Gemini Discount Guide 2026: Free Student Year by Country

As of October 10, 2026, the biggest Gemini discount is the student free year, and what you get depends on your country. Eligible US college students get Google AI Pro free for 12 months, then pay $19.99 a month. Students in countries such as Japan, Spain and South Korea get Google AI Plus free for 12 months instead. Google's US and Japan student pages set the redemption deadline at December 31, 2026.

If you are not a student, there is no public coupon. The official ways to pay less are the cheaper AI Plus plan ($4.99 a month in the US), annual billing on AI Pro, family sharing on someone else's AI Pro plan, and device or carrier bundles. The one-month AI Pro trial that Google's US subscriptions page advertised in April 2026 is no longer shown there.

Gemini student 1 year free: what you get and pay in each country

The free student year is a Google AI Pro year in the US and a Google AI Plus year in most other supported countries. After 12 months it renews at the normal monthly price unless you cancel. A separate student bundle, Google AI Pro with YouTube Premium Student, runs at a discounted monthly price for up to four consecutive years while you remain a student.

Free-year terms and prices come from Google's US student page, its local student pages and the regional Gemini subscriptions pages, as of October 9–10, 2026. The bundle rule and the exclusions come from Google One Help's article on claiming a Google One student offer. Bundle prices are announcements and press reports, so the checkout screen is the price that counts.

What the US student page spells out, as of October 10, 2026:

• Who qualifies: US college students aged 18 or older. New users qualify, and so do students whose 2025 AI Pro student trial has already expired.
• What you get: a "Free Google AI Pro student plan" for one year, with 5 TB of storage.
• Deadline: "Redeem until December 31, 2026." The free year lasts 12 months from the day you redeem it, so a December 2026 sign-up runs into December 2027.
• After the year: a payment method is required up front, and Google will "automatically charge $19.99/month after the trial ends" unless you cancel.
• Verification: status is checked through SheerID with your school email, and the page says you re-verify every year.

The Japan page describes its offer as a 1-year free AI Plus student plan (「Google AI Plus 1 年間無料の学割プラン」), also 18+, also redeemable until December 31, 2026, also with a payment method on file. The Spain and Korea pages offer the same 12-month AI Plus plan at 0 € or ₩0. For the full US claim flow, see Google AI Pro Is Free for Eligible U.S. College Students for 12 Months.

Free AI Pro year or the 4-year student bundle?

For a US student who expects to keep paying for AI Pro, the bundle can cost less over time than the free year. The comparison below assumes both prices stay where they are today and that you would keep AI Pro after the free year:

• Free year, then list price: $0 for 12 months, then $19.99 a month. Three more years cost 36 × $19.99 = $719.64.
• Bundle from day one: 48 × $8.99 = $431.52 over four years, with YouTube Premium included. YouTube's announcement compares $8.99 against $35.98 a month for both services bought separately, about 75% less.
• Break-even: the free year saves 12 × $8.99 = $107.88 in year one. After that the bundle saves $19.99 − $8.99 = $11.00 a month, so it catches up after about 10 more months ($107.88 ÷ $11.00 ≈ 9.8). If you plan to keep AI Pro for more than about 22 months in total, the bundle comes out ahead.

Two conditions change that answer. First, you generally can't run both offers back to back. Google One Help says switching to a student offer while you're on another extended trial revokes the current offer. Second, sign-ups for the bundle are reported to close on December 31, 2026, so waiting until the free year ends may leave you with neither offer. If you only need Gemini for one school year, take the free year and set a reminder to cancel before it renews.

Outside the US, the math works differently. In Spain the reported bundle price (€5.49) is €0.50 a month above the regular AI Plus price, but it gets you AI Pro plus YouTube Premium. In Korea the reported bundle price (₩7,300) sits below the regular AI Plus price (₩7,500).

Every official way to pay less for Gemini right now

Students have the two offers above. Everyone else has five official ways to pay less than $19.99 a month for Google AI Pro, and they solve different problems.

This chart predates the October 10, 2026 update. The text is current: no general AI Pro trial is shown on the US subscriptions page, and AI Plus now costs $4.99 a month in the US.

Google AI Plus is the cheapest paid Gemini plan

Google lists AI Plus at $4.99 a month on its US Gemini subscriptions page. In Japan it costs ¥725, in Spain €4.99 and in Korea ₩7,500. AI Plus has lower limits than AI Pro, so it isn't AI Pro at a discount. If you use Gemini daily for writing, research and some image work but rarely hit limits, the lower price is the real saving. If you keep hitting AI Pro features or limits, Plus will feel like a compromise.

Annual billing lowers the AI Pro price

Google One Help says you can choose monthly or annual billing for Google AI Pro. The US subscriptions page doesn't print an annual price. In June 2025, 9to5Google and TechRadar reported it as $199.99 a year. Twelve monthly payments cost 12 × $19.99 = $239.88, so the annual plan saves $39.89, about 17%. Google's terms say "No refunds for partial billing periods," so annual billing only saves money if you're sure you'll keep AI Pro for a full year.

AI Pro now comes with 5 TB of storage, and the same help page offers a 10 TB option. Google AI Ultra starts at $99.99 a month (5x AI Pro limits), with a $199.99 tier at 20x.

Family sharing costs the joining member nothing extra

The same Google One Help page says "Family plan members on a Google AI Pro membership plan can enjoy select AI benefits and features at no extra cost." If someone in your household already pays for AI Pro, joining their family group is the cheapest route for you. It isn't a full second AI Pro account, though. The catch for students: Google's student-offer rules exclude family-group members, so you can't claim a student offer while you're on someone else's family plan.

Device and carrier bundles

Some Google AI offers come with hardware or a phone plan, not from Google's subscriptions page:

• Samsung: a Google One offer for Samsung devices is redeemable until August 1, 2027, according to its terms. The terms don't make clear which plan it covers, so check the offer screen on your device.
• OnePlus: the 3-month AI Pro bundle stopped taking redemptions on August 1, 2026.
• Japan, au and UQ mobile: KDDI's page lists Google AI Pro at ¥2,420 a month with 20% back in Ponta points, compared with ¥2,900 direct from Google.
• Korea: LG U+ has offered subscription discounts in 2026 (articles mention 50% or up to 32%), and SKT also appears in related offers.

Carrier terms change often, so the carrier's own page is the one to trust. Plans bought through a carrier, Pixel Pass or Google Fi also can't be switched to a student offer.

What happened to the old Gemini student offers?

The old student offers expired. In August 2026 Google launched new ones, which are the offers in the table at the top. Most of the "free Gemini for students" posts that still circulate describe one of these earlier campaigns:

In April 2026 the US student page said the previous student offer had expired. That changed on August 19, 2026, when Google announced "one year of Gemini, on us" for US college students. Free trials still exist, but as device, partner or account-targeted offers. If an offer appears inside your Google One app or in a Google email, it's specific to your account and its terms show on the checkout screen.

The 2025 student pages still rank in search, so dates are the quickest test. Any offer with a 2025 deadline is over. The current offers say "December 31, 2026."

Which Gemini route should you choose?

Start with what you'd actually pay after the discount ends.

• US college student, needs Gemini for one school year: take the free AI Pro year and set a cancel reminder for the renewal date.
• US college student, plans to keep AI Pro two years or longer: compare the $8.99 AI Pro + YouTube Premium bundle against the free year using the break-even above, and sign up before December 31, 2026.
• Student in Japan, Spain, Korea or another supported country: the free year gives you AI Plus. If you want AI Pro, check whether the student bundle is offered in your country and at what price.
• Not a student, moderate use: AI Plus at $4.99 a month. Try Gemini Free first if you're unsure. The free tier may be enough for chat, and Gemini Free Image Limit: How Many Images You Can Make and Upload covers the image allowance.
• Not a student, heavy AI Pro user: annual billing, if you're sure you'll keep it for a year.
• Someone in your home already pays for AI Pro: ask to join their family group before buying anything.
• Developer looking for free access: the Gemini app's plans don't cover the API. Gemini API Free Tier 2026: Limits, Free Models, and Free API Keys covers free models and free API keys.

This chart predates the October 10, 2026 update. The text is current: the one-month AI Pro trial is no longer a general route, live 2026 student offers run until December 31, 2026, and AI Pro storage is 5 TB or 10 TB.

Avoid third-party sites selling "Gemini Pro for around $2 a month." They resell shared or third-party access, not a Google plan. Google's student offers require your own personal Google Account. If you're comparing AI subscriptions, ChatGPT Plus Discount 2026: What Still Works and What It Costs covers the OpenAI side.

What to check before you subscribe

Most failed student claims and surprise charges trace back to one of these conditions in Google's own pages:

1. Country. Student offers exclude Albania, Bolivia, Canada, Hong Kong, Macau and Tunisia. Google AI Plus and AI Pro aren't offered in Russia or mainland China at all. Google's paid plans are available in more than 140 countries and territories, for users 18 and older.
2. Account type. The student offer needs a personal Google Account with a payment method. Your school email is used for SheerID verification; the plan itself goes on your personal account.
3. Existing plan. Family-group members can't claim student offers. Memberships through third parties, Pixel Pass or Google Fi are also excluded. Switching to a student offer during another extended trial revokes that trial.
4. Renewal price. Each free year converts to a paid plan: $19.99 a month for AI Pro in the US, or the local AI Plus price elsewhere. Cancel before the renewal date if you don't want to pay.
5. Refunds. Google's subscriptions page says "Cancel anytime. No refunds for partial billing periods." This matters most for annual billing.
6. Yearly re-verification. Student status is checked again each year, so the 4-year bundle lasts only as long as you keep qualifying.

FAQ

When does the Gemini student 1 year free offer end?

You have to redeem it by December 31, 2026, according to Google's US and Japan student pages. The free year then runs 12 months from the date you redeem. After that it renews at $19.99 a month for AI Pro in the US, or at the local AI Plus price in other countries, unless you cancel.

How do you get 1 year of Gemini Pro for free?

Only eligible US college students aged 18 or older get a free year of Google AI Pro. They verify through SheerID on Google's US student page and add a payment method. Students in most other supported countries get a free year of Google AI Plus instead, not AI Pro.

Does Gemini still have a student discount in 2026?

Yes. The free student year (AI Pro in the US, AI Plus in most other countries) is open until December 31, 2026. A separate AI Pro + YouTube Premium student bundle offers a discounted monthly price for up to four years while you remain a student: $8.99 a month in the US, per YouTube's announcement.

Is there a promo code for Gemini?

Google's subscriptions and student pages don't list a public promo code as of October 10, 2026. Discounts come through student verification, device and carrier bundles, or offers attached to a specific account. Code sites and "$2 a month" resellers aren't Google offers.

What is the cheapest official way to get Gemini paid features right now?

For most people it's Google AI Plus at $4.99 a month in the US. For eligible students it's the free year. If someone in your household already pays for Google AI Pro, joining their family plan costs you nothing extra.

Is the Google AI Pro trial the same thing as the old student offer?

No. The general one-month AI Pro trial is no longer shown on Google's US subscriptions page. Google One Help now describes the US student offer as a "12-month Google AI Pro trial membership." That is the student offer, not a public trial. Other trials come through devices, partners or account-specific offers.

Can I stack the trial with another Google AI plan offer?

No. Google One Help says switching to a student offer while you're on another extended trial revokes the current offer. Pick the offer you want before you redeem.

Can students in Canada or Hong Kong get the Gemini student offer?

No. Google's student-offer rules exclude Albania, Bolivia, Canada, Hong Kong, Macau and Tunisia. Russia and mainland China aren't Google AI Plus or AI Pro countries.

Why do some Google pages say 2 TB while others say 5 TB?

Google AI Pro now includes 5 TB, and Google One Help offers a 10 TB option. The 2 TB figure appears on older student FAQs and on Google One's separate 2 TB storage plan. Your checkout screen shows the storage you'll actually get.

Should students still chase the old 12-month or 15-month pages?

No. Every offer with a 2025 deadline is over. Use the current student page for your country, where the offers say "December 31, 2026."

Is Gemini's free tier a discount alternative?

For light use, yes. The Gemini app is free with limits. The Gemini API's free tier is a separate developer product, covered in the Gemini API free tier guide.