Google AI Studio Prices, limits and access
Free developer entry point to the Gemini API with a prompt console; the underlying Gemini Developer API is billed usage-based per token.
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At a Glance
Google AI Studio is an AI tool for Agent & RAG frameworks (category: Development & Code). Free access: Free plan. Documented: 5 plans with prices and limits.
- Category
- Agent & RAG frameworks
- Paid from
- $0.75 / $3.75 / per 1M input/output tokens (Gemini API (3.8 Flash Standard))
- Free Option
- Free plan
- Plans
- 5
- Sources
- 10 verified sources
Category: Development & Code · Agent & RAG frameworks
Features
Google AI Studio is the free developer entry point to the Gemini Developer API with a prompt console; the underlying API is billed usage-based per token.
Key difference: content on the free tier may be used to improve Google products, while paid-tier content is explicitly excluded. Batch processing cuts costs by 50%.
Gemini 4 Argon (gemini-4-argon) has been on the paid Gemini Developer API tier since 2026-10-13, including AI Studio and Android Studio. Free and the Google AI Pro plan do not include it. Google AI Ultra subscribers can try it in AI Studio. The shared window is 1,048,576 tokens. The Vertex AI price is not published.
- Free prompt console with API-key management for the Gemini Developer API
- Build mode to generate simple apps directly from the console
- Gemini 3.8 Flash: intro $0.75/$3.75 per 1M input/output tokens through 2026-12-31
- Free-tier content may be used to improve Google products; paid use explicitly is not
- Context caching billed on paid tiers; batch processing cuts costs by 50%
- Gemini 3.8 Live / Live Extended Thinking: Paid Standard text $0.75/$4.50 per 1M tokens, plus audio and image/video rates
- Gemini 4 Argon (gemini-4-argon): paid Standard $2.00/$10.00 per 1M tokens through 2026-11-30, then $4.00/$20.00 from 2026-12-01. Not on the free tier
Prices and plans
US dollar prices only
| Tier | Price | Period | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google AI Studio | free | ongoing | Free prompt console with API key management "Build" mode for generating simple apps directly from the console |
| Gemini API (3.8 Flash Standard) | $0.75 / $3.75 | per 1M input/output tokens | AI Studio is the free developer UI; billing runs through the Gemini Developer API. Gemini 3.8 Flash intro pricing is $0.75/$3.75 per 1M input/output tokens through 2026-12-31; from 2027-01-01 it is $1.50/$7.50. Full table on ai.google.dev. |
| Gemini API (3.8 Live / Live Extended Thinking) | $0.75 / $4.50 | per 1M tokens | Paid Standard per 1M tokens: input $0.75 text, $3.00 or $0.005/min audio, $1.00 or $0.002/min image/video; output $4.50 text, $12.00 or $0.018/min audio (including thinking tokens). Free tier free of charge. Models gemini-3.8-live (interleaved reasoning) and gemini-3.8-live-extended-thinking (background reasoning); audio-to-audio Live API, 97 languages, SynthID on generated audio. |
| Gemini API (Nano Banana 2.1) | $1.50 / $7.50 / $30.00 | per 1M tokens | gemini-nano-banana-2.1, GA 2026-10-06, an update to Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image). Standard per 1M tokens: input $1.50 (text, image, video), output $7.50 (text and thinking), images $30.00. That is $0.0336 per 1K image (1120 tokens), $0.0504 per 2K image (1680 tokens), and $0.113 per 4K image (3780 tokens). No free API tier. Batch per 1M tokens: input $0.75, text $3.75, images $15.00. Per image $0.0168 / $0.0252 / $0.0567 for 1K / 2K / 4K. Grounding with Google Web and Image Search: 5,000 free requests a month, shared across Gemini 3.x, then $14 per 1,000 requests. |
| Gemini API (4 Argon) | $2.00 / $10.00 | per 1M input/output tokens | gemini-4-argon, generally available since 2026-10-13. Paid Gemini Developer API tier only, including AI Studio and Android Studio. Not on the free tier and not on the Google AI Pro plan. Google AI Ultra subscribers can try it in AI Studio. Vertex AI and Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform prices are not published. Standard per 1M tokens, output including thinking: through 2026-11-30, input $2.00 and output $10.00, cached input $0.10 (implicit caching only; explicit caching is not supported). From 2026-12-01, input $4.00 and output $20.00, cached input $0.20. Batch and Flex: through 2026-11-30, input $1.00 and output $5.00, cache $0.05; from 2026-12-01, input $2.00 and output $10.00, cache $0.10. Priority: through 2026-11-30, input $3.60 and output $18.00, cache $0.18; from 2026-12-01, input $7.20 and output $36.00, cache $0.36. Shared window of 1,048,576 tokens across input, thinking, and output. Synchronous output defaults to at most 65,536 tokens. Long decode continues the reply in 64K steps until the window is used. Inputs: text, image, video, audio, and PDF. Output: text. Grounding with Google Search and Maps: 5,000 free requests a month, shared across Gemini 3 and newer models, then $14 per 1,000 requests. |
Prices as stated by the provider, usually plus statutory VAT. The final price depends on your country and is shown by the provider.
Prices last checked: 2026-10-23
Independent price alert from AI Compare Ninja
Limits
- 3.8 Flash intro $0.75/$3.75 through 2026-12-31, then $1.50/$7.50.
- 3.8 Live Paid Standard: input $0.75 text / $3.00 or $0.005/min audio / $1.00 or $0.002/min image/video; output $4.50 text / $12.00 or $0.018/min audio.
- Full table on ai.google.dev.
- Nano Banana 2.1 (gemini-nano-banana-2.1, GA 2026-10-06): Standard per 1M tokens is input $1.50, text and thinking output $7.50, image output $30.00, equal to $0.0336 / $0.0504 / $0.113 per 1K / 2K / 4K image (4K is 3780 tokens).
- Batch is $0.75 / $3.75 / $15.00, equal to $0.0168 / $0.0252 / $0.0567 per image.
- No free API tier.
- Gemini 4 Argon (gemini-4-argon), generally available since 2026-10-13, paid tier only.
- Not on the free tier and not on the Google AI Pro plan.
- Google AI Ultra subscribers can try it in AI Studio.
- Standard per 1M tokens, output including thinking: through 2026-11-30, input $2.00 and output $10.00, cached input $0.10 (implicit caching only).
- From 2026-12-01, input $4.00 and output $20.00, cached input $0.20.
- Batch and Flex through 2026-11-30: $1.00/$5.00, cache $0.05; from 2026-12-01: $2.00/$10.00, cache $0.10.
- Priority through 2026-11-30: $3.60/$18.00, cache $0.18; from 2026-12-01: $7.20/$36.00, cache $0.36.
- Shared window of 1,048,576 tokens across input, thinking, and output.
- Synchronous output defaults to 65,536 tokens, with long decode continuing in 64K steps beyond that.
- Vertex AI and Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform prices: not published.
How we compare
We compare free access, paid entry, plan limits, features and the listed official sources. Unsourced figures stay marked as not published.
Only confirmed entries appear in the catalog. Prices, plans and limits come from listed official vendor pages. Missing figures stay marked as not published. Search results are ordered by Task match by default; category and task lists are alphabetical. Both can be switched to Free access first; neither is a quality ranking. The vendor page always wins.
Edited and checked by the AI Compare Ninja team
Sources
All details regarding plans, limits, and features are based on official vendor documentation and the primary sources verified below.
- ai.google.dev/aistudio
- ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/pricing
- ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/models/gemini-3.8-live
- ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/models/gemini-3.8-live-extended-thinking
- blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/gemini-models/gemini-3-8-live-gemini-3-8-live-extended-thinking
- ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/models/gemini-nano-banana-2.1
- ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/models/gemini-4-argon
- ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/long-decode
- blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/developers-tools/build-with-gemini-4-argon
- blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/gemini-models/introducing-gemini-4-argon
FAQ
Is Google AI Studio available for free?
Yes. A permanently free plan is published, not a time-limited trial.
Where is the vendor of Google AI Studio based?
Google is based in the USA. Regardless of that location, data processing and privacy terms are governed by the vendor's own contract.
How is Google AI Studio billed?
3.8 Flash intro $0.75/$3.75 through 2026-12-31, then $1.50/$7.50. 3.8 Live Paid Standard: input $0.75 text / $3.00 or $0.005/min audio / $1.00 or $0.002/min image/video. Output $4.50 text / $12.00 or $0.018/min audio. Full table on ai.google.dev. Nano Banana 2.1 (gemini-nano-banana-2.1, GA 2026-10-06): Standard per 1M tokens is input $1.50, text and thinking output $7.50, image output $30.00, equal to $0.0336 / $0.0504 / $0.113 per 1K / 2K / 4K image (4K is 3780 tokens). Batch is $0.75 / $3.75 / $15.00, equal to $0.0168 / $0.0252 / $0.0567 per image. No free API tier. Gemini 4 Argon (gemini-4-argon), generally available since 2026-10-13, paid tier only. Not on the free tier and not on the Google AI Pro plan. Google AI Ultra subscribers can try it in AI Studio. Standard per 1M tokens, output including thinking: through 2026-11-30, input $2.00 and output $10.00, cached input $0.10 (implicit caching only). From 2026-12-01, input $4.00 and output $20.00, cached input $0.20. Batch and Flex through 2026-11-30: $1.00/$5.00, cache $0.05; from 2026-12-01: $2.00/$10.00, cache $0.10. Priority through 2026-11-30: $3.60/$18.00, cache $0.18; from 2026-12-01: $7.20/$36.00, cache $0.36. Shared window of 1,048,576 tokens across input, thinking, and output. Synchronous output defaults to 65,536 tokens, with long decode continuing in 64K steps beyond that. Vertex AI and Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform prices: not published.
What is “Google” on my bank or card statement?
According to our catalog data, Google is the company behind Google AI Studio, so a charge under this name may come from a subscription or purchase at Google AI Studio. The exact wording on a bank or card statement is set by the vendor and its payment provider; it can differ and is not recorded here. The invoices in your Google AI Studio account help to match the charge; for an unknown charge, contact your bank.
What plans does Google AI Studio offer?
The catalog documents 5 plans with price, billing period, and included features.
Is Google AI Studio currently available?
Google AI Studio is active.
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Google AI Studio and related names are trademarks or identifiers of their respective owners (Google). They are named solely for descriptive purposes in an independent comparison. AI Compare Ninja has no business relationship, partnership or affiliation with Google.