AI API price index · model maker · read 16 Oct 2026
Google Gemini API pricing
16 prices as Google Gemini publishes them — 15 text models, 1 embeddings — read on its own pricing page on 16 Oct 2026. Its current text models cost $0.40 to $12.00 per million output tokens.
Free tier Free tier: "For developers and small projects getting started with the Gemini API" — "Limited access to certain models", "Free input & output tokens", "Google AI Studio access", "Content used to improve our products". Per model, input and output are "Free of charge" on Gemini 3.8 Flash, 3.6 Flash, 3.5 Flash-Lite, 3.1 Flash-Lite, 3 Flash Preview, 2.5 Pro, 2.5 Flash, 2.5 Flash-Lite and Gemini Embedding 2; Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview is "Not available" on the free tier. Re-read 16 Oct: "Gemini 4 Argon is not available on the Free tier or on the Google AI Pro plan." Context caching is free on the free tier for 3.8 Flash, 3.6 Flash and 3 Flash Preview, and "Not available" for the others. "Google AI Studio usage is free of charge in all available regions."
What to know before you build on Google Gemini
- Most Gemini models have a free tier: free input and output tokens under rate limits, with content used to improve Google's products. Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview is not on it.
- Gemini 4 Argon, the new flagship added to the page on 15 October, is $2.00 in and $10.00 out per million tokens through 30 November 2026, then $4.00 and $20.00. It is not on the free tier.
- Gemini 3.8 Flash and Gemini 3.6 Flash double on 1 January 2027 — $0.75 in and $3.75 out per million tokens through 31 December 2026, $1.50 and $7.50 after.
- The Pro models charge more for prompts over 200k tokens.
- Batch takes 50% off. Output prices include thinking tokens.
- Several Flash models charge more for audio input than for text, image or video.
Against the other ten
Across the index, 85 current text models run from $0.10 to $50.00 per million output tokens — 500×. Google Gemini’s cheapest, Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite at $0.40, has 11 cheaper text models elsewhere; its dearest, Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, costs $12.00. A cheaper model is a different model, not the same one for less — compare capability before price.
Text models
| Model | Input | Cached input | Output | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 4 Argon | $2.00 | $0.10 | $10.00 | through November 30, 2026; added to the page 15 Oct (read 16 Oct); not on the free tier |
| Gemini 4 Argon | $4.00 | $0.20 | $20.00 | starting December 1, 2026 · Not ranked: scheduled price from 1 December 2026. |
| Gemini 3.8 Flash | $0.75 | $0.075 | $3.75 | through December 31, 2026 |
| Gemini 3.8 Flash | $1.50 | $0.15 | $7.50 | starting January 1, 2027 · Not ranked: scheduled price from 1 January 2027. |
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | $0.75 | $0.075 | $3.75 | through December 31, 2026 |
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | $1.50 | $0.15 | $7.50 | starting January 1, 2027 · Not ranked: scheduled price from 1 January 2027. |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | $0.30 | $0.03 | $2.50 | one input price for text / image / video / audio |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | $0.25 | $0.025 | $1.50 | text / image / video input; audio input $0.50, audio caching $0.05 |
| Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview | $2.00 | $0.20 | $12.00 | prompts <= 200k tokens; not available on the free tier |
| Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview | $4.00 | $0.40 | $18.00 | prompts > 200k tokens; not available on the free tier · Not ranked: long-prompt band; the index ranks the standard band. |
| Gemini 3 Flash Preview | $0.50 | $0.05 | $3.00 | text / image / video input; audio input $1.00, audio caching $0.10 |
| Gemini 2.5 Pro | $1.25 | $0.125 | $10.00 | prompts <= 200k tokens |
| Gemini 2.5 Pro | $2.50 | $0.25 | $15.00 | prompts > 200k tokens · Not ranked: long-prompt band; the index ranks the standard band. |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash | $0.30 | $0.03 | $2.50 | text / image / video input; audio input $1.00, audio caching $0.1 |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite | $0.10 | $0.01 | $0.40 | text / image / video input; audio input $0.30, audio caching $0.03 |
Embeddings
| Model | Input | Cached input | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini Embedding 2 | $0.20 | — | text input; free of charge on the free tier |
11 of these 16 prices are ranked in the index; the rest say why in their note. Text and embeddings per 1M tokens unless the row says otherwise.
Discounts and surcharges, as published
- Batch API (50% cost reduction) — Paid tier; e.g. Gemini 3.8 Flash Batch $0.375 input / $1.875 output per 1M tokens through December 31, 2026 (vs $0.75 / $3.75 Standard); Gemini 2.5 Pro Batch $0.625 / $5.00 for prompts <= 200k tokens
- Flex: on Gemini 3.8 Flash the page lists the same prices as Batch ($0.375 input / $1.875 output through December 31, 2026)
- Priority (premium, not a discount): Gemini 3.8 Flash $1.35 input / $6.75 output through December 31, 2026; $2.70 / $13.50 starting January 1, 2027
- Enterprise (Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform): "Volume-based discounts (based on usage)"
Where these numbers come from
Read on ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/pricing on 16 Oct 2026. Macrostack measures nothing and is paid by no provider on this index. Prices change; the date is the claim.
The other providers in the index
- The AI API price index — every provider, cheapest first, and the download
- OpenAI API pricing — model maker
- Anthropic API pricing — model maker
- Mistral AI API pricing — model maker
- Cohere API pricing — model maker
- Groq API pricing — open-model host
- Together AI API pricing — open-model host
- Fireworks AI API pricing — open-model host
- Replicate API pricing — open-model host
- Deepgram API pricing — voice
- ElevenLabs API pricing — voice
Questions
- How much does the Google Gemini API cost?
- On 16 Oct 2026, Google Gemini's current text models cost $0.40 to $12.00 per million output tokens at the standard tier (Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite to Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview). The full list, with input and cached-input prices, is on this page.
- Does Google Gemini have a free tier?
- What Google Gemini's own pages say: Free tier: "For developers and small projects getting started with the Gemini API" — "Limited access to certain models", "Free input & output tokens", "Google AI Studio access", "Content used to improve our products". Per model, input and output are "Free of charge" on Gemini 3.8 Flash, 3.6 Flash, 3.5 Flash-Lite, 3.1 Flash-Lite, 3 Flash Preview, 2.5 Pro, 2.5 Flash, 2.5 Flash-Lite and Gemini Embedding 2; Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview is "Not available" on the free tier. Re-read 16 Oct: "Gemini 4 Argon is not available on the Free tier or on the Google AI Pro plan." Context caching is free on the free tier for 3.8 Flash, 3.6 Flash and 3 Flash Preview, and "Not available" for the others. "Google AI Studio usage is free of charge in all available regions."
- Does Google Gemini offer discounts?
- Batch API (50% cost reduction) — Paid tier; e.g. Gemini 3.8 Flash Batch $0.375 input / $1.875 output per 1M tokens through December 31, 2026 (vs $0.75 / $3.75 Standard); Gemini 2.5 Pro Batch $0.625 / $5.00 for prompts <= 200k tokens Flex: on Gemini 3.8 Flash the page lists the same prices as Batch ($0.375 input / $1.875 output through December 31, 2026) Priority (premium, not a discount): Gemini 3.8 Flash $1.35 input / $6.75 output through December 31, 2026; $2.70 / $13.50 starting January 1, 2027 Enterprise (Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform): "Volume-based discounts (based on usage)"