Google Gemini Free vs Paid

[timbo343]

On our Google workspace I see that Google Gemini can be enabled without having to pay the £25 ish a month per user to use it. This is something that is new to me as I thought Gemini was going to be a paid-for system.

 

If Gemini is free what are the differences between the free version and the paid for version.

[PotNoodleTech]

Unsure looking at this too - I think they backtracked and made just education free. Everyone else has to pay AFAIK.

 

As for reasons, surely the big one is if your gonna have the adults of tomorrow using AI you may as well have them using your AI?

[Lxshm]

basic chat is free but the addons like coding needs subscription

[timbo343]

Waiting to hear a bit more back from our reseller but this is the case:

 

Google Gemini for Education

 

Gemini for Google Workspace is now available to education users 18+ with two new Gemini Education add-ons, introducing a new and powerful way of working, teaching, and learning with the most advanced AI from Google.

 

Gemini Education is a lower price offering to help education institutions get started with generative AI in Workspace, with a monthly usage limit.

 

Gemini Education Premium offers full access to generative AI capabilities, with additional advanced features like AI powered note taking and summaries in Meet, AI-enhanced data loss prevention, and more coming soon.

 

Pricing

 

Gemini Education

Annual subscription £201.60 plus vat per year (£16.80 per user per month)

Flexible monthly subscription £20.16 plus vat per month

 

Gemini Education Premium

Annual subscription £302.40 plus vat per year (£25.20 per user per month)

Flexible monthly subscription £30.24 plus vat per month

 

Google Gemini Free

Unsure what the "hit" limit is on the free version of gemini.google.com. If user logs in with their company domain email address, data is kept within the private domain and does not feed into the public domain.

 

 

[jthompson]

I believe that with the free one you don't get the integration across the other Google services like Docs, Gmail, Meet, etc. It's just the standalone chatbot. Edu tenants get a freebie in the sense that you don't have to pay anything to prevent user data from being used for training. Regular business tenants wouldn't get that for free.

[Chockster]

That bit about not using our data has just been added thankfully. I had turned off access on our workspace earlier this month after reading this bit:

 

"Allow all users access to Gemini, under the following conditions

Users without a Gemini for Workspace (Business, Enterprise or Education) licence these users can access Gemini under the Google Terms of Service and the Gemini Apps Privacy Notice. Customer data from usage under these terms may be used for model improvement and may be reviewed by

humans. Advise users not to enter confidential information."

 

That's now been changed to

 

"Users with a Gemini for Workspace (Business, Enterprise or Education) licence: These users can access Gemini as a core service with customer data protections offered under the Google Workspace Terms or Workspace for Education Terms. Customer data will not be used for model improvements nor be reviewed by humans.

 

Users without a Gemini for Workspace (Business, Enterprise or Education) licence: These users can access Gemini under the Google Terms of Service and the Gemini Apps Privacy Notice. Customer data may be used for model improvements and reviewed by humans. Users should be advised not to enter confidential information.

 

Exception for Workspace for Education customers: Customer data will not be used for model improvements nor be reviewed by humans"

 

I really don't like the brave new AI world.

[jthompson]

I really don't like the brave new AI world.

 

Neither do I ... https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/09/false-memories-planted-in-chatgpt-give-hacker-persistent-exfiltration-channel/

[paulkerton]

Basically, the free one is the basic gemini.google.com interface using the Gemini Pro 1.0 model

Gemini Advanced includes the integrations across the Workspace suite and uses Gemini Ultra 1.0

 

None of the EDU tools have their data used for training and modelling.

Edited September 30, 2024 by paulkerton

[fiza]

Have any schools actually paid for Gemini Education or Premium? It just seems too expensive at that price point! At a large Secondary with 90 teachers that would be over £16k a year just for Education and Premium would be even more. For schools that are already paying for Education Plus this is a step too far. Gemini Education should be included in Plus and Premium could be at additional cost.

[PotNoodleTech]

No it's crazy money if it was one or two thousand a year we could put a case forward but 16k I'd rather buy 8 x 86" smarboards lol

[jthompson]

We've identified one or two potential uses for it (summarising stuff in Sheets), but even then the cost of just a single license to facilitate that doesn't seem super viable for us. We're isntead looking into whether we can get better value from using the PAYG API options from within some Apps Script projects. https://ai.google.dev/pricing Edited October 17, 2024 by jthompson

[timbo343]

It would seem that gemini.google.com works when enabled in the Admin Google Workspace and the users are identified as under 18.

 

To check go to:

Workspace Admin > Account > Account Settings > Age-based access settings

 

Drill down to the OU which houses the under 18 students and set to Some or all users in this group or org unit are under 198.

 

Now go to:

Workspace Admin > Generative AI > Gemini. Turn on for all or if you want to test the student OU, select the OU and enable Gemini.

 

Test with a student account in the test OU by going to gemini.google.com and you will find that this works. I'm surprised the under 18 setting is not overriding the Gemini AI enable setting.

[jthompson]

It's now a core Workspace service, which I should think explains why there's no differentiation (or specific consent required) for use by under-18s.

 

https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2024/10/gemini-app-enterprise-data-protection-core-service-expansion.html

[timbo343]

It's now a core Workspace service, which I should think explains why there's no differentiation (or specific consent required) for use by under-18s.

 

https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2024/10/gemini-app-enterprise-data-protection-core-service-expansion.html

Hmmm. On as default and disable for student OUs i think.

[MinnieTechie]

I wanted to love Gemini for Google Workspace, but wow, the pricing is outrageous! When I saw how much the Education Premium plan costs, I thought vacation could cost less. Then I bumped into this thread and got even more worried about the non-licensed users' data might be used for model training? Yeah, no thanks.

 

Then, while digging around and looking for a solution, I found this comparison article and noticed GPT Workspace offers a free trial, which made it easier to test without any pressure. It also integrates well with my workflow and feels more practical without the hefty price tag.

[TwistedHelixis]

Does the fact the free edu versions doesn't have the following make a difference if its to be used just by teachers?

 

The free version doesn't have any of the following supported, but the paid version has these all ticked.

 

HIPAA     
GDPR     
SOC 1 | SOC 2 | SOC 3     
ISO / IEC 27001 | ISO 27017 | ISO 27018 | ISO 27701 | ISO 9001 | ISO 42001     
FedRAMP High

Edited March 27, 2025 by TwistedHelixis

[gszech]

On 30/09/2024 at 09:14, paulkerton said:

Basically, the free one is the basic gemini.google.com interface using the Gemini Pro 1.0 model

Gemini Advanced includes the integrations across the Workspace suite and uses Gemini Ultra 1.0

 

None of the EDU tools have their data used for training and modelling.

This is incorrect. Gemini free is using 2.0 models and the paid version is using Gemini Advanced 2.0 models. 

 

With the paid version you get all the integrations to other Google products (google calls them add-ons) which makes it easier to use the AI. For example options like help me write are embedded in Gmail/Docs or there is a Gemini side panel in most of Google apps. 

You can find out more about this here: https://support.google.com/a/answer/14700766

[TwistedHelixis]

None of the EDU tools have their data used for training and modelling.

 I don't think this is correct, but compliance is not my job role.

 

https://support.google.com/a/answer/14571493?co=DASHER._Family%3DEducation&product_name=UnuFlow&hl=en&visit_id=638786712373141711-312461153&rd=1&src=supportwidget0&hl=en&oco=0

 

I did find another page that listed even more that the free version doesn't comply with, but i cant find this now.

[paulkerton]

13 minutes ago, TwistedHelixis said:

None of the EDU tools have their data used for training and modelling.

 I don't think this is correct, but compliance is not my job role.

 

https://support.google.com/a/answer/14571493?co=DASHER._Family%3DEducation&product_name=UnuFlow&hl=en&visit_id=638786712373141711-312461153&rd=1&src=supportwidget0&hl=en&oco=0

 

I did find another page that listed even more that the free version doesn't comply with, but i cant find this now.

Correct!
Only those licensed with Education Plus get gemini.google.com without the data being used for training and modelling by default.
We've configured Gemini so that without the EDU Plus license, you don't get access.

[gszech]

Just now, paulkerton said:

Correct!
Only those licensed with Education Plus get gemini.google.com without the data being used for training and modelling by default.
We've configured Gemini so that without the EDU Plus license, you don't get access.

I'm confused. Where does it say that Google will use the data for training with free Google  Workspace for Education Fundamentals edition ?

 

The link that you replied to clearly says: 

As an additional Google Service

Users without a Education Standard or Education Plus or a Gemini for Google Workspace license are subject to the Google Terms of Service and the Additional Product Terms when they use the Gemini app. However, their chats won't be reviewed by human reviewers or otherwise used to improve generative AI models.

 

 

 

[paulkerton]

2 minutes ago, gszech said:

I'm confused. Where does it say that Google will use the data for training with free Google  Workspace for Education Fundamentals edition ?

 

The link that you replied to clearly says: 

As an additional Google Service

Users without a Education Standard or Education Plus or a Gemini for Google Workspace license are subject to the Google Terms of Service and the Additional Product Terms when they use the Gemini app. However, their chats won't be reviewed by human reviewers or otherwise used to improve generative AI models.

 

 

 

 

Well that must have changed relatively recently then, because just last month Gemini when loaded with an account that did not have Edu Plus / Teaching and Learning licenses clearly stated at the bottom that the data may be used for training purposes.

[jthompson]

It was changed about last Autumn, I believe.

 

I linked to a Google blog post about it in my earlier comment in this thread: 

 

[TwistedHelixis]

So, on this page, if you click on 'As an additional service' nothing is listed as complaint.

https://support.google.com/a/answer/14571493?co=DASHER._Family%3DBusiness-Enterprise&product_name=UnuFlow&hl=en&co=DASHER._Family%3DBusiness-Enterprise&visit_id=638786608512339510-242624582&rd=1&src=supportwidget0&hl=en#zippy=%2Cas-an-additional-service

 

So can a UK school still use this if its just for the staff to use, or does it breach any UK regulations?

[gszech]

Just now, TwistedHelixis said:

So, on this page, if you click on 'As an additional service' nothing is listed as complaint.

https://support.google.com/a/answer/14571493?co=DASHER._Family%3DBusiness-Enterprise&product_name=UnuFlow&hl=en&co=DASHER._Family%3DBusiness-Enterprise&visit_id=638786608512339510-242624582&rd=1&src=supportwidget0&hl=en#zippy=%2Cas-an-additional-service

 

So can a UK school still use this if its just for the staff to use, or does it breach any UK regulations?

 

 

There is a toggle tab on the page that changes the information between Gemini Business / Enterprise and Gemini for Education 

The screenshot you provided is for Business / Enterprise section.

 

You are after this page: https://support.google.com/a/answer/14571493?co=DASHER._Family%3DEducation&product_name=UnuFlow&hl=en&visit_id=638786608512339510-242624582&rd=1&src=supportwidget0&hl=en&oco=0#zippy=%2Cas-an-additional-service

 

For compliance always check with your Data Protection Officer.  

 

[TwistedHelixis]

But isn't the free version of Gemeni the 'Additional service' version? If so, those compliance sections are not ticked under the education tab.