Gemini

Gemini is Google’s flagship AI assistant, born from the merger of Google Brain and DeepMind and rebranded from Bard in February 2024. After a rocky start that included a $100 billion stock crash and an image generation scandal, Gemini has staged a remarkable comeback. The November 2025 launch of Gemini 3 Pro established new benchmark records, reportedly triggering a “code red” at OpenAI. As of late 2025, Gemini serves 650 million monthly active users through its consumer app—making it the second-largest AI chatbot globally behind ChatGPT.

What sets Gemini apart is its 1-million-token context window (the largest among major assistants), deep integration across Google’s ecosystem, and aggressive pricing that bundles 2TB of cloud storage with the Pro tier. Whether you’re processing thousand-page documents, generating videos with Veo, or using AI across Gmail, Docs, and Sheets, this guide covers everything you need to know.

Quick stats

Pricing breakdown

Gemini’s pricing structure bundles AI capabilities with Google One storage, differentiating it from competitors offering standalone AI access. All prices are in USD.

Free — $0

The free tier is genuinely capable, not just a demo. You get:

• Gemini 2.5 Flash — Default model, unlimited usage
• Limited Gemini 3 Pro — Access to the flagship model with usage caps
• 32K token context window — Shorter than paid tiers but still substantial
• Gemini Live — Real-time voice conversations in 45+ languages
• Basic image generation — 2 images per day with Nano Banana Pro
• 5 Deep Research reports/month — Autonomous multi-source research
• File uploads — Up to 10 files at 100MB each (no spreadsheets/code)
• Google Workspace extensions — Gmail, Drive, Docs, Calendar, Maps, YouTube

Limitations: Spreadsheet and code file uploads restricted to paid tiers, shorter context window, no video generation, no custom Gems creation.

Worth it for: Casual users, students, anyone wanting a capable free AI assistant with Google integration.

Google AI Pro — $19.99/month

The sweet spot for regular users. Everything in Free, plus:

• Expanded Gemini 3 Pro access — ~100 prompts per day
• 1M token context window — Process documents up to ~1,500 pages
• 20 Deep Research reports/day — 4× the monthly free allocation, daily
• Custom Gems creation — Build unlimited personalised AI assistants
• Veo 3.1 Fast video generation — Create 8-second video clips
• Full Imagen 3 image generation — No daily limits
• 2TB Google One storage — Shareable with up to 5 family members
• Priority access — Faster responses during peak times

Free for students: University students in the US, UK, Japan, Brazil, and Indonesia get Pro free for one academic year.

Worth it for: Regular users who hit free tier limits, anyone wanting video generation, professionals needing long-context processing, Google ecosystem users who’d benefit from 2TB storage.

Subscribe to Google AI Pro →

Google AI Ultra — $249.99/month

For power users and professionals who need maximum capability. Everything in Pro, plus:

• Gemini 3 Deep Think — Advanced multi-hypothesis reasoning mode
• 500 prompts per day — 5× Pro allocation
• 200 Deep Research reports/day — 10× Pro allocation
• Full Veo 3.1 video generation — Extended clips, higher quality
• Project Mariner — Agentic browser automation (US only)
• YouTube Premium — Ad-free YouTube, YouTube Music included
• 30TB Google One storage — 15× Pro allocation
• Priority compute — Fastest available response times

Introductory pricing: 50% discount for the first three months ($124.99/month).

Worth it for: Researchers, consultants, heavy users who need Deep Think reasoning, anyone who’d pay for YouTube Premium separately anyway.

Learn more about Google AI Ultra →

Google Workspace — $14–22/user/month

As of January 2025, Google eliminated the separate Gemini add-on fee for business users. AI is now included in standard Workspace plans:

• Business Starter ($7.20/user/month) — Basic Gemini features
• Business Standard ($14.40/user/month) — Full Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet
• Business Plus ($21.60/user/month) — Everything in Standard plus enhanced security
• Enterprise (custom pricing) — Advanced compliance, unlimited storage, custom data controls

Previously, Gemini for Workspace cost $20–30/user/month as an add-on. Now it’s bundled free, making Google’s enterprise offering significantly more competitive with Microsoft Copilot.

Models powering Gemini

Gemini’s model lineup has evolved rapidly through 2025, culminating in the Gemini 3 family that now leads several benchmark categories.

Gemini 3 Pro (November 2025)

The flagship model achieved a record 1501 Elo score on LMArena and 37.5% on Humanity’s Last Exam—surpassing GPT-5.1’s 26.5% and Claude Sonnet 4.5’s 13.7%. Over 1 million users tried Gemini 3 within 24 hours of launch.

Key capabilities:

• 1M token input context (64K output)
• “Generative UI” — Dynamic interactive responses
• Native “vibe coding” for rapid prototyping
• State-of-the-art multimodal reasoning

Available to all tiers with usage limits on Free.

Gemini 3 Deep Think (December 2025)

Rolled out December 4, 2025 to Ultra subscribers, Deep Think uses parallel reasoning to explore multiple hypotheses simultaneously. Results:

• 41.0% on Humanity’s Last Exam (vs 37.5% standard)
• 45.1% on ARC-AGI-2 with code execution (leading all models)
• 1.4–2.3× latency cost for enhanced reasoning

Gemini 2.5 Pro and Flash

The 2.5 generation remains available for users who prefer proven stability:

• Gemini 2.5 Pro — Built-in “thinking” for complex reasoning, production workhorse
• Gemini 2.5 Flash — Fast and cost-effective, free tier default

Both support the full 1M token context window.

Gemini Nano

The on-device model runs locally on Pixel 9+ and Samsung Galaxy devices:

• No internet connection required
• Privacy-preserving (data never leaves device)
• Powers features like Call Notes, Smart Reply, and on-device summarisation

Features deep dive

Gemini Live voice mode

Gemini Live provides real-time conversational AI that feels genuinely natural. Unlike competitors that charge for voice mode, Gemini Live is free for all users (September 2024 expansion).

Key capabilities:

• 45+ languages supported with 10 voice options
• Natural interruption — Cut in mid-sentence, just like human conversation
• Adjustable speech rate — Speed up or slow down during conversation
• Emotionally responsive — Adapts tone based on conversation context
• Background operation — Continue conversations while using other apps

Limitations: Extensions (Gmail, Drive, etc.) aren’t accessible during voice conversations yet.

Deep Research

Google pioneered autonomous research in December 2024, inspiring ChatGPT’s competing feature. Deep Research autonomously browses hundreds of websites and your personal Workspace content to produce comprehensive reports.

How it works:

1. Submit a research question
2. Gemini creates a research plan (you can modify it)
3. Agent browses web and connected Google services
4. Produces a multi-page report with citations

Workspace integration: As of October 2025, Deep Research can search your Gmail, Drive, Docs, and Chat—combining public research with your private documents.

Monthly limits: 5 reports (Free), 20/day (Pro), 200/day (Ultra).

Image generation with Imagen 3 and Nano Banana Pro

Imagen 3 powers Gemini’s image generation, producing 2K and 4K resolution images with advanced text rendering and character consistency. The newer Nano Banana Pro model (built on Gemini 3) went viral in September 2025, briefly pushing Gemini to #1 on both app stores.

Key features:

• Photorealistic or stylised outputs
• Excellent text rendering in images
• Character consistency across generations
• SynthID watermarking — Visible for free users, invisible for Ultra

The controversy: In February 2024, Gemini’s image generator produced historically inaccurate images (diverse Nazi soldiers, female popes) due to overzealous diversity prompting. Google paused people generation for six months, returning with improved guardrails in August 2024.

Video generation with Veo 3.1

Veo 3.1 creates video clips with native audio—dialogue, sound effects, and ambient noise generated together.

Capabilities:

• 8-second clips at 720p–1080p
• Scene extension up to 148 seconds (7-second increments)
• “Ingredients to Video” — Upload up to 3 reference images for style/character consistency
• Photo-to-video animation

Availability: Veo 3.1 Fast on Pro tier, full Veo 3.1 on Ultra. Not available in EEA, Switzerland, or UK due to regulatory restrictions.

Canvas for collaborative editing

Canvas launched in March 2025 as Gemini’s answer to ChatGPT’s Canvas and Claude’s Artifacts—an interactive workspace for documents and code.

Writing features:

• Highlight text for targeted tone adjustments
• Export to Google Docs
• Convert to audio overviews (podcast-style with two AI hosts)

Coding features:

• Live code preview for React/HTML/CSS
• In-line editing and debugging
• Syntax highlighting for major languages

Gems for custom AI assistants

Gems are customisable AI personas with specific instructions, personalities, and knowledge. Think of them as Google’s answer to Custom GPTs.

Premade Gems:

• Brainstormer — Creative ideation
• Career Guide — Professional advice
• Coding Partner — Programming assistance
• Writing Editor — Content refinement
• Chess Champ — Chess analysis and training
• Learning Coach — Educational support

Custom Gems (Pro/Ultra): Create unlimited Gems with custom instructions and uploaded knowledge files. Shareable via Google Drive links since September 2025.

Extensions connect Google services

Gemini’s Extensions (now called Apps) integrate directly with Google services, enabling queries that span multiple data sources:

Available integrations:

• Gmail — Search emails, compose replies, summarise threads
• Google Drive — Find and summarise documents
• Google Docs — Edit and create documents
• Google Calendar — Check schedule, create events
• Google Tasks — Manage to-do lists
• Google Keep — Access notes
• Google Maps — Get directions, find places
• YouTube — Search and summarise videos
• Google Flights — Search flight options
• Google Hotels — Find accommodation

Example prompt: “Find the contractor bid from last month’s emails and add a meeting to discuss it on my calendar.”

File handling and code execution

Gemini supports extensive file uploads with generous limits:

Supported formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, CSV, Python, Java, and most image/video formats.

Size limits:

• Documents: 100MB per file
• Video: Up to 2GB
• Files per conversation: 10 (Free), more on paid tiers

Code execution: Gemini runs Python in a sandboxed environment with NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, and Seaborn. The model iterates on code based on execution results, generating visualisations and data analysis.

Pro/Ultra bonus: Upload entire GitHub repositories or code folders up to 5,000 files.

Memory and personalisation

Memory launched August 2025, allowing Gemini to recall details and preferences across conversations.

How it works:

• Automatic recall from past conversations
• Explicit saves: “Remember my favourite colour is green”
• Manage saved memories in Settings

Temporary Chat creates ephemeral conversations:

• Deleted after 72 hours
• Won’t contribute to memory or personalisation
• Similar to ChatGPT’s Temporary Chat feature

AI Mode in Google Search

Distinct from the Gemini app, AI Mode integrates Gemini capabilities directly into Google Search for complex queries.

Key features:

• Powered by custom Gemini 2.5 with “query fan-out” technique
• Breaks questions into subtopics, conducts parallel searches
• Supports text, image, and voice inputs
• Conversational follow-ups

Agentic capabilities (Ultra, US only): Book restaurants, event tickets, and flights directly from search results via Project Mariner integration.

Strengths

Industry-leading context window — 1 million tokens lets you process entire codebases, legal contracts, or research papers in a single conversation. ChatGPT maxes out at 128K–256K; Claude at 200K.

Deep Google ecosystem integration — Extensions connect Gmail, Drive, Docs, Calendar, and more. No competitor offers this level of native integration with productivity tools used by billions.

Aggressive free tier — Gemini Live voice mode is free (ChatGPT charges $20/month). Basic image generation is free. Deep Research is free (5/month). The free tier is genuinely useful.

Benchmark-leading reasoning — Gemini 3 Pro achieved 37.5% on Humanity’s Last Exam, beating GPT-5.1 (26.5%). Deep Think reaches 45.1% on ARC-AGI-2, leading all models.

Value bundling — The $19.99/month Pro tier includes 2TB storage worth $9.99/month separately. Ultra includes YouTube Premium worth $13.99/month. You’re effectively getting AI capabilities at a discount.

Enterprise-ready compliance — First AI product to achieve ISO 42001 certification. FedRAMP High, HIPAA, SOC 1/2/3, and comprehensive EU data residency options.

Limitations

Market position remains second place — Despite benchmark wins, ChatGPT maintains 59.5% market share versus Gemini’s 13.4%. Brand recognition gap persists.

Coding isn’t best-in-class — Claude Opus 4.5 leads SWE-bench at 80.9% versus Gemini 3 Pro’s 76.2%. For dedicated programming work, Claude remains the developer favourite.

Memory less mature than ChatGPT — Gemini’s memory launched August 2025, while ChatGPT’s has been refined since early 2024. Cross-conversation recall is less sophisticated.

UX acknowledged as needing work — Internal documents reportedly reference a “UX 2.0 overhaul” as a priority. The interface feels less polished than ChatGPT.

Regional restrictions frustrate users — Video generation unavailable in EEA, Switzerland, UK. Project Mariner US-only. Some features lag behind global rollout.

Conservative content policies — Gemini is more cautious than competitors on certain content types, which some users find limiting.

Who should use Gemini?

Great for:

• Google ecosystem users — If you live in Gmail, Docs, and Drive, Gemini’s extensions create genuine workflow improvements
• Long document processing — The 1M token context handles contracts, research papers, and codebases that break other assistants
• Value seekers — The free tier is remarkably capable; Pro bundles significant storage value
• Multimodal creators — Image and video generation in one platform
• Enterprise/compliance-focused teams — Best-in-class certifications including ISO 42001

Look elsewhere if:

• Coding is your primary use — Claude’s 80.9% SWE-bench versus Gemini’s 76.2% matters for professional development
• You need mature memory — ChatGPT’s cross-conversation recall is more sophisticated
• Third-party integrations matter — ChatGPT’s 3M+ Custom GPTs ecosystem dwarfs Gems
• You’re outside Google’s ecosystem — The value proposition weakens significantly if you don’t use Google services

Historical timeline

Privacy and data handling

Understanding how Google handles your data is crucial, especially given the extensive ecosystem integration.

Training data policy

To opt out: Settings > Apps > Gemini Apps Activity > Turn off

Data retention

• Default retention: 18 months (configurable to 3–36 months)
• Human review: A subset of conversations may be reviewed for quality
• Reviewed conversations: Retained up to 3 years even after user deletion
• Temporary Chat: Deleted within 72 hours

Workspace and Enterprise privacy

Google Workspace accounts receive stronger protections:

• Customer data is NOT used for training without explicit permission
• No human review of business conversations
• Prompts and responses in Workspace side panels not retained after sessions
• Strict data isolation between customers

Security certifications

Gemini holds industry-leading compliance credentials:

• ISO 42001 — First AI product to achieve this certification
• ISO 27001/27017/27018/27701 — Information security management
• SOC 1/2/3 — Service organisation controls
• FedRAMP High — US government cloud security (July 2025)
• HIPAA — Healthcare compliance with BAA available
• GDPR — EU data residency options available
• FERPA/COPPA — Educational compliance

Visit Google’s AI Privacy Hub for detailed documentation.

Gemini vs alternatives

Quick comparison

Where Gemini wins

• Context window — 1M tokens versus ChatGPT’s 128K–256K and Claude’s 200K
• Free voice mode — Gemini Live is free; ChatGPT charges $20/month for Advanced Voice
• Google integration — Native access to Gmail, Drive, Docs that competitors can’t match
• Bundled value — 2TB storage included with Pro; YouTube Premium with Ultra

Where competitors win

• ChatGPT — More mature memory, larger ecosystem (3M+ GPTs), stronger brand recognition
• Claude — Better coding (80.9% vs 76.2% SWE-bench), superior long-form writing, captures writing style better

Getting started

Web

1. Go to gemini.google.com
2. Sign in with your Google account
3. Start chatting—no additional setup required

Mobile

• iOS: Download from App Store
• Android: Download from Google Play

On Android, Gemini can replace Google Assistant as your default assistant.

Tips for new users

Enable Extensions: Go to Settings > Extensions and connect Gmail, Drive, Calendar for the full experience. Prompts like “What meetings do I have tomorrow?” work seamlessly.

Try Gemini Live: Tap the waveform icon for hands-free conversation. Works while walking, cooking, or whenever typing isn’t convenient.

Use the context window: Upload long documents directly. Gemini can process ~1,500 pages in a single conversation—don’t break documents into chunks.

Create a Gem: For repeated tasks, build a custom Gem with specific instructions. A “Code Reviewer” Gem with your team’s style guide saves setup time on every conversation.

Try Deep Research: For complex questions requiring multiple sources, click “Deep Research” for an autonomous agent that produces cited reports.

FAQs

Is Gemini free?

Yes. The free tier includes Gemini 2.5 Flash (unlimited), limited Gemini 3 Pro access, Gemini Live voice mode, basic image generation, 5 Deep Research reports monthly, and Google Workspace extensions. It’s genuinely capable, not just a demo.

Is Google AI Pro worth $19.99/month?

If you use Google services, yes. The bundled 2TB storage is worth $9.99/month separately, meaning you’re effectively paying $10/month for AI features including the full 1M token context, unlimited image generation, video creation with Veo, and 20 Deep Research reports daily.

What about the $249.99 Ultra tier?

Only for power users who need Gemini 3 Deep Think, heavy video generation, or Project Mariner browser automation. The bundled YouTube Premium ($13.99/month value) and 30TB storage help justify the premium. The 50% introductory discount makes it $124.99/month for the first three months.

How does Gemini compare to ChatGPT?

Gemini offers a larger context window (1M vs 128K–256K tokens), free voice mode, and native Google integration. ChatGPT has stronger brand recognition, more mature memory, and a larger ecosystem of 3M+ Custom GPTs. Benchmarks are competitive, with Gemini 3 Pro leading on reasoning tasks but ChatGPT slightly ahead on some coding metrics.

Is my data private?

Free tier data is used for training by default—opt out in Settings. Workspace and Enterprise accounts have stronger protections: data is never used for training, human review doesn’t occur, and strict isolation prevents cross-customer exposure. Gemini holds ISO 42001 (first AI product certified), FedRAMP High, HIPAA, and comprehensive GDPR compliance.

Can Gemini access my Gmail and Drive?

Yes, through Extensions. Enable them in Settings to search emails, find documents, and take actions across Google services. For Workspace accounts, this requires admin approval.

Does Gemini remember previous conversations?

Yes, since August 2025. Memory automatically recalls details and preferences from past conversations. You can explicitly save information (“Remember I prefer British English”) and manage saved memories in Settings. Use Temporary Chat for private conversations that won’t be remembered.

What happened with the image generation controversy?

In February 2024, Gemini’s image generator produced historically inaccurate images due to overzealous diversity prompting (generating diverse Nazi soldiers, female popes). Google paused people generation for six months and publicly apologised. Image generation returned in August 2024 with improved guardrails.

Verdict

Gemini has transformed from Google’s embarrassing ChatGPT panic response into a genuinely competitive AI assistant. The combination of Gemini 3 Pro’s benchmark-leading reasoning, the industry’s largest context window at 1 million tokens, deep Google ecosystem integration, and aggressive value bundling creates a compelling package—especially for users already embedded in Google’s productivity suite.

Free tier: Genuinely useful. Gemini Live voice mode alone would cost $20/month on ChatGPT. Add Gemini 2.5 Flash, basic image generation, Deep Research, and Workspace extensions—the free offering punches above its weight.

Pro ($19.99/month): The sweet spot for Google users. The 2TB storage bundled in effectively makes the AI features half-price. Full 1M context, unlimited image generation, Veo video creation, and 20 daily Deep Research reports justify the cost for regular users.

Ultra ($249.99/month): Only for power users who need Deep Think reasoning, heavy video generation, or Project Mariner automation. The YouTube Premium inclusion helps offset the premium pricing.

Gemini isn’t the best at everything—Claude writes better code and captures voice more naturally, ChatGPT has a more mature memory system and larger ecosystem—but it offers unique advantages in context length and Google integration that neither competitor can match. For Google ecosystem users processing long documents or wanting multimodal capabilities, Gemini is increasingly the right choice.

Official links