Google's $8 Ai Plus Plan Is Here - Should You Switch From The $20 Pro?

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• AI Plus is now disposable successful 34 countries, including nan US.
• At $7.99 a month, AI Plus offers much entree than nan free plan.
• You tin upgrade from free aliases downgrade from AI Pro.

Google users astir nan world who want an other dose of Gemini tin now snag a much budget-friendly AI plan. On Tuesday, nan institution announced that its AI Plus scheme has expanded to nan US and 34 different countries pursuing an first rollout past year.

Priced astatine $7.99 a period (with 50% disconnected nan first 2 months), nan AI Plus plan is designed arsenic a cheaper replacement to nan AI Pro scheme astatine $19.99 a period and nan AI Ultra scheme astatine a whopping $250 a month. AI Plus is besides a measurement for users to get much AI features and perks than are disposable done a free Google account.

Also: Inside nan making of Gemini 3 - really Google's slow and dependable attack won nan AI title (for now)

In general, each successive scheme offers not conscionable further features but besides greater entree to nan aforesaid features. And that's surely existent pinch nan AI Plus scheme complete a free Google plan.

What does AI Plus include?

To commencement off, AI Plus offers enhanced entree to nan Gemini 3 Pro model, Deep Research, image procreation pinch Nano Banana Pro, and video procreation pinch Veo 3.1 Fast. The scheme besides doles retired 200 credits a period for video procreation pinch Google Flow and Whisk, up from nan 100 credits that travel pinch a free account.

Free and AI Plus users tin get investigation and penning assistance from NotebookLM. But Plus users are besides capable to pat into much audio overviews, notebooks, and more. Further, nan Plus scheme gives users entree to Gemini successful Chrome, Gmail, and different Google apps.

Also: I utilized these viral Gemini prompts to find nan cheapest formation imaginable - present are nan results

You tin stock each of nan benefits of an AI Plus scheme pinch up to 5 different people. And you're granted a hefty 200GB of retention for your emails, photos, and Google Drive files, compared pinch conscionable 15GB connected nan free plan. Google One Premium 2TB subscribers will besides get each nan features of AI Plus complete nan adjacent fewer days.

Initially rolled retired successful Indonesia successful early Sept. 2025, nan AI Plus scheme past arrived successful 40 much countries later nan aforesaid month. With nan latest description , nan scheme is now disposable successful nan US, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and a big of different regions astir nan world.

Is AI Plus worthy nan price? 

That depends connected your existent level of entree and really often you request to usage Gemini and nan various AI features and tools.

If you're presently utilizing a free Google relationship to entree Gemini and are bumping into limitations, past nan AI Plus scheme is surely worthy considering. You should find that you're capable to usage Gemini Pro and nan image and video procreation devices much frequently.

If you're presently subscribed to an AI Pro scheme and aren't utilizing nan AI features each that much, you whitethorn want to downgrade to AI Plus and prevention yourself $13 a month.

Also: Gemini tin look done your emails and photos to 'help' you now - but should you fto it?

I presently salary for an AI Pro plan, but I bask a 50% discount arsenic a perk done my Verizon subscription. So nan quality betwixt $9.99 a period and $7.99 a period isn't capable to coax maine to move from AI Pro to AI Plus. But if nan discount wasn't available, past I'd astir apt downgrade to AI Plus.

Whatever you take to do, nan determination isn't written successful stone. Since nan plans are offered connected a monthly basis, you tin move among them arsenic you'd for illustration and spot which 1 useful best.

Free vs. AI Plus vs. AI Pro perks

To further thief you decide, this floor plan from Google lists nan perks among nan free, AI Plus, and AI Pro plans.

Google

How do Google's AI plans comparison to ChatGPT? 

They're rather similar. Like Google, OpenAI offers 1 free tier and 3 paid subscriptions: ChatGPT Go astatine $8 a month, ChatGPT Plus astatine $20 a month, and ChatGPT Pro astatine $200 a month. The features and perks are somewhat comparable, and either ChatGPT aliases Gemini should beryllium capable to tackle moreover your astir challenging questions and requests.

Also: Is ChatGPT Plus still worthy your $20? I compared it to nan Free, Go, and Pro plans - here's my advice

In nan past, I apt would've recommended ChatGPT arsenic your go-to AI. But pinch nan motorboat of Gemini 3, Google's AI has been outperforming its awesome rival successful speed, performance, and wide smarts.