Google Gemini (formerly Bard)

What is Google Gemini (formerly Bard)?

Bard is now Gemini

If you searched for Google Bard, the product you want is Gemini. Google dropped the Bard name, and bard.google.com now redirects to gemini.google.com. It is a general AI assistant for writing, research, summaries, image generation and voice conversation, and it is built into the Google account you probably already have. It suits people who live in Gmail, Docs and Android and want an assistant that sits close to them.

What the free tier gives you

The free tier covers everyday chat, image generation and editing, Deep Research, Gemini Live voice, Canvas, Gems and 15 GB of Google storage, according to Google's plans page. Free access runs on a lighter model, so heavy reasoning tasks and long sessions are where you will notice the limits first. For most casual use, free is enough.

Plans and where the money goes

As of October 2026, Google sells three paid levels under the Google AI name. On the Czech version of the page, Google AI Plus is 149,99 Kc per month with 2x the free usage limits and 400 GB of storage. Google AI Pro is 549,99 Kc per month with 4x limits, 1,000 Google Flow credits and 5 TB of storage. Google AI Ultra starts at 2 999,99 Kc per month. US prices differ, so check the page for your country.

A large part of what you pay for is storage and Workspace features, not just chat quality. If you already pay for Google One storage, the Plus or Pro tier may cost little extra. If you only want a chatbot, the free tier plus a competitor's free tier is cheaper than any paid plan.

The student offer

Google has repeatedly run a free year of Google AI Pro for eligible students. A 2025 offer was covered by Tom's Guide, and MacRumors reported in August 2026 that US college students can get Google AI Pro free for 12 months, with a sign-up deadline of 2026-12-31. Eligibility rules are strict and verification is required, so read the terms before relying on it.

Who should skip it

Skip the paid tiers if you do not use Google storage or Workspace heavily. Skip Gemini altogether if your company bars Google accounts for AI use, or if you need guaranteed answers without checking sources, since like every chatbot it can state wrong facts confidently.

Decision rule: use the free tier for a month. Upgrade to Pro only if you hit usage limits weekly or you need the 5 TB storage anyway.

Key features

• Free chat assistant with image generation and editing
• Deep Research reports
• Gemini Live voice conversation
• Canvas for editing documents and code
• Gems for custom assistants
• Tiered Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra plans with storage

Use cases

• Drafting and rewriting text
• Research summaries with Deep Research
• Voice conversations on Android
• Image generation for slides and posts

Google Gemini (formerly Bard) pricing

As of October 2026, prices on Google's Czech plans page (Kc per month). Other countries show local pricing.