Google just fired a shot across the AI subscription wars. The company is rolling out Google AI Plus to 35 new countries including the U.S., pricing it at $7.99 per month - a full $12 cheaper than ChatGPT Plus and Claude Pro. The expansion makes Google's premium AI tools available everywhere its AI plans exist, bundling access to Gemini 3 Pro, NotebookLM, and 200GB of storage in a package that undercuts every major competitor.
Google is making its biggest push yet into the consumer AI subscription market, and it's doing it with aggressive pricing that could force OpenAI and Anthropic to rethink their strategies. The company announced today it's expanding Google AI Plus to 35 new countries and territories, including the crucial U.S. market, at $7.99 per month - less than half what rivals charge.
The timing couldn't be more pointed. While OpenAI continues to command $20 monthly for ChatGPT Plus and Anthropic matches that with Claude Pro, Google is betting that accessibility and integration will win over raw pricing power. According to Vikas Kansal, Product Lead for AI Subscriptions at Google, the service "helps people do more with Google AI for less."
But this isn't just about undercutting competitors. Google AI Plus bundles serious firepower - access to Gemini 3 Pro and Nano Banana Pro models, research and writing assistance through NotebookLM, AI filmmaking tools in Flow, and 200GB of cloud storage. The kicker? You can share all of it with up to five family members, effectively dropping the per-person cost to around $1.33 monthly if fully utilized.
The expansion comes as the AI subscription market heats up. OpenAI reportedly has over 10 million ChatGPT Plus subscribers, generating roughly $2 billion in annual recurring revenue. Google's pricing strategy could pull significant market share, especially among price-sensitive users who've been sitting on the fence about AI subscriptions.
What makes this launch particularly shrewd is Google's auto-upgrade play. Existing Google One Premium 2TB subscribers in the newly supported countries will automatically receive AI Plus benefits "in the next few days," according to the . That instantly converts a substantial user base into AI Plus subscribers without them lifting a finger - or paying extra.
