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There's a free plan; paid tiers are quoted.
Gemini Live API has a Free plan with free input and output tokens and limited access to certain models. Google does not publish the plan’s request or token quotas, and the free tier excludes context caching and grounding with Google Search and Maps. Paid usage is billed by modality and token volume, with per-minute rates also listed for audio and image/video input. Google requires at least $5 in prepaid credit to activate billing. Enterprise pricing is custom, so teams should confirm throughput and support costs directly.
01Every plan, line by line
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | — | Quote | Testing with limited model access |
| Paid | — | Quote | Production deployments needing higher limits |
| Enterprise | — | Quote | Teams needing enterprise controls and support |
Add-ons and overages
- Grounding with Google Search: 5,000 free requests/month shared across Gemini 3 and newer models, then $14 per 1,000 requests; daily cap of 1,500 requests
- Enterprise options include dedicated support, advanced security and compliance, provisioned throughput, volume-based discounts, MLOps and Model Garden; costs not published
02What the plan grid doesn't tell you
Unpublished free quotas
The Free plan’s specific request and token quotas are not published. Confirm applicable limits before using it for a production workload.
Audio and context usage
Audio is billed by tokens or listed per minute. Reddit developers report difficulty reconciling token counters with Google Cloud billing; measure representative sessions.
Search grounding
After 5,000 free requests per month shared across Gemini 3 and newer models, Google Search grounding costs $14 per 1,000 requests, capped at 1,500 per day.
Prepaid billing threshold
Paid billing requires at least $5 in prepaid credit to activate. Enterprise pricing and exact rate limits are not published.
03Which plan should you buy?
| If you are… | Get | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Prototype or side project | Free | Free input and output tokens suit limited testing, but model access and quotas are restricted and quotas are unpublished. |
| Startup in production | Paid | Usage-based rates cover text, audio and image/video input, with higher rate limits; exact limits are unpublished. |
| Team at scale | Enterprise | Custom pricing can include provisioned throughput, volume discounts and optional dedicated support and security controls. |
04Is Gemini Live API worth the money?
The Free plan is useful for limited prototyping if its restricted model access and unpublished quotas fit the project. Production teams should use Paid pricing to estimate costs by modality, then validate those estimates against real token counts and billing records; Reddit developers report that the relationship can be confusing. Search grounding adds a separate request charge after its shared free allowance. Enterprise is the option to discuss for provisioned throughput or added controls, but its pricing is custom. Self-hosting is not an alternative for the core service.
Gemini Live API pricing FAQ
Is Gemini Live API free?
The Free plan includes free input and output tokens with limited access to certain models. Google does not publish its specific request and token quotas. The free tier does not include context caching or grounding with Google Search and Maps, so check whether its access limits fit your testing needs.
How much does Gemini Live API audio cost?
The pricing page lists paid audio input at $3 per 1 million tokens or $0.005 per minute. Audio output is $12 per 1 million tokens or $0.018 per minute. Actual charges depend on usage; Reddit developers report that matching token counts to billed costs can be difficult.
Does Gemini Live API charge for Google Search grounding?
Google lists 5,000 free Google Search grounding requests per month, shared across Gemini 3 and newer models. After that, the rate is $14 per 1,000 requests, with a daily cap of 1,500 requests. Grounding with Google Search is unavailable on the Free plan.
What is the Gemini Live API Enterprise price?
Enterprise pricing is custom and not published. The listed options include provisioned throughput, volume-based discounts, optional dedicated support, advanced security and compliance, MLOps and Model Garden. Ask Google for a quote and confirm which rate limits and services are included.