Moving beyond the $20 industry standard, Google’s aggressive new tier brings advanced Gemini models, creative tools, and cloud storage to the masses at less than half the price of the Pro plan.
- Aggressive Pricing Strategy: Google has launched “AI Plus” at just $7.99/month in 35 countries (including the U.S.), significantly undercutting the standard $19.99 premium AI price point.
- Packed with Features: The plan includes access to Gemini 3 Pro, Nano Banana Pro, AI filmmaking tools in Flow, and 200GB of shareable storage.
- Strategic Tiering: While offering more power than the free version (including Deep Research and more video credits), it reserves deep Workspace integration and 2TB storage for the higher-end “AI Pro” users.
The landscape of consumer artificial intelligence just became significantly more accessible. In a move likely to pressure competitors who have standardized around a $20 monthly price point, Google today announced the immediate expansion of its new, budget-friendly Google AI Plus subscription. Priced at just $7.99 per month, this new tier is now available in 35 countries and territories, including the United States, effectively bridging the wide gap between free, limited AI tools and expensive power-user subscriptions.
A New Entry Point for Premium AI
Until now, users who wanted more than the basic, free experience had to jump straight to the Google AI Pro plan, which costs $19.99 per month. The new AI Plus plan lowers the barrier to entry significantly.
To make the launch even more enticing, Google is offering a limited-time promotion for new subscribers: a 50 percent discount for the first two months. This drops the entry price to a mere $3.99 per month before the standard rate kicks in, allowing curious users to test drive premium features for the price of a cup of coffee. Furthermore, existing Google One Premium 2TB customers (paying $9.99/month) will automatically receive these AI Plus benefits in the coming days, adding substantial value to their existing cloud storage plans.
What $7.99 Actually Buys You
Google hasn’t just lowered the price; they have packed the tier with legitimate utility rather than stripping it down to the basics. At the core of the subscription is access to Gemini 3 Pro and Nano Banana Pro within the Gemini app. These models offer reasoning and performance capabilities that far outstrip the standard free models.
Beyond raw chat capabilities, the plan is designed for creators and researchers. Subscribers gain access to:
- AI Filmmaking tools in Flow: For video generation and editing.
- NotebookLM: Advanced research and writing assistance, widely praised for its ability to synthesize documents.
- Deep Research: A feature allowing the AI to perform more comprehensive information gathering than the standard model.
- Storage: 200GB of cloud storage, which can be shared with up to five family members, making this a hybrid utility/AI subscription.
Video generation enthusiasts also get a boost. AI Plus includes 200 monthly AI credits for video generation—100 more credits than the free tier—along with limited access to Veo 3.1 Fast.
The “Goldilocks” Tier: Where it Fits
From a broader perspective, Google is meticulously segmentation its user base. The free tier remains capable but has strict limits on Gemini 3 Pro and video generation. The new AI Plus tier removes many of those “annoyance friction” points for casual power users.
However, Google has been careful to protect the value of its top-tier $19.99 AI Pro plan. For users debating between the two, the Pro plan remains the choice for heavy-duty workflow integration. The Pro tier offers significantly higher usage limits, more AI credits, and exclusive access to Gemini in Workspace apps (like Docs and Gmail). It also includes Gemini Code Assist with higher daily limits, access to Whisk, broader access to Flow, Google Home Premium, and a massive 2TB of storage.
By introducing AI Plus, Google is acknowledging that while not everyone needs AI inside their word processor or 2TB of storage, millions of users are willing to pay a smaller fee for a smarter, faster, and less restricted chatbot experience. This move may well set a new pricing baseline for the consumer AI market.