How Google’s new Gemini pricing works and how to track your usage

Google doesn’t specify usage limits in the free tier, it just describes it as “standard.” You’ll then get twice these “standard” limits on the AI ​​Plus plan, and 4x on the AI ​​Pro plan. The limits of AI Ultra are either 5x or 20x higher than those of AI Pro, depending on the boost level you use.

All users have access to all Gemini AI models, including Flash-Lite, Flash, and Pro. As you progress through these models, they become smarter and will be more calculated in use. Each model also has different ‘thinking’ levels –standard, extendedand Think deeply– Which also affects response quality, speed, and usage limits.

The final difference between these models is the size of the context window. This basically refers to the amount of information you can include in a single conversation thread. For free users, the context window consists of 32 thousand icons (small pieces of text) – approximately 24,000 words. For AI Plus users, the limit is 128,000 tokens (about 96,000 words), and for AI Pro and Ultra users, the limit is 1 million tokens (about 750,000 words).

Check your AI usage

You can see how close you are to your plan limits.

Photo: Courtesy of David Nield

Although the new rules regarding the use of AI may lack details, it is at least easy to check your status. In the Gemini web app, tap the gear icon (bottom left) and then… Limitations of use; In the Android or iOS mobile app, tap the Menu button (top left), then the gear, then Limitations of use.

You will see two bars. The top bar displays your current usage, which resets every five hours. If you pass this, you will need to wait before returning; The Gemini app tells you when the next reset is.

The second bar is your weekly limit, which, as you might expect, resets every week. (Again, this will appear on screen.) If you exceed these limits and are on a paid plan, you will be demoted to the base AI model, which you can continue to use until the next reset.

You’ll inevitably see offers to upgrade your AI plan on the Usage Limits screen. It’s also worth noting that Google’s support documentation notes that limits may change without notice, due to capacity constraints — and that free users may be affected first if Google needs to manage its own AI resources.