Starting on October 9, 2026, Google will cut the free Gemini plan down to the Flash Lite model. Today, free users can pick Flash Lite, Flash, or Pro. After the change, the regular Flash model will require a $4.99‑per‑month Google AI Plus subscription. That subscription will soon stop including Gemini Pro. The top‑tier Pro model and the “Deep Think” advanced reasoning option will be locked behind Google AI Pro ($19.99/month) or Ultra ($99.99/month) plans.
What stays the same?
Google says the three effort levels – low, medium, high – will still be available for each model. Higher effort levels will simply count against your usage limit faster, so you may need to watch your quota if you run many intensive queries.
Why it matters
If you rely on Gemini for casual chats or projects, you’ll need to pay for any model beyond Flash Lite. The new pricing may push hobby users toward cheaper alternatives or force them to upgrade to a paid plan to keep using the more powerful features.
