Gemini is Google's AI assistant, usable free with any personal Google account and upgraded through the Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra plans sold via Google One. What decides whether it suits you is how much context window and usage you need, since the free tier is capped at a 32,000 token context window while Pro and Ultra rise to 1 million.
What is Gemini?
Gemini is made by Google LLC, headquartered in the United States. It runs on the web at gemini.google.com, as desktop apps for Mac and Windows, and as mobile apps for iOS and Android.
What you can do with Gemini
Which models you get now depends on your plan. Without a paid plan, and on Google AI Plus, Gemini runs Google's Flash models, with Plus listing Gemini 3.6 Flash. Google AI Pro and Ultra add Gemini 4 Argon, Google's newest frontier model, released in October 2026, along with expanded access to Gemini 3.1 Pro. Only Google's own models are offered inside the app, and Ultra additionally unlocks a Deep Think reasoning mode.
Web search with linked sources is included, and Deep Research conducts in-depth research using Google Search as a source by default. Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers can generate Deep Research reports using the Pro model for higher quality, and Ultra adds report visuals such as charts and diagrams.
Gemini accepts uploaded documents, spreadsheets, notebooks, photos and videos for summaries and insights. It also generates images with Nano Banana 2, and paid subscribers additionally get Nano Banana Pro for regenerating images.
Gemini Live, the voice mode, is available in the mobile app but not in the web app or in Gemini inside Google Messages.
Gemini Spark is a personal AI agent that automates workflows and manages schedules for ongoing tasks; it requires a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription and a personal Google account, and is not available with a work or school account. Canvas lets Gemini build and edit apps and code with a live preview and a console for errors.
Memory of past chats is available to personal Google accounts with the Keep Activity setting turned on, though not inside Gems or Live chats. Projects are organized through the connected Gemini Notebook, also limited to personal accounts.
Through Connected Apps, Gemini can read from Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Flights, Google Hotels, YouTube, YouTube Music, Spotify, WhatsApp, Google Home and Google Photos, and it can search Google Search directly.
Working with other people
Gemini does not have a shared team workspace; the personal plans instead support family sharing of plan benefits with up to five other people. Google also offers a separate developer API, priced apart from the app. Gemini itself runs on the web, on Mac and Windows desktop apps, and on iOS and Android.
Gemini pricing: what each plan gives
Without a paid plan, Gemini gives standard usage limits that refresh every 5 hours up to a weekly limit, Google's Flash models, and a 32,000 token context window.
Google AI Plus costs $4.99 a month and gives 2 times the usage limits of the free tier, Gemini 3.6 Flash and a 128,000 token context window. Google AI Pro costs $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year, gives 4 times the free usage and raises the context window to 1 million tokens, adds Gemini 4 Argon, and gives higher quality Deep Research reports using the Pro model.
Google AI Ultra is sold in two tiers: Ultra 5x costs $99.99 a month and Ultra 20x costs $199.99 a month. Ultra additionally unlocks the Deep Think reasoning mode and adds report visuals such as charts and diagrams to Deep Research.
Privacy and security
Google uses your Gemini chats to improve its services, including the generative AI models behind them, unless you turn off the Keep Activity setting, which stops future chats being used this way. Memory of past chats needs Keep Activity on, so switching it off also turns memory off. Google's privacy policy sets out your rights under the GDPR in the EU.
Support is through the help centre and the Gemini help community.
Who Gemini suits
Gemini suits people who already use Google apps day to day, since it reads from Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Maps and other Google services, and who want a free plan usable with any personal Google account. It also suits anyone who wants a very large context window, since Pro and Ultra subscribers get 1 million tokens.
It suits less well anyone on the free tier who needs more than a 32,000 token context window, since reaching 1 million tokens requires the Pro or Ultra plan. It also suits less well teams, since Gemini has no shared team workspace, and anyone who wants voice conversations in the browser, since Gemini Live is limited to the mobile app.
How Gemini compares
Gemini scores 7.9 out of 10 among the AI assistants we rate. These two do the same job and are the closest to it, compared on what each vendor publishes.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT gives teams a shared workspace on its Business plan, for teams of 2 to 200 employees; Gemini has no equivalent, since family sharing only splits storage across up to 5 people. Gemini's cheapest paid plan is $4.99 a month, well under ChatGPT's $8, though Gemini's Plus tier only doubles usage over free rather than opening full access. Gemini's voice conversation only works in its mobile app, while ChatGPT gives voice on the free plan already.
Pick ChatGPT if you need a team workspace or voice conversation on the web.
Pick Gemini if you want the lowest entry price and voice on mobile is enough.
Claude
Gemini's voice conversation only works in its mobile app, not on the web or in Google Messages; Claude offers voice conversation on Free and every paid plan, with its own language setting. Gemini makes images and Claude does not, and Gemini's cheapest paid plan is $4.99 a month against Claude's $20, though Gemini's Plus tier only doubles usage over free. Claude also gives teams a shared workspace, which Gemini has no equivalent for.
Pick Claude if you want a team workspace and voice conversation on the web.
Pick Gemini if you want the cheapest plan and can use voice on mobile only.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Gemini cost?
Gemini is free to use with any personal Google account. Paid plans run from Google AI Plus at $4.99 a month, through Google AI Pro at $19.99 a month, up to Google AI Ultra at $99.99 or $199.99 a month. These are personal subscriptions, and each can be shared with up to five family members.
Which Gemini models can I use, and on which plan?
Without a paid plan and on Google AI Plus, you get Google's Flash models (Plus lists Gemini 3.6 Flash). Gemini 4 Argon, Google's newest frontier model, and expanded access to Gemini 3.1 Pro need Google AI Pro or Ultra, and only Ultra unlocks the Deep Think reasoning mode.
What does Gemini Spark do?
Gemini Spark is a personal AI agent that automates workflows and manages schedules for ongoing tasks. It requires a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription and a personal Google account, and is not available with a work or school account.
Does Gemini train on my chats?
Yes, unless you opt out. Google uses Gemini chats to improve its services and generative AI models, and turning off the Keep Activity setting stops future chats being used this way.
