Grok.

Grok is better than ChatGPT.

Jan 07, 2026

∙ Paid

Grok is (as of now) better than ChatGPT.

And I’m not a light user of ChatGPT: I’ve been using it since GPT-1 in February 2019, then GPT-3 in November 2022 (I told the whole story in my about section).

So switching LLMs is a big deal for me.

I already felt this trend in my article ChatGPT is declining.

It was exactly one month ago. And I felt like even the (back then, potential) new GPT-5.2 would not be enough.

I felt ChatGPT would not take back its crown. And they didn’t.

Instead, I’m using:

Claude to write. It’s the best AI for creative writing.
Gemini for images and videos. Unmatched performance for media.

But what about the “all-rounder” AI to search and get answers?

ChatGPT? Perplexity?

Nope. It’s Grok.

First stop: get cheaper flight tickets with Grok.

1. Grok to get cheaper flight tickets.

So Grok can get you cheaper flight tickets.

Sounds a bit crazy, but I tried, and (I can’t believe) it works.

I tested with me going to Buenos Aires from Tel Aviv in February:

The cheapest flight is $1,386. Alright. And then I asked Grok to find a better price:

And I finally asked for the result to be on a table:

And it goes even deeper with advice on how to book my flight.

It even told me when to book it, what to avoid & why. Read our conversion here.

You want the exact ticket? You can:

I made this chat for you to check it.

And here is a list of prompts to test & hopefully get cheaper flights:

Flexible Dates and Timing Prompt:

I’m flying from [origin] to [destination] around [month/year]. Find the cheapest dates to depart and return, based on pricing patterns.”

Nearby Airports Prompt:

Suggest alternate airports within 200km of [origin/destination] that might have cheaper flights, and estimate savings.”

Route Hacks (e.g., Hidden-City or Multi-City) Prompt:

Find routes where [destination] is a layover on a longer trip, making it cheaper than direct.”

Error Fares and Deals Prompt:

Hunt for mistake fares or deals from [region] to anywhere in [area].”

Comprehensive Comparison Prompt:

Act as a budget travel expert: Compare current prices for [route/dates] across Google Flights, Kayak, airline sites, and suggest the best option.”

These prompts were just little candies to give you a quick win.

Turns out I’m not the only one excited about it: Grok updated faster than the airline and literally saved a guy from missing his flight at the airport.

Cheaper flight tickets are level 1. Let’s get deeper now. Like AI & politics.

2. Grok and politics.

I promised myself a while back to never mention politics here.

And I consider this closer to “seeking truth” than to politics.

A couple of hours after Maduro’s capture in Venezuela, someone asked both ChatGPT and Grok: “Are people happy that Maduro has been captured?”

ChatGPT’s answer: “Maduro has not been captured.”

Grok’s answer: “Yes, people are happy Maduro has been captured”.

So why is it a big deal? Because a couple of hours after such a major global event, you want to have access to the (1) quickest (2) most accurate news possible.

We used to Google stuff. Now we “ChatGPT” stuff.

But turns out the only right answer is to use Grok.

And the reason why is simple: it’s the only LLM connected to X (Twitter). And X is the town hall of the internet. Everything happens there first.

Donald Trump and his administration mocked over detail in Venezuela situation room — US War Room for Venezuela. You can see X feed (Twitter) in the background.

That’s the #1 best feature of Grok: searching tweets.

3. Grok to search tweets.

Grok is an xAI company, led by Elon Musk, who also owns X (and Tesla, another major AI company besides its car manufacturing).

They built this datacenter in 122 days:

Sure, Google has infinite money and data.

Then ChatGPT has (had?) the consumers with 800 million active users.

Claude has the coding community (+ the writers who know how good it is).

But Grok will be impossible to ignore in 2026.

Tons of data from X + tweets (and potentially Tesla?).
Seemingly infinite money, they just announced raising another $20 billion.

Being connected to tweets (from X) is impossible not to consider when you seek the best LLM to do anything.

Whether you like it or not, X is where everything happens first on the internet.

Politics. Revolution. AI discoveries. Crypto. Fraud.

And being (actually) plugged into X instant news is too strong.

No LLM can match this. Not even Gemini from Google.

That’s why I stopped using Perplexity & ChatGPT to ask for news:

So Grok #1 skill is how connected it is to the internet, especially to X, the town hall of the internet. It gives you the right context, before any other LLMs.

But that’s not it. Grok is also the most capable of reading documents like PDFs.

4. Grok to support (a lot of) PDFs.

Uploading docs is key.

✦ ChatGPT & Gemini can only take up to 10 files.

✦ Claude can only take up to 20 files.

✦ Perplexity can read up to 30 PDFs.

✦ Grok? I couldn’t find the limit (yet).

Here’s my side-by-side comparison:

But why is adding PDFs so important for LLMs (AI like ChatGPT or Grok)?

Because of hallucinations, LLMs make up things when answering.

And a recent academic paper showcased how to reduce it:

The best way to avoid it is with this simple prompt:

When answering, make sure to ONLY use the sources I uploaded.
You must answer following this template: “According to [source] …”

So now picture this: you added 30+ PDFs and ask Grok to only use these sources.

You successfully reduce hallucinations.

“But Ruben, what should I upload?”

You are the one steering the AI.

1. Content Creation & Marketing

Brand guidelines / style guides
Why: Make sure Grok matches your brand’s voice, tone, visual rules, messaging pillars, and dos/don’ts. Examples: Full brand book PDF, tone-of-voice document, editorial style guide. Tips: Upload the most up-to-date version; highlight specific sections if the file is long.
Creative or project briefs
Why: Gives Grok clear objectives, target audience, key messages, deliverables, and constraints.
Examples: Campaign brief, content brief, product launch brief, social media calendar brief. Tips: Include success metrics or examples of desired output.
Previous content examples
Why: Grok can analyze and replicate (or improve) your existing high-performing content.
Examples: Past blog posts, email campaigns, social media threads, ad copy, video scripts. Tips: Upload 3–5 strong examples rather than dozens.
Competitor or reference materials
Why: Helps Grok benchmark or differentiate your content.
Examples: Competitor landing pages (PDF export), swipe files, mood boards.

2. Research, Analysis & Summarization

Research papers, reports, or articles (PDFs)
Why: Grok can read, summarize, extract insights, compare findings, or answer specific questions with perfect fidelity to the source.
Examples: Academic papers, industry reports, whitepapers, earnings call transcripts.
Data files (CSV, Excel, JSON)
Why: Grok can perform analysis, visualize trends, run calculations, or generate insights directly from your data.
Examples: Sales data, user analytics, survey results, financial spreadsheets. Tips: Clean the data first; include a brief description of what each column means.
Meeting notes, transcripts, or call recordings (text/PDF)
Why: Grok can extract action items, summarize discussions, identify themes, or draft follow-ups.
Examples: Zoom/Teams transcripts, interview notes, workshop outputs.

3. Personal & Professional Development

Resumes, CVs, or LinkedIn profiles (PDF/text)
Why: Grok can give targeted feedback, suggest improvements, tailor cover letters, or prepare you for interviews.
Tips: Upload both your current version and the job description for comparison.
Performance reviews or feedback documents
Why: Helps Grok provide objective coaching or development plans.
Examples: 360-degree feedback, past review documents.
Learning materials
Why: Grok can quiz you, explain concepts, or create study guides based on your specific curriculum.
Examples: Course syllabi, textbooks (PDF sections), certification study guides.

4. Creative & Visual Tasks

Reference images or mood boards
Why: Grok can describe, analyze, or suggest edits; you can then ask it to generate similar images (with confirmation).
Examples: Product photos, design mockups, inspiration images.
Storyboards, wireframes, or design files (PDF/image)
Why: Grok can critique layout, suggest improvements, or write copy.

5. Legal, Technical & Operational

Contracts, policies, or SOPs
Why: Grok can highlight risks, summarize clauses, suggest edits, or explain implications (with the standard disclaimer that it’s not legal advice).
Tips: Redact sensitive information; ask specific questions rather than broad reviews. Subscribe to Grok business for sensitive content.

General Best Practices for Uploading Sources

Prioritize relevance and recency: Upload the most current, authoritative version of any document.
Combine multiple files when needed: For complex tasks, upload a brief + brand guidelines + examples together.
Use clear instructions: After uploading, tell Grok exactly what to focus on (e.g., “Use the attached brand guidelines for tone and the brief for objectives”).
File types that work best: PDFs (for long documents), images (photos, screenshots, diagrams), text files, CSVs/Excel (data), Word docs.
Privacy note: Only upload information you’re comfortable sharing. Subscribe to the (new) Grok business to get SOC-2 compliance.

5. How I use Grok to get viral (before others).

I write content for a living.

Finding the right content at the right time is (by far) my most important task.

So I made a system, a suite of prompts, to find and write viral posts (before others).

How to AI