Grok 4.5 launched on July 8, 2026 at $2 per million input tokens and $6 per million output. You don’t have to pay that to try it. xAI is running a limited-time free window, Cursor is doubling usage for launch week, and a couple of quieter paths cover API testing too.
Here are the four paths that work right now, what each one is good for, and the catches. Time matters with this list: two of the four offers are explicitly temporary, and one expires around July 15.
Path 1: Grok Build (official free window)
The release page says it directly: “We’re offering free Grok 4.5 usage for a limited time in Grok Build and Cursor.”
Grok Build is xAI’s agentic workspace, and Grok 4.5 is now its default model. That means you get the full model, not a downgraded variant, for coding tasks, app scaffolding, and the Office-style work xAI demoed at launch (Excel models, PowerPoint decks, Word drafts).
How to start:
- Go to x.ai and open Grok Build, or install the Grok CLI:
curl -fsSL https://x.ai/cli/install.sh | bash - Sign in with an xAI account.
- Start a task. Grok 4.5 is selected by default.
The catch: “limited time” has no published end date. Free windows after model launches have historically lasted days to a few weeks, so treat this as a launch promotion, not a tier. Also note Grok 4.5 isn’t available in the EU yet in any xAI product; the company expects EU access mid-July.
Path 2: Cursor, with doubled usage through launch week
Grok 4.5 is included in Cursor on all paid plans as part of the first-party model pool, across desktop, web, iOS, CLI, and the SDK. For the first week after release, Cursor is doubling Grok 4.5 usage allowances.
If you already pay for Cursor, this is the strongest deal on the list: significant included usage of a launch-day frontier model, doubled, inside the editor where the model was trained in the first place. The week window puts the expiry around July 15, 2026.
How to start: update Cursor, open the model picker, select Grok 4.5. Our full Cursor setup guide covers the picker, the CLI, and how the usage accounting works.
The catch: you need a paid Cursor plan, so it’s “free” in the marginal sense: no extra cost on top of a subscription you already have.
Path 3: xAI console trial credits (for API testing)
If what you want is API access, not a chat window, check the xAI console. New accounts have received trial credits at signup, with reports ranging from $25 to $150 depending on timing and promotions.
At Grok 4.5’s rates, even $25 goes far for evaluation: roughly 4 million output tokens, or a few thousand typical coding responses. The model’s token efficiency stretches it further; xAI reports Grok 4.5 solves SWE Bench Pro tasks with about 15,954 output tokens on average, less than a quarter of what Opus 4.8 (max) uses.
How to start: create a console account, check the billing page for credits, generate a key, and follow our Grok 4.5 API guide for the first call.
The catch: credit amounts aren’t guaranteed and change without notice. Verify your balance before assuming anything.
Once you have a key, spend the credits wisely: test in Apidog with saved requests and assertions instead of re-typing curl commands, and mock the response shape for frontend work so exploratory clicks don’t burn your balance. Download Apidog free; the mock server alone typically saves more credits than any other trick here.
Path 4: the Grok CLI
xAI is pushing a terminal-first route this launch. The Grok CLI installs in one line:
curl -fsSL https://x.ai/cli/install.sh | bash
The CLI rides the same free Grok Build window as Path 1, so while the promotion runs you get Grok 4.5 agentic coding in your terminal at no cost. It’s the closest free analog to a Claude Code-style workflow with this model.
The catch: same undated “limited time” as Grok Build, and you’re working within xAI’s tooling rather than your own client.
What doesn’t work (yet)
Save yourself the searching:
- The free Grok tier on X/grok.com still serves lighter models with daily message caps. Nothing on the free consumer tier states Grok 4.5 access as of July 9.
- No free variant on OpenRouter. Grok 4.5 is listed there at standard paid rates. Aggregator routing helps with unified billing, not price.
- EU users are blocked entirely until roughly mid-July, on every path above. That’s an xAI availability decision, not a payment issue.
Which path should you pick?
| You are | Best path |
|---|---|
| Curious, no subscriptions | Grok Build free window (Path 1) |
| Already paying for Cursor | Doubled launch-week usage (Path 2) |
| Evaluating the API for a product | Console credits + Apidog (Path 3) |
| Terminal-native, Claude Code refugee | Grok CLI (Path 4) |
If you’re deciding whether the model deserves a paid slot in your stack afterward, start with what is Grok 4.5 for the honest benchmark picture, and Grok 4.5 pricing for what it costs once the free windows close.
FAQ
Is Grok 4.5 free right now? In Grok Build and Cursor, yes, for a limited time per xAI. The API is paid, minus any trial credits on your console account.
How long does the free period last? xAI hasn’t published an end date for the Grok Build window. Cursor’s doubled usage runs for the first week after the July 8 release, so plan on July 15.
Can I get the Grok 4.5 API for free permanently? No. Trial credits are one-time. After that it’s $2/$6 per million tokens; the pricing breakdown shows how far a dollar goes.
Does the X (Twitter) free tier include Grok 4.5? Not as of this writing. The consumer free tier runs lighter models with daily caps.
