Google launches AI Plus plan in US at $8 a month, bridging gap between free and premium tiers

Reviewed byNidhi Govil

13 Sources

Share

Google expanded its affordable AI Plus plan to 35 new markets including the United States, priced at $7.99 per month. The AI subscription plan offers access to Gemini 3 Pro, Nano Banana Pro, 200GB of cloud storage, and integration with Workspace apps—positioning itself as a middle ground between free access and the $20 AI Pro tier. The move directly competes with OpenAI's ChatGPT Go plan.

Google AI Plus Brings Mid-Tier AI Access to US Markets

Google announced that its affordable AI Plus plan is now available in the US and 35 additional countries and territories, expanding the service to all markets where its AI plans operate

1

. Priced at $7.99 per month in the United States, the AI subscription plan fills a crucial gap between Google's free tier and its premium $20-per-month AI Pro offering

2

. The expansion marks a strategic shift for Google, which initially launched the plan in Indonesia last September with a focus on emerging markets before bringing it to developed economies

1

.

Source: 9to5Google

Source: 9to5Google

The timing of this rollout is significant. Google is positioning itself to compete directly with OpenAI's ChatGPT Go plan, which also costs $8 per month in the US

1

. Both companies recognize that casual users—those who want more than free access but aren't ready to commit to premium pricing—represent a massive growth opportunity for AI adoption. As an introductory offer, Google is providing 50% off for the first two months, bringing the cost down to approximately $4 per month

3

.

Enhanced Features and Access to Gemini 3 Pro

Subscribers to the affordable AI Plus plan gain enhanced access to Gemini 3 Pro and Nano Banana Pro within the Gemini app

2

. Nano Banana Pro, Google's image generation tool, creates photorealistic images that are nearly indistinguishable from actual photographs—a feature so popular that Google had to limit its usage due to high demand

3

. The plan also includes access to Deep Research and NotebookLM, Google's research assistant tool that helps with writing and research tasks

1

.

Source: Digital Trends

Source: Digital Trends

For video generation and creative work, AI Plus subscribers receive 200 monthly credits to use across Flow and Whisk—double the 100 credits offered in the free tier

5

. These AI filmmaking tools allow users to create videos using Google's Veo 3 and Veo 3.1 models, with each video typically requiring 20 credits to generate

2

. The plan also guarantees access to image-to-video creation with Veo 3 in Whisk, while free tier users only have the option to generate and animate images

5

.

Storage and Integration with Workspace Apps

Beyond AI features, the plan includes 200GB of cloud storage—a substantial upgrade from the 15GB available on the free tier

3

. This storage applies across Google Photos, Drive, and Gmail, making it attractive for users who need both AI capabilities and additional space

5

. Subscribers can also share their plan benefits with up to five family members, extending the value across households

1

.

A key feature previously reserved for higher tiers is now available in the US through AI Plus: integration with Workspace apps

5

. Subscribers gain access to Gemini in Chrome, Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, and Vids, where the AI assistant appears in the sidebar to help with active files

2

. This functionality was previously limited to AI Pro subscribers paying $20 per month, making it a significant value addition for the mid-tier plan.

Strategic Implications and Market Competition

Existing Google One Premium 2TB subscribers will automatically receive all AI Plus benefits over the next few days at no additional cost

1

. This automatic upgrade rewards loyal customers while introducing them to Google's AI subscription plan ecosystem. The pricing strategy varies by region—in India, for example, the plan costs ₹399 (approximately $4.44 USD) per month, reflecting local purchasing power

1

.

The expansion signals Google's intent to capture casual AI users before they commit to competing platforms. By offering a price point that matches ChatGPT Go while providing additional benefits like substantial cloud storage and family sharing, Google is betting that bundled value will attract users who want more than basic AI access but don't need the full capabilities of the $20 AI Pro plan or the $250 AI Ultra plan

4

. For users watching the AI subscription landscape, the key question becomes whether these mid-tier plans will expand their feature sets over time or if they'll remain deliberately constrained to push power users toward premium options.

Source: Engadget

Source: Engadget

Today's Top Stories

TheOutpost.ai

Your Daily Dose of Curated AI News

Don’t drown in AI news. We cut through the noise - filtering, ranking and summarizing the most important AI news, breakthroughs and research daily. Spend less time searching for the latest in AI and get straight to action.

© 2026 Triveous Technologies Private Limited
Instagram logo
LinkedIn logo