Gemini is Google’s AI assistant and also the name of its models. It chats, writes, summarises, translates, codes, researches the web with Deep Research, creates images with Nano Banana and videos, and with Gemini Live you can talk to it while showing it what your camera or screen sees.
Its big advantage is that it lives inside Google: it works with Gmail, Docs, Drive and Search and comes built into many Android phones. With notebooks, shared with Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM), you can ask questions only about your own notes or PDFs and turn them into audio and video overviews.
It might suit you if…
People who already live in Gmail, Drive, Docs and an Android phone; students and researchers working with many sources (Gemini Notebook); image and video creators.
Try a concrete use case.
Create a notebook with your PDFs, notes or links and ask questions only about those sources; in Gemini Notebook you can turn it into an audio overview to listen to in the car.
What to check.
Since 9 October 2026 the free plan only uses the lightweight Flash-Lite model and limits are measured in “compute”, with no clear message count. With activity saved, some chats are reviewed by humans and kept for up to three years.
Why this tier
Unbeatable for Gmail/Drive/Docs integration, response speed and native analysis of video, audio and large codebases.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Deep integration with Gmail, Docs, Drive, Search and Android.
- Very strong at images and video: Nano Banana edits photos precisely and paid plans generate video (Omni Flash).
- Gemini 4 Argon, a frontier model, on AI Pro and Ultra, with a one-million-token context.
- Plans with lots of extras: AI Plus (€4.99) includes 400 GB and AI Pro adds 5 TB and YouTube Premium Lite.
Cons
- The free plan has been cut back to Flash-Lite with vague limits.
- Privacy: human reviewers and reviewed chats kept for up to three years.
- Confusing branding and line-up, and new features reach the US before the European Economic Area.
Plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | €0 | Flash-Lite; images, Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas and Gems with limits. 15 GB. |
| Google AI Plus | €4.99/month | Flash models, double limits, video with Omni Flash, Gemini in Gmail and Vids, 400 GB. |
| Google AI Pro | €21.99/month | Gemini 4 Argon, 4× limits, 1M-token context, 5 TB and YouTube Premium Lite. |
| Google AI Ultra 5x | €99.99/month | 5× Pro limits, top access to Gemini 4 Argon, 20 TB. |
| Google AI Ultra 20x | €219.99/month | 20× Pro limits, 30 TB. |
Official prices checked on 4 November 2026. They may vary by country, tax and billing period.
Current models
Gemini 4 Argon (AI Pro and Ultra, since 13 Oct 2026), Gemini 3.1 Pro and 3.6 Flash, 3.5 Flash-Lite (free); Nano Banana for images; Omni Flash and Veo for video.
Where to use it
Web, Android and iOS; Gmail, Docs, Vids, AI Mode in Search and Gemini Notebook.
Privacy and data
With “Keep activity” on, your chats may be used to improve the models and some are reviewed by people (kept for up to three years). Turn it off at myactivity.google.com or use temporary chats. Google says it does not use your conversations for ads.
Sources checked
⏱ Quick start
Get started in 5 minutes
- Go to gemini.google.com or open the Gemini app (Android and iOS).
- Sign in with your Google account, the same one you use for Gmail or YouTube.
- Type or dictate your question. If you want it to use your emails or documents, switch that on explicitly in the connected apps or extensions.
- Tap “+” to upload a PDF, image or Drive file and ask about that content only.
- Review your Gemini activity at myactivity.google.com to decide whether it is kept and used to improve the models.
Example prompts
Use only the file I attach. Answer [question] and cite the page or section for each fact. If it is not in the file, say so.
These are my tasks this week: [list]. Rank them by priority, estimate how long each takes and propose a Monday–Friday schedule.
Compare [option A] and [option B] for [my case]. Make a table with pros, cons and approximate price, and end with a reasoned recommendation.
Explain [concept] as if I were 15, with an everyday example. Then ask me 3 questions to check I understood.
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