Google is preparing a new Gemini subscription that slots between today’s Pro and Ultra plans. Clues in the latest macOS build of the Gemini app, spotted by 9to5Google, reveal the move. At the same time, the company is building a dedicated dashboard so users can track their AI usage and remaining token budget.
Internally codenamed “Neon,” the new tier currently appears as “Google AI Ultra Lite,” according to 9to5Google. The plan targets users who outgrow the $20-per-month AI Pro tier but don’t want to pay $250 for the full AI Ultra package.
The shift comes as AI companies increasingly grapple with the steep costs of sophisticated AI agents and code generation. Coding tools, in particular, burn through massive numbers of tokens—the compute currency behind AI models. Over recent months, users of rivals like Anthropic and OpenAI have reported tighter usage caps and reworked subscription structures.
Why Google is stepping in now
Google is pushing to make Gemini more competitive in the fast-growing AI coding market. The Information reports that cofounder Sergey Brin is currently leading an internal team tasked with dramatically upgrading Gemini’s programming skills.
That’s a strategic necessity. AI coding assistants like GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, and OpenAI’s tools drive infrastructure costs sharply higher as users run long, complex prompts. Individual sessions can consume millions of tokens.
Google appears to be bracing for a future where Gemini is used far more intensively for software development and autonomous AI agents.
New dashboard highlights your token burn
Beyond the new tier, Google is building a dedicated page at gemini.google.com/usage where users can see their current AI consumption.
The system looks a lot like Claude’s existing limits page. Users would be able to view:
- how many tokens remain;
- when limits reset;
- how much is left in a five-hour or weekly budget;
- how many extra credits are available for overages.
That transparency is increasingly essential as AI tools become daily work hubs. Developers want to know upfront if they have the headroom for heavy coding sessions or long-running agent tasks.
Likely price: $50 to $150
Google hasn’t named a price for AI Ultra Lite. Based on positioning, analysts expect it to land between $50 and $150 per month.
That would put Google in direct competition with the pricier plans from OpenAI and Anthropic. Both now offer subscriptions around $100 per month for power users of their top models.
Google’s current AI Ultra plan includes exclusive perks such as:
- broader access to the Flow video model;
- larger notebooks in NotebookLM;
- experimental AI projects;
- higher usage limits within Gemini.
It’s unclear what extra features Ultra Lite will add. So far, all signs point primarily to higher token limits.
AI pricing shifts toward usage-based models
Google’s move reflects a broader trend: AI companies are pivoting from “unlimited” subscriptions to controlled usage limits. The reason is simple—operational costs for advanced AI systems are surging.
Multimodal models that mix code, video, audio, and agents demand vast GPU resources. Major AI platforms are experimenting with new pricing that makes heavy users shoulder more of the infrastructure bill.
The arrival of AI Ultra Lite suggests Google expects Gemini usage to climb sharply in the coming months—potentially building toward new AI announcements at Google I/O 2026.
According to 9to5Google, the plan hasn’t been officially announced, and its name, price, and features could still change.
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