Grok’s AI companions drove downloads, but its latest model is the one making money

Grok's recent launch of its AI model, Grok 4, has sparked significant financial gains for the application, overshadowing its more controversial AI companions. Released on July 9 by Elon Musk's xAI, Grok 4 saw an impressive 325% surge in revenue on iOS within two days, climbing from $99,000 to $419,000 by July 11, according to Appfigures, a firm specializing in app intelligence. Following the Grok 4 debut, revenue remained robust, peaking in the high $367,000s over the next few days before settling at $310,000 on July 14. Simultaneously, daily downloads of the Grok iOS app surged by 279%, reaching 197,000 compared to 52,000 prior to the launch. However, the introduction of Grok's AI companions a week later did not replicate this explosive growth in revenue and downloads. Despite a 40% increase in global downloads to 171,000 the day after the companions became available, revenue only saw a marginal rise of 9%, totaling $337,000. This indicates that while interest in the companions attracted more users, they have yet to significantly contribute to the company's profits, especially as they are only accessible to “Super Grok” subscribers who pay $30 per month. The rollout of Grok 4 included a new $300-per-month subscription option known as SuperGrok Heavy, which grants subscribers early access to Grok 4 Heavy and other premium features. This pricing strategy places Grok's offerings above those of notable competitors like OpenAI and Google. The initial excitement surrounding Grok 4 also positively impacted its ranking on the U.S. App Store, propelling it to the No. 3 overall spot and No. 2 in the Productivity category by July 12. Although the app's popularity has declined slightly, it remains a strong contender, currently positioned at No. 17 overall and retaining its No. 2 status in Productivity. Appfigures' analysis focused on iOS, as the data for Android is still being processed, reflecting the ongoing interest in Grok's advancements and subscription plans despite initial concerns about its reliance on Elon Musk's social media posts for content.