Google Gemini AI Joins Workspace Plans with Price Hike
In the race for AI dominance, Google has integrated its Gemini AI into its Workspace plans — and while users can now access it without paying the extra $20-per-user fee, the trade-off comes in the form of a price increase.
Google’s President of Cloud Applications argues that AI is a “foundational shift in how work gets done,” but this perspective seems a bit self-serving considering the price hike users are facing. The $20 charge for Gemini is being removed, but Business Standard customers will now see their monthly fee jump from $12 to $14 per user. Although this is “only $2 more than they were paying for Workspace without Gemini,” according to Google, the increase is mandatory, and some users would likely prefer the option to decline the extra cost.
Google’s move to bundle Gemini across all tiers might be influenced by Microsoft’s decision to incorporate Copilot into Microsoft 365 plans. Starting tomorrow, new Workspace users will see the updated pricing, but existing subscribers have until March 17 to adjust. Meanwhile, Google reassures very small businesses that they won’t see price increases just yet — though the definition of that category remains unclear.