Gemini Spark availability expands, but Google keeps it behind paid plans
Google’s AI agent is rolling out to more paid subscribers, with key regions still waiting and no free access for now.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Gemini Spark availability just opened up to more people, but Google’s background-working AI agent still comes with a price tag attached.
According to Mashable, the tool is now available in the U.S. to subscribers on Google AI Pro, the company’s $20-a-month plan. Outside the U.S., access requires Google AI Ultra, which starts at about $100 a month depending on the market.
There are some big holes in that rollout. Mashable reported that users in the European Economic Area, the UK, Switzerland and Nigeria are not getting access yet.
Google’s support documents say the company is “rapidly expanding access to more users and businesses over the coming weeks,” so anyone left staring at a blank Spark-shaped space in Gemini may not be stuck there for long.
Who can use Gemini Spark now?
For now, Mashable reported, U.S. users need to be paying for Google AI Pro to use Gemini Spark. Users elsewhere need Google AI Ultra, except in the European Economic Area, the UK, Switzerland and Nigeria, where access has not arrived yet.
That makes Spark a paid feature from the jump. Google is not offering free access as part of this wider rollout, according to Mashable.
The regional split also means the cheapest path depends on where a user lives. In the U.S., the entry point is the $20-a-month Google AI Pro plan. In other eligible markets, Mashable reported that the required Google AI Ultra tier starts at around $100, though the exact price varies by market.
What is Gemini Spark?
Gemini Spark is Google’s AI agent built to carry out tasks and keep track of things in the background for a user. An AI agent is software that can act on a user’s behalf, rather than only answering one prompt at a time.
According to Google support materials cited by Mashable, Spark is based on Gemini 3.5. One example Google gives is a daily rundown of a user’s tasks, drawing from calendar entries, documents, notes and inbox material.
That background role is the whole pitch: less chatbot, more digital assistant that watches the moving pieces while the user gets on with the day. Google’s own example suggests Spark is meant to pull together information from several Google-connected places and present it as something useful.
How does it compare with rival AI agents?
Google is not alone in charging for this kind of AI assistant. Mashable reported that OpenAI’s ChatGPT Work and Anthropic’s Claude Cowork are also limited to paid tiers, with pricing for both starting at about $20 a month.
The catch for Google, at least in this rollout, is geography. Mashable noted that OpenAI’s and Anthropic’s comparable tools are available in Europe and the UK, while Gemini Spark is not yet available in those regions.
Google has not given a specific date in the report for when excluded regions will get Spark. For now, the company’s public line is that broader access is coming over the next several weeks.
This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.