check, because it publishes multiples of Plus and no absolute allowances. What we can do is measure the tiers against each other.
| Plan | Price | Usage vs Plus | Usage per dollar vs Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plus | $8 | 1x | 1.0 |
| Premium | $30 | 4x | 1.07 |
| Super | $100 | 15x | 1.2 |
| Ultra | $200 | 50x | 2.0 |
Premium is barely better than Plus on raw usage. What you pay the extra $22 for is the feature list: Grok Bot, cloud agents, code hosting and ad-free X. Super works out to 20 percent more usage per dollar than Plus. Ultra is the only tier that clearly rewards spending more, with twice the usage per dollar of Plus.
The trade-offs at a glance
What works
- One workspace, one bill and one usage pool for Grok, Cursor and X.
- The Premium tier costs $30 against about $90 for the equivalent separate plans, according to xAI.
- xAI says every tier includes at least twice the coding usage of the comparable Cursor plan.
- Team seats cost the same as individual tiers and include SSO, admin controls and SOC 2 compliance.
- Switching is optional, and you get a prorated refund on the plans you cancel.
What to watch
- Chat, image and video generation, Grok Bot and Cursor all draw from one weekly pool.
- Claude, GPT and other third-party models in Cursor are billed on top of the plan.
- Switching is permanent. Support cannot undo it.
- X perks come bundled, and they only apply once you connect a personal X account.
- Allowances are published only as multiples, so real capacity is unclear.
The part Cursor users should read twice#
Cursor built its following on letting you pick the best model for the job. Under the new plans, the models included in your subscription are Grok models. Third-party models such as Claude or GPT stay available in Cursor on Premium and above, but they are no longer covered by your plan. You pay API list price from the first use, out of prepaid credit, and you can set spending caps.
On the Plus tier, Cursor runs on Grok models only.
If most of your Cursor work runs on Claude, the bundle can end up costing more than your current plan, not less. It helps to know how the two compare before you decide, so see our Claude vs Cursor comparison.
Tool profileCursor on BettrListOur rating, plans and verdict for Cursor.
Who comes out ahead#
Cursor Pro users who also pay for Grok or X Premium
Premium at $30 folds all three into one bill for roughly a third of what separate plans cost.
Heavy coders on Cursor Ultra
Ultra is the same $200, with 50x Plus usage, and xAI says at least twice the coding usage of the comparable Cursor plan.
Cursor users who mostly run Claude or GPT
Those models are billed separately now, so you may pay more than you do today. Staying on your current plan is the safer move.
People who just want the X checkmark and some AI
Plus at $8 covers it, but it only includes Grok models in Cursor, and X perks need a connected personal account.
Teams that already use Cursor
Seat prices match the individual tiers and add SSO and SOC 2. Most Enterprise accounts cannot switch yet, so check eligibility first.
Existing SuperGrok subscribers
Switching comes with limited-time offers in your billing settings. Compare them with your current price before you commit.
How to switch, if you decide to
- 1
Look for the option
Open your account billing settings. The switch is rolling out gradually, so it may not show up yet.
- 2
Compare it with what you pay now
Add up your current Cursor, SuperGrok and X Premium bills, then check the tier that matches your usage.
- 3
Check the limited-time offers
xAI attaches switching offers in billing settings. They may change the math.
- 4
Pick a primary Cursor account
If you have more than one Cursor account, you choose which one the others merge into.
- 5
Cancel App Store subscriptions yourself
Cursor subscriptions bought through Apple cannot be cancelled or refunded by xAI. Cancel them in your device settings.
What this says about AI pricing#
Two things stand out. First, subscriptions are becoming ecosystems. xAI now sells a chatbot, a coding agent, an AI teammate and a social account together, and the included usage is Grok's own. OpenAI is making the same move from the other side, bundling its new always-on assistant with its Pro plan. We cover that in our ChatGPT Dots explainer.
Second, price tags are turning into usage multiples. Plus, 4x, 15x and 50x tell you how tiers rank against each other, but not what you get. That makes it harder to compare AI plans honestly, and it is worth testing a tier for a month before you rely on it. For a longer look at how Grok holds up as a standalone product, read our Grok review.
Frequently asked questions
What is The X Subscription?
It is a single subscription from xAI that includes Grok, Grok Bot, Cursor and X Premium. Grok and Cursor share one weekly usage pool, and you manage billing for both in one workspace.
Can I still buy Cursor on its own?
Existing Cursor customers can keep their current plan or switch between current Cursor plans. New customers, including anyone with only a free X account, start on The X Subscription.
Do I need an X account?
Only for the X perks such as the checkmark and creator tools. Those apply when you connect a personal X account to the plan.
Is the Grok API included?
Paid plans include Grok API access, but API usage is billed separately at standard rates and does not draw from your plan’s usage pool.
What happens to my old subscriptions if I switch?
The Cursor, SuperGrok and paid X Premium plans you select are cancelled at checkout, and you get an automatic prorated refund for the unused time. Plans bought through the Apple App Store must be cancelled in your device settings.
Sources
Written by
BettrList Editorial
Independent software reviews and comparisons.