X (formerly Twitter) has begun testing a free version of its AI chatbot, Grok, which was initially available only to paying subscribers.
Over the weekend, users in select regions, including New Zealand, reported seeing the option to access Grok without a premium subscription.
This move signals X’s attempt to expand its user base and gather faster feedback.
Currently, users can make limited queries—10 every two hours with the Grok-2 model and 20 with the Grok-2 mini model.
 Image analysis is capped at three queries per day.
To use the free version, users need an account that is at least seven days old and linked to a phone number.
Previously, Grok-2’s advanced features, such as image generation and analysis, were exclusive to Premium subscribers.
 By offering this access to free users, X appears focused on strengthening Grok’s competitive edge against other popular AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
