Gemini User Cancels Google AI Plus After Pro Model Removal
A long-time Gemini user canceled Google AI Plus after Google removed Gemini Pro access, according to Android Authority, and now uses free Gemini tools while testing ChatGPT and Claude.
The user had subscribed to Google AI Plus earlier this year for $5 a month. The plan provided a higher Gemini usage allowance and raised shared Google One storage to 400GB. The user said they used Gemini Pro whenever possible because its answers were more thorough and better researched than Flash or Flash-Lite.
Google then announced it would remove Gemini Pro from AI Plus, according to the account. An email last week detailed the downgrade, leaving the user with three options: keep AI Plus, upgrade to Google AI Pro to regain Pro, or cancel. The user said upgrading would mean paying Google more without a guarantee that features would remain, while canceling would limit chatbot use.
The free Gemini tier was also limited to Flash-Lite, the account said. The user described Flash-Lite as useful in a pinch but comparable to an AI Overview at the top of Google Search. They canceled AI Plus and subscribed to Google One’s 200GB storage tier instead, retaining storage for Gmail, Drive and Photos but losing AI perks such as Gmail integration.
The user found Gemini Notebook, formerly NotebookLM, still available on the free plan. It lets them group chats and sources, consolidate PDFs, Docs and web URLs in one notebook, and ask questions or create summaries using only uploaded material. The user said this helps reduce hallucinations but did not fully replace the paid chatbot experience.
They also revisited ChatGPT and signed up for Claude. In a test involving an upcoming trip to Vietnam, ChatGPT recommended hotels, attractions and things to avoid, while Gemini’s Flash-Lite only returned Google Maps links to hotels and attractions, according to the account. The user said Claude gave more direct answers with short bullet points and fewer side comments, and that its email drafts were more serious and deadpan, though they required more editing to match the user’s style.
The user cited two problems with Claude’s free tier: limited image generation that cannot alter existing photos, and stricter daily usage limits than Gemini and ChatGPT. They said they continue to look for ways to maximize Gemini’s free tier and alternatives for features lost after canceling AI Plus.