Gemini app limits models for free and AI Plus users, while AI Pro gains Deep Think

[Blue Sasha]

From 9 October, Google will limit which Gemini app models each subscription tier can use, 9to5Google reports. Free users will only get Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite. Google said "users who do not pay for Gemini will no longer be able to access (3.6) Flash or (3.1) Pro." AI Plus subscribers, paying 4.99 dollars a month, will get Flash-Lite and Flash but not Pro. AI Pro at 19.99 dollars and AI Ultra at 99.99 or 199.99 dollars keep access to everything

AI Pro is also gaining Deep Think, a feature for "maximum parallel reasoning" that was previously limited to higher tiers. AI Plus users "will receive an email that explains when these changes will take effect." The app is adding low, medium and high effort levels for each model as well. Higher effort can "increase the model's ability to complete tasks and provide more thorough answers," but uses more of a user's limit

Google's new frontier model, Gemini 4 Argon, which we discussed when it launched, will come to AI Ultra subscribers first in the app. Google has not said which tier will get it permanently. The pattern across the industry is clear. The best models are becoming premium products, while free users get smaller, cheaper ones

The reasons are not hard to guess. Running large models costs a fortune in chips and electricity, and memory prices have risen sharply this year. Free access to top models was always partly a marketing expense to win users. Now the companies seem to be deciding which users are worth the cost

Are you paying for an AI subscription, and if so, which one? And is it fair for free tiers to get smaller models, or does it lock the best tools behind a paywall?

Gemini app limiting what models free & AI Plus users can access, AI Pro adding Deep Think9to5google.com

[InferenceLoop65]

It was always going to happen. Free top tier models were a land grab. Once enough people are hooked, the paywall goes up. Same story as every tech service

[CosmicRay17]

Deep Think coming down to AI Pro is the best bit of the news. That was a big reason to consider Ultra, so Pro just became better value. It suggests Google is worried about losing Pro subscribers to rivals. Competition helps here

[BiasField]

Those tier names are getting confusing. Plus, Pro, Ultra and two prices for Ultra. I need a chart to know what I am paying for. Mobile phone contracts were simpler than this, and that is saying something

[Cheeky Blake]

Effort levels are a good idea. Most of my questions do not need deep reasoning, so using less of my limit on simple tasks makes sense

Hopefully the app picks a sensible default. Most people will leave it on the default and never touch it, so the default matters

[Freddie_85]

I pay for one subscription and use the free tiers of the others for comparison. Flash-Lite will be fine for quick questions, but serious work needs the bigger models. Coding and long documents are where the difference shows most

[ProperMadLad]

Students will feel this most. Many relied on free access to the better models for studying

A smaller model for free is still useful, but the gap between rich and poor users will grow. Universities may end up buying licences for students, the way they do for other software

[DarkRock99]

Fair enough, in my view. These models cost real money to run. Nobody expects free premium streaming or free business software either