Google cuts Gemini free tier to its smallest model from October
Free Gemini drops to Flash-Lite only, the $4.99 tier loses Pro, and personal users must re-pick a subscription under the new tiers.
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Google is restructuring Gemini's personal tiers from October: users without a subscription get only the smallest model, Flash-Lite, while Flash and Pro move behind paid plans.
The current free tier still offers 3.6 Flash and varying access to 3.1 Pro. After the change, AI Plus subscribers at $4.99/month lose Pro and can use only Flash-Lite and Flash; Pro requires AI Pro at $19.99 or AI Ultra from $99.99. The tier table is on Google's support page.
The Decoder judges the real-world impact small: most casual users do not track which model they run, and power users largely already pay. It also suggests the move may clear the way for the more resource-hungry Gemini 4 Argon.