Google AI Ultra is here: the subscription that will set you back $250 every month

And now, for something completely different – how about you start paying Google, the fifth-largest American company by market capitalization, $250 a month?

I remember how the internet – and the various subscriptions that came with it – was supposed to set us free of expensive cable TV installments and rigid bundles we never asked for. We were promised choice, flexibility, and cheaper access to the content we actually cared about. But somewhere along the way, that freedom turned into a maze of overlapping services, rising monthly bills, and paywalls around everything. Now, streaming feels just as bloated and fragmented as cable ever was – only with more logins, more fees, and just as little control.

I'm being cynical about it, of course – everything costs something. And every new thing comes with a "new" price tag on it, no doubt about it.

The price tag of Google's new AI Ultra plan, however, is a bit of a shocker.



This is the search engine giant's most powerful AI subscription plan yet. Designed for those who demand peak performance and unrestricted access, Ultra is tailored for developers, filmmakers, creatives, and anyone who wants to explore the full depth of what Google AI can offer.

The subscription, which costs $249.99 per month, includes a special introductory discount of 50% off for the first three months for new users in the US (thus dropping the price to $124.99), with plans to expand internationally soon.

At the heart of the Ultra plan is Gemini, Google's flagship AI model. Subscribers get access to its most advanced version, built to handle intensive tasks like complex coding, in-depth research, and high-end video generation. Ultra includes early access to the Veo 3 model and supports Deep Think, an upcoming enhanced reasoning feature designed for deep problem-solving.

Other standout features include Flow, Google's AI-powered video tool, built with the latest from DeepMind to help users create full cinematic sequences. Whisk, an experimental space for text-to-image creativity, is also supercharged under the Ultra plan, especially its animation capabilities. Subscribers benefit from expanded use of NotebookLM for learning and productivity, and deeper AI integration in everyday tools like Gmail, Docs, and the Chrome browser.

The plan also unlocks Project Mariner, a multitasking dashboard that manages complex workflows, as well as YouTube Premium (no more ads, right?!) and a massive 30 TB of storage across Google services.

Meanwhile, the existing AI Premium plan has been rebranded as Google AI Pro, which now includes some Ultra features such as Flow with Veo 2 and early access to Gemini in Chrome, without a price increase. Google is also expanding free access to AI Pro for university students in select countries, further widening the reach of its growing AI ecosystem.