Is Grok-1 still available for download?

Yes, Grok-1 was released with open weights, so the model parameters can be downloaded from public repositories and used locally or in custom environments.

Can Grok 4 process images as well as text?

Grok 4 is described as multimodal, which means it accepts both text and image inputs, allowing it to reason about visual content in addition to language.

Does Grok-1 support tool use or external API calls?

The documented capabilities for Grok-1 focus on chat and open weights; there is no mention of built‑in tool use, so external API integration would need to be added by the user.

Why would someone choose the closed‑weights Grok 4 over the open‑weights Grok-1?

A user might pick Grok 4 for its much larger context window, multimodal understanding, and explicit reasoning and tool‑use abilities, which are advantageous for complex tasks that exceed the scope of a text‑only, 8k‑token model.

Are there any known licensing restrictions for Grok 4?

As a closed‑weights model, Grok 4’s usage is governed by xAI’s terms of service; specific licensing details are not published in the provided facts, so users should consult xAI’s official documentation for exact restrictions.

Comparison · Updated Aug 25, 2026

Grok-1 vs Grok 4

Comparison of xAI's Grok-1 (2023, open‑weights, 8k‑token text LLM) and Grok 4 (2025, closed‑weights, 256k‑token multimodal reasoning model).

Model A

Grok-1

First Grok model from xAI, later open-sourced.

Nov 4, 2023

Model B

Grok 4

xAI's Grok 4 reasoning flagship.

Jul 9, 2025

Differences

Attribute	Grok-1	Grok 4
Developer	xAI	xAI
Released	2023-11-04	2025-07-09
Open weights	true	false
Modality	Text‑only	Multimodal
Context window	8192 tokens	256000 tokens
Capabilities	Chat, open weights	Reasoning, tool use
Best for	Experimentation and fine‑tuning on text tasks	Advanced reasoning, tool use, and multimodal applications

Verdict

Grok-1 suits developers who want an open‑weight model for experimentation and fine‑tuning on text‑only tasks. Grok 4 is aimed at users needing advanced reasoning, tool use, and multimodal input with a large context window.

Analysis

Overview Grok-1 and Grok 4 are both large language models developed by xAI, but they represent different generations and design priorities. Grok-1, released in November 2023, was the first model in the Grok series and was later made available with open weights, allowing researchers and developers to inspect, modify, and fine‑tune it. It is a text‑only model with a context window of 8,192 tokens and is positioned as a general‑purpose chat LLM.

Grok 4, released in July 2025, is described as xAI’s reasoning flagship. Unlike its predecessor, it is a closed‑weights model, meaning the parameters are not publicly available. Grok 4 supports multimodal input, typically text and image, and offers a substantially larger context window of 256,000 tokens. Its advertised capabilities emphasize reasoning and tool use, suggesting it is built to handle complex, multi‑step tasks that may involve external APIs or data sources.

Where they differ The most apparent differences lie in accessibility, modality, and scale. Grok-1’s open‑weights status enables community‑driven experimentation, while Grok 4’s closed weights restrict usage to xAI‑provided interfaces or licensed access. Modality separates the two: Grok-1 processes only textual data, whereas Grok 4 can understand and generate responses that incorporate visual information. The context window expands by two orders of magnitude, allowing Grok 4 to retain far more information over long documents or conversations. Capability-wise, Grok-1 is optimized for conversational fluency, while Grok 4 adds explicit reasoning chains and the ability to invoke tools, aligning it more closely with agent‑oriented workflows.

Which to choose Choose Grok-1 if you need a transparent, modifiable model for research, educational purposes, or building custom text‑based applications where the 8k token limit suffices. Its open nature makes it ideal for fine‑tuning on domain‑specific corpora. Opt for Grok 4 when your use case demands handling of lengthy inputs, visual understanding, or complex reasoning that benefits from tool integration, and you are willing to work within a closed‑ecosystem environment provided by xAI. The decision ultimately hinges on whether model accessibility and simplicity (Grok-1) outweigh the need for advanced multimodal reasoning and large‑scale context (Grok 4).

Frequently asked

Is Grok-1 still available for download?: Yes, Grok-1 was released with open weights, so the model parameters can be downloaded from public repositories and used locally or in custom environments.
Can Grok 4 process images as well as text?: Grok 4 is described as multimodal, which means it accepts both text and image inputs, allowing it to reason about visual content in addition to language.
Does Grok-1 support tool use or external API calls?: The documented capabilities for Grok-1 focus on chat and open weights; there is no mention of built‑in tool use, so external API integration would need to be added by the user.
Why would someone choose the closed‑weights Grok 4 over the open‑weights Grok-1?: A user might pick Grok 4 for its much larger context window, multimodal understanding, and explicit reasoning and tool‑use abilities, which are advantageous for complex tasks that exceed the scope of a text‑only, 8k‑token model.
Are there any known licensing restrictions for Grok 4?: As a closed‑weights model, Grok 4’s usage is governed by xAI’s terms of service; specific licensing details are not published in the provided facts, so users should consult xAI’s official documentation for exact restrictions.