# Grok Build CLI

xAI's terminal-native coding agent with parallel sub-agents and plan-mode workflow

**Verdict: caution.** Ambitious parallel-agent architecture with genuine differentiators — but critically undermined by undisclosed full-repo uploads to xAI servers, including .env secrets and unread files, despite 'local-first' marketing. Unsafe for production or proprietary codebases until xAI documents and makes optional the background upload channel. Last verified 2026-10-02.

Grok Build CLI is xAI's agentic coding command-line tool, launched May 14, 2026 as a direct competitor to Claude Code and OpenAI Codex CLI. It is a terminal-native Rust binary that runs an autonomous coding agent against your local codebase. xAI's Grok Build docs name grok-4.6 as "the same model that powers Grok Build" (the tool originally shipped on grok-build-0.1). The CLI reads your AGENTS.md, plugins, hooks, skills, and MCP servers out of the box, and supports ACP for integration into external agent orchestration apps.

Key features: Up to 8 parallel sub-agents each in their own Git worktree, Plan Mode that requires human approval before any file is touched, headless mode (-p) for CI/CD pipelines, and a fullscreen interactive TUI with mouse support. It scores 70.8% on SWE-Bench Verified (vs. Claude Code 87.6% and Codex CLI 88.7%).

On July 12, 2026, a security researcher published wire-level analysis showing Grok Build CLI v0.2.93 uploads the entire repository as a git bundle to xAI's GCS bucket 'grok-code-session-traces' via a background POST /v1/storage endpoint, including files the agent never reads and .env secrets verbatim. The 'Improve the model' opt-out toggle does not stop these uploads. This directly contradicts xAI's 'local-first' marketing claim that 'nothing from your codebase [is] transmitted to xAI servers during a session.'

## Strengths

- Parallel-heavy workloads (large migrations, test backfills) where 8 isolated worktrees compound
- Plan-first workflows that require human approval before any file mutations
- Teams already paying for SuperGrok or X Premium+ who want incremental value
- MCP-compatible setups — drop-in replacement if you already have MCP servers configured
- CI/CD headless mode (-p flag) for scripted automation and bot orchestration
- Any codebase containing secrets, proprietary source, or customer data — full repo is uploaded to xAI GCS without consent
- High-stakes single-task accuracy — 70.8% SWE-Bench trails Claude Code (87.6%) and Codex CLI (88.7%) by ~17 points
- Cost-sensitive solo developers — $99–$299/mo vs. $20/mo for Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus
- Air-gapped or compliance-heavy environments — undisclosed background upload channel breaks the local-first promise

## Pricing

- Model: paid
- SuperGrok Heavy: $299/mo ($99/mo intro 6mo)
- SuperGrok / X Premium+: Included with subscription
- API (grok-build-0.1): $1/$0.20/$2 per 1M input/cached/output

Website: https://x.ai/cli

## Sources

- [Medium / Can Demir — Grok Build: What xAI Actually Shipped (May 2026)](https://medium.com/@candemir13/grok-build-what-xai-actually-shipped-and-whats-overstated-f98961b0d301)
- [cereblab — Wire-level analysis of Grok Build CLI v0.2.93 on GitHub Gist](https://gist.github.com/cereblab/dc9a40bc26120f4540e4e09b75ffb547)
- [xAI — Grok Build CLI Launch Announcement](https://x.ai/news/grok-build-cli)
- [Digital Applied — xAI Grok Build CLI Launch: Parallel Coding Agents 2026](https://www.digitalapplied.com/blog/xai-grok-build-cli-parallel-coding-agents)
- [xAI docs pricing (STT $0.10/hr batch, $0.20/hr streaming)](https://docs.x.ai/developers/pricing)
- [ChatForest — Grok Build Review (May 23, 2026)](https://chatforest.com/reviews/xai-grok-build-coding-agent-cli-review-2026/)
- [BuildFastWithAI — Grok Build: xAI's Agent CLI Reviewed (2026)](https://www.buildfastwithai.com/blogs/grok-build-xai-cli-ai-agents-2026)
- [xAI Grok Build docs overview (features/models); cross-checked x.ai/news/grok-build-cli launch post (early beta, features) and docs.x.ai/developers/pricing](https://docs.x.ai/build/overview)
- [byteiota — Grok Build CLI Uploads Your Entire Repo to xAI Servers (Jul 12, 2026)](https://byteiota.com/grok-build-cli-uploads-repo-xai-servers/)
- [Developers Digest — Grok Build Developer Guide (Jun 27, 2026)](https://www.developersdigest.tech/blog/grok-build-developer-guide-2026)

Canonical: https://neomanex.com/directory/grok-build-cli