xAI · Beginner → Intermediate · 8 lessons · about 73 minutes · updated 2026-09-04
Grok 101: The Complete Beginner's Course (Pricing-First)
Learn what Grok is, which model to pick, what it really costs, and how to keep the bill small.
People who already use X and keep seeing Grok, developers weighing the xAI API against OpenAI or Anthropic, and anyone deciding whether X Premium or SuperGrok is worth paying for.
Course outline
- 1What is Grok?Grok is xAI's family of large language models, built into X and sold separately as an API. This lesson covers who makes it, what it is good at, and where it falls short.7 min · 3 objectives
- 2Grok models explainedGrok 4, Grok 4 Fast, Grok 4.3, Grok 4.5, Grok 4.6, Grok 4.20 and Grok Build 0.1: what each is for, what each costs, and how big their context windows are.9 min · 3 objectives
- 3Pricing and plansGrok is paid for in three ways: a free allowance inside X, paid X Premium and SuperGrok plans, and the pay-per-token xAI API. Here is what each one is worth.9 min · 3 objectives
- 4Getting started: your first 15 minutesOpen Grok inside X or the Grok app, learn the interface, set the two settings that matter, and complete a first real task.8 min · 3 objectives
- 5Prompting basics for GrokA prompt is instructions plus context plus a target format. Three before-and-after examples show how to get better Grok answers without more tokens.9 min · 3 objectives
- 6Everyday workflowsFive concrete workflows for writing, research, coding, data, and planning, with what each costs on the free allowance, a paid plan, and the API.10 min · 3 objectives
- 7xAI API quickstartWhen the API beats a subscription, how to call it with an OpenAI-compatible client in curl and Python, and how tokens and cached input affect the bill.10 min · 3 objectives
- 8Cost control: the cheapest way to the resultRoute tasks to the cheapest model that works, cache what repeats, batch what can wait, and know when to downgrade or cancel. Plus the red flags that say you are overpaying.11 min · 3 objectives
Frequently asked
Who makes Grok?
xAI, the AI company founded by Elon Musk in 2023. The consumer product is built into X and the standalone Grok apps; developers use the xAI API.
What is the difference between X Premium and SuperGrok?
X Premium is the X subscription that includes Grok access alongside other X features. SuperGrok is the standalone Grok plan for people who only want the assistant. Prices and limits are on the official page at https://x.ai.
Which Grok model is cheapest on the API?
Grok 4 Fast, which lists at $0.20 per 1M input and $0.50 per 1M output in our catalogue at the time of writing. Live figures are on the price ladder at the top of this course.
Is the xAI API compatible with OpenAI code?
Yes. Point the OpenAI client at https://api.x.ai/v1 with an xAI key and use a Grok model id. Most existing chat-completion code works unchanged.
Does Grok support prompt caching?
xAI lists a discounted cached-input rate on its official pricing page. Keep the stable part of your prompt first and identical between calls to benefit.
How is this course different from Anthropic's Claude 101?
Same lesson structure, different product, and every lesson here is written cost-first: which model, which plan, and what a task really costs.