Alternatives guide

Grok alternatives: 7 AI apps compared

Alternatives to Grok include ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Meta AI, Perplexity, and Venice, and they differ in their models, image and video tools, web answers, and what they do with your chats. Bearly puts Grok in one app with Claude, GPT, and Gemini, and with ZDR mode on, every chat model you can pick runs with zero data retention.

Checked against each company’s own pages. We make Bearly, which this guide also covers.

Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok, and more in one app, with a Zero Data Retention setting.

Grok alternatives at a glance

In alphabetical order, with what each company says about its own product:

  • Bearly puts Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok, and more in one app, with web search with sources and image and video creation. Bearly doesn't train AI models on your chats. We make it, so weigh this entry with that in mind. (Bearly docs: zero data retention)
  • ChatGPT is OpenAI's app. The free plan includes image creation and web search, and OpenAI marks its personal plans "Content is used to train our models", with an opt-out. (ChatGPT pricing)
  • Claude is Anthropic's app. It searches the web with citations on every plan, including Free, and doesn't generate photos or illustrations. (Claude Help Center)
  • Gemini is Google's app. It creates images with Nano Banana 2 and, with a Google AI plan, videos with Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash. (Gemini Apps Help)
  • Meta AI runs in its own app and inside WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger, and makes short AI videos called vibes. (Meta Help Center)
  • Perplexity calls itself an AI-powered search engine and cites its sources in every answer. Its Pro and Max plans include Grok 4.7 among models from several labs. (Perplexity Help Center)
  • Venice lists its free plan as "Private & uncensored" and offers image creation, with video on paid plans. It keeps your chat history on your device. (Venice features)

Grok alternatives compared

What each company's own pages said on November 11, 2026. Plans change often; check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.

App Models Images and video Web answers with sources Plans
Grok xAI's Grok models Images and video (Grok Imagine); limited images on Free Searches the web and X with citations Free, Plus, Premium, Super, Ultra (sold as X subscriptions)
Bearly Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok, and more Images and video Yes Free, Pro, Analyst, Research
ChatGPT OpenAI's GPT models Images; limited on Free Yes, on every plan Free, Go, Plus, Pro
Claude Anthropic's Claude models No image generation; diagrams and charts Yes, with citations on every answer Free, Pro, Max, Ultra
Gemini Google's Gemini models Images; video with a Google AI plan Sometimes, with links to sources Free; Google AI Plus, Pro, Ultra
Meta AI Meta's models Images and AI videos (vibes) Not checked Not listed on the page we checked
Perplexity GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and others on Pro and Max Images; video on Pro and Max Yes, on every answer Free, Pro, Max
Venice Open models; GPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok through its privacy modes Images; video with credits on paid plans Yes, on supported models Free, Pro, Pro Plus, Max

Sources for every cell are listed at the end of this guide.

If you use Grok for images and video

Grok Imagine makes images and videos from text or a reference photo, with videos up to 15 seconds. On the free plan, image generation is limited, and xAI lists AI images and videos under its Premium plan. (xAI; xAI pricing)

Among the alternatives:

  • Bearly creates images and video in the same app as your chats.
  • ChatGPT creates images on every plan, with more on paid plans. (OpenAI)
  • Gemini creates images with Nano Banana 2. Video needs a Google AI plan on a personal account, and runs 3 to 10 seconds, or up to 15 on Google AI Ultra. (Google: images; Google: videos)
  • Meta AI makes vibes by animating generated images, uploaded images, or videos. Vibes you post to the feed are public. (Meta Help Center)
  • Perplexity offers limited image generation on Free, and video on Pro and Max. (Perplexity: images; Perplexity: videos)
  • Venice gives free users 15 image prompts a day and paid users 1,000, and video, music, and frontier models run on monthly credits. (Venice features)
  • Claude doesn't generate photos or illustrations. It can draw diagrams, charts, and interactive visuals in the conversation. (Claude Help Center)

If you use Grok for news and web search

Grok searches the web and X live and cites what it finds. (xAI) These alternatives also search the web and show their sources:

  • Bearly has web search with sources. Your query goes to the search provider without your name, account, or IP address.
  • ChatGPT searches the web on every plan, even signed out, and answers that use search may include citations. (OpenAI Help Center)
  • Claude includes citations in every answer that uses web search. (Claude Help Center)
  • Perplexity includes citations and links to original sources in each answer. (Perplexity Help Center)
  • Gemini sometimes shows links to sources below its answers; not every answer has them. (Gemini Apps Help)

If you're leaving Grok over privacy

xAI may use your Grok conversations for training unless you turn off Improve the model, and a limited number of authorized staff may review them. (xAI Consumer FAQs) Our Grok privacy guide covers every setting.

The alternatives handle your chats differently:

  • ChatGPT: OpenAI marks its personal plans "Content is used to train our models", with an opt-out under Improve the model for everyone. The Go plan may include ads. (OpenAI pricing; OpenAI Help Center)
  • Claude: since September 2025, Anthropic trains new models on chats from Free, Pro, and Max users who allow it, and keeps that data for five years. (Anthropic)
  • Gemini: Keep Activity is on by default for adults, and chats saved with it are used to train Google's AI models, with human review. (Gemini Apps Help)
  • Meta AI: messages to Meta's AI chats can be used to train AI models, and Meta's help pages describe no setting that turns that off. (Meta Privacy Center)
  • Perplexity: on Free, Pro, and Max, AI data retention is on by default and your data may be used to train AI models until you turn it off. (Perplexity Help Center)
  • Venice: chat history stays on your device. In its Anonymous mode, which carries GPT, Claude, and Gemini, Venice says to assume the provider stores your content; in Private mode, no prompt or response is stored under contract. (Venice privacy)

Use Grok and other models in Bearly

If you want to keep using Grok models next to GPT, Claude, and Gemini, Bearly puts them in one app. With ZDR mode on, every chat model you can pick runs with zero data retention. That means the provider running the model doesn't keep your prompt or the answer once it has finished processing them. Our AI proxy doesn't store your prompts or the answers either. Bearly doesn't train AI models on your chats, has no ads, and doesn't sell your data.

To turn it on:

  1. In Bearly, open your account menu at the bottom of the sidebar and choose App Settings.
  2. Select Privacy & Security.
  3. Turn on Zero Data Retention only.
  4. Start a chat and choose a Grok model, or any other model, from the model picker.

With the setting on, the picker shows only zero-retention models, and automatic fallbacks stay on them too. Each model carries a ZDR badge. The setting belongs to your account, so it follows you to your other devices. (Bearly docs: zero data retention)

What it covers: the models that write chat replies. Web search, image generation, voice, and memory run separately. Web search sends the provider your query, never your name, account, or IP address. Your chats are still saved in your Bearly history so you can come back to them. In the same pane, select Set up end-to-end encryption, and new chats are encrypted on your devices; we store and sync only the locked copies.

Questions people ask

What can I use instead of Grok?

Alternatives to Grok include ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Meta AI, Perplexity, and Venice. They differ in models, image and video tools, web search, and what they do with your chats. Bearly puts Grok in one app with Claude, GPT, and Gemini, with ZDR mode and end-to-end encrypted chats.

Is there a free alternative to Grok?

Yes. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Venice each have a free plan, with lower limits than their paid plans. Bearly has a free plan too; sign up with a personal email address, and no credit card is needed.

What is an alternative to Grok for image generation?

ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Venice create images, and Bearly creates images and video. Gemini makes videos with a Google AI plan, Perplexity on Pro and Max, and Meta AI makes short AI videos called vibes. Claude doesn't generate images.

Is there an unrestricted alternative to Grok?

Venice lists its free plan as "Private & uncensored" and offers "No Filter AI Characters" on Pro. Bearly isn't sold as an uncensored AI. It runs models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI, and other labs.

Can I use Grok models without the Grok app?

Yes. Bearly offers Grok models next to Claude, GPT, and Gemini, and with ZDR mode on, they run with zero data retention. Perplexity's Pro and Max plans include Grok 4.7, and Venice offers Grok in its Private mode.

Related

Sources

All checked November 11, 2026.

Try ZDR mode on your next question.

Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok, and more in one app. Turn on Zero Data Retention only in Settings, then pick a model.

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