Custard vs. Grok Build
Short answer: Grok Build is xAI's coding agent for the terminal. Custard doesn't run it yet; it brings the agents you already have into one Mac app.
Side by side.
| Question | Grok Build | Custard |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Grok BuildxAI's agentic coding CLI, in your terminal. | CustardA Mac app where the coding agents you already have work as a team. |
| Agents it runs | Grok BuildGrok Build, on xAI's Grok models. | CustardClaude Code, Codex, OpenCode and Antigravity. Pick one per job, or mix them. |
| Remembers who's who | Grok BuildSessions in your terminal. | CustardNamed Agents with a job and a face, who remember your decisions across Threads. |
| Several on one job | Grok BuildSub-agents, all Grok. | CustardGroupies: agents from different makers split the work and check each other. |
| Where it runs | Grok BuildYour terminal, or headless in CI. | CustardOn your Mac, next to your code. No Custard cloud in the middle. |
| Sign-in | Grok BuildYour xAI account or an xAI API key. | CustardNo new account. Codex, OpenCode and Antigravity keep their sign-ins; Claude Code uses your Anthropic API key. |
Checked against each product's own pages in November 2026.
Where Grok Build is ahead today.
- It runs on Linux and headless in CI. Custard is a Mac app you work beside.
- It's out now. Custard hasn't launched yet.
Which one's for you?
Pick Grok Build if…
you want Grok's models, you live in the terminal, and one agent at a time suits you.
Add Custard if…
you'd rather mix Claude, OpenAI and open models on one job, in a window you can glance at, with agents that remember.
Custard doesn't run Grok Build today. It runs Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and Antigravity, and OpenCode reaches models from many labs.
Custard isn't for you yet if you're on Windows or Linux, want AI typing beside you in your editor, or need agents running in the cloud while your Mac is off.
Bring your agents.
Made for the Mac.