What I Wish I Knew About Google Gemini vs. Gemini Advanced

Google Gemini and Google Gemini Advanced are two versions of Google’s large language model AI that it uses to enhance search functions, generate text and images, summarize webpages and documents, and work with Google’s range of online services.

They’re both excellent examples of modern LLM AIs, but Gemini Advanced is the more capable option, with a range of additional features and capabilities. However, it does come at a price of $20 per month. This guide will help you decide whether it’s worth it.

Overall Findings

Gemini Advanced is more capable than Google Gemini by its very design. It can do several things that Gemini can’t, such as writing and running code, generating images, working with Google’s sites and services, working with a greater token context for longer and more complicated prompts, and you get a lot of additional free storage space.

But is it worth $20 a month? That will mostly come down to the kind of user you are. If you can make use of the additional features, and you don’t already subscribe to a large language model from another provider, such as ChatGPT, then you may well find some real use and benefit with Gemini Advanced. Certainly, if you use the advanced features that the free version of Gemini can’t do, it’s well worth paying for. Particularly since you can just cancel your subscription whenever you want if you no longer need those abilities anymore.

Models: Advanced’s Is Slower but Faster

Gemini 1.5 Flash is a vast improvement over older Gemini models, like 1.0 Pro. It is a truly multi-modal engine, able to understand and interact with text, images, video, and audio to a lesser extent. It can understand and help you write code, too.

On the other hand, Gemini 1.5 Pro is a more advanced version of that same engine, giving it greater ability to work with images, video, and audio with a much greater token limit for interactions allowing for much more nuanced and complicated questions and requests.

However, this comes with the downside of speed. Gemini’s free version is faster to respond, and for Google and anyone looking to run Gemini via the API for an ongoing service, it is far cheaper, too. Hundreds of times cheaper.

Integrations: Gemini Advanced Works in Services

Gemini’s free version is readily available in the web app and in Google search itself. You can also download the free app on Android, or access Gemini via the Google app on iOS. If you just want it to help with Google search, too, you can Google something and Gemini will be right there at the top of the results to summarise the information you were looking for.

Gemini Advanced is more widely available, however. It is also available as part of the app and the web app, and you can use Google search to get Gemini Advanced summaries as part of your results — you just need to make sure you’re logged in.

You can also use Gemini Advanced in a range of Google services, including Sheets, Docs, and Gmail, with various functions that it can perform to enhance your workflow. It’s also integrated with Google One/Drive storage. You not only get 2TB of storage on the Google One cloud storage platform as part of your subscription, but you also get the ability to access Gemini Advanced through Drive, asking it to interact with your files and folders there.

Pricing: Gemini Is Free, Gemini Advanced Is Not

Beyond features, the most glaring difference between Gemini and Gemini Advanced is the price. Where Gemini is entirely free for anyone to use as much as they like, for Gemini Advanced and its enhanced capabilities, you have to pay for it. At the time of writing, Gemini Advanced has a standard monthly fee of $20. However, you can also get a one-month free trial, so when you first sign up, it won’t cost you anything for the first 30 days.

You still need to put your payment details in, though, so if you don’t want to pay for Gemini Advanced, be sure to cancel it before the end of the trial period.

Final Verdict: Gemini Advanced For Advanced Users

Gemini Advanced is a much more capable AI tool, but it’s only really necessary if you’ll make use of its added features. If you’re just looking to play around with AI capabilities, or you only need basic text generation and editing functions, then the standard Gemini model is plenty powerful for your needs.

However, if you’re more interested in trialing Gemini’s ability to handle code generation and advanced web searches, or you simply want to converse with it for longer periods and make more complicated requests, it may well be worth considering Gemini Advanced.

Just consider other AI models, too, though, as Claude and ChatGPT are equally impressive and may be better suited to your needs.