Short answer
It depends on the route—and this article is specifically about Gemini 2.5 Pro, not every Gemini 2.5 model. Google’s AI Studio model page says 2.5 Pro is deprecated, is no longer selectable in AI Studio, and API access is limited to existing users until December 1, 2026. The page information available for this article does not establish what happens to requests after that date, so don’t assume a particular replacement model or billing rate.
Free access to the Gemini app does not prove that Gemini 2.5 Pro is selectable there. Google’s help page says people without a Google AI plan have standard Gemini Apps limits, but it does not confirm that those limits include this specific model. (support.google.com)
| Route | What the available documentation supports | Practical takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini app | Google documents standard Gemini Apps access limits for users without an AI plan. Its limits may change; the cited help page does not confirm that Gemini 2.5 Pro is available to free users. (support.google.com) |
You may use Gemini without a paid plan, but don’t count on access to this specific model. |
| Google AI Studio / Gemini API | Google’s model page says Gemini 2.5 Pro is deprecated, no longer selectable in AI Studio, and API access is limited to existing users until Dec. 1, 2026. It does not establish the post-cutoff behavior. | Don’t start a new integration around 2.5 Pro. Existing users should check the model notice and their project’s current access and billing details. |
| Gemini CLI | The Gemini CLI maintainers announced that, from June 18, 2026, the CLI would stop serving free-tier and Google AI Pro/Ultra requests; those tiers were directed to Antigravity CLI instead. (github.com) |
Old claims that Gemini CLI gives free Gemini 2.5 Pro access are not a reliable current offer or API budget. |
Is Gemini 2.5 Pro API use free?
The current information here does not establish that Gemini 2.5 Pro API calls are free—or give a reliable model-specific price. Google’s API pricing page says the free tier includes free input and output tokens but only for certain models; its general pricing summary is not proof that 2.5 Pro is among them. It describes paid access as intended for production applications requiring higher volumes and features. (aistudio.google.com)
A June 2025 Google AI Developers Forum reply said 2.5 Pro was not available on the API free tier at that time. That is historical guidance, not a current price or policy confirmation. The AI Studio model page’s existing-user access notice is also not a price quote.
No current, model-specific input rate, output rate, or free-tier quota is established by the documentation cited here. Don’t substitute consumer subscription costs, old CLI limits, or historical third-party prices for the Gemini API rate card.
A production budget check
For a token-priced API, estimate a bill using the model’s current input and output rates:
estimated cost = (input tokens ÷ 1,000,000 × input price per million) + (output tokens ÷ 1,000,000 × output price per million)
For example, a workload with 100,000 input tokens and 10,000 output tokens would cost:
(0.1 × input price per million) + (0.01 × output price per million)
This is a calculation template, not a Gemini 2.5 Pro quote. The exact price and free-tier eligibility needed to turn it into a dollar estimate are not confirmed here. Before budgeting, check the current model identifier, your project’s access, and the applicable official rate card. If your estimate covers use after December 1, 2026, first confirm what happens to 2.5 Pro requests after that date; the available model-page notice does not settle that question.
Why older pages say Gemini 2.5 was free
Some articles published in 2025 described experimental Gemini 2.5 Pro as free through AI Studio or the Gemini app. One was published on March 31, 2025. These are dated reports, not confirmation of current model availability, API eligibility, quotas, or prices.
Bottom line: Gemini Apps have standard limits without a paid plan, but that does not confirm free access to Gemini 2.5 Pro specifically. AI Studio selection is no longer available, and API access is described as limited to existing users through December 1, 2026. Current model-specific API pricing and post-cutoff behavior remain unconfirmed here.
Sources
Gemini 2.5 Pro — Gemini API | Google AI Studio
Gemini Apps limits & feature availability
An important update: Transitioning Gemini CLI to Antigravity CLI