Google is curtailing access to its Gemini artificial intelligence models for free users, limiting them to the Flash-Lite version starting October 9. The company also announced that subscribers to its $4.99 per month Google AI Plus plan will lose access to the Gemini Pro model.
Under the new structure, free users will only be able to utilize Gemini Flash-Lite for their inquiries. Previously, free users had access to Gemini Flash and Pro models. The AI Plus subscription tier, which costs $4.99 per month in the U.S., will retain access to Flash-Lite and Flash but will no longer include Gemini Pro. Google stated that AI Plus subscribers will receive an email detailing when these changes will take effect for their accounts.
Users who subscribe to the Google AI Pro plan, priced at $19.99 per month, or the Google AI Ultra plan, will continue to have access to Gemini Flash-Lite, Flash, and Pro. Additionally, AI Pro subscribers will gain access to the "Deep Think" option, a feature previously exclusive to the AI Ultra tier, which offers advanced reasoning capabilities.
Google is also introducing "effort level" options for its models, allowing users to select between low, medium, and high settings. These settings influence the model's ability to complete tasks and the thoroughness of its responses, with higher effort levels consuming more of a user's allowance.
The changes affect personal Google accounts, and the company has not specified if work or school accounts will be impacted. Previously, Google's plans page indicated that the free tier included varying access to Gemini 3.1 Pro.