Gemini

Gemini's real movement is about transparency — eroding first, then partially recovering under pressure. It isn't a simple tightening: the daily image-generation allowance rose from 30 to 100 in October 2025, and the cheaper AI Plus tier ($7.99/mo) reached the US and 35 markets in January 2026. The limit mechanics, though, moved the wrong way for anyone who values knowing where they stand. In November 2025 the published free allowance of up to five Gemini 3 Pro prompts per day was quietly replaced with vague 'basic access' language and a note that limits 'may change frequently' — a concrete number silently removed. May 2026 formalized the opacity, shifting to compute-based usage that varies by prompt complexity and features, with a five-hour refresh under a weekly cap. Backlash again forced a partial walk-back within days: Flash-Lite was made off-quota and failed requests stopped being charged. A user report captures the effect — a single prompt eating several percent of the five-hour budget, free Pro access disappearing overnight. Recent additions (text-to-video, Meet notes, new Nano Banana models) expand capability without restoring clarity. Gemini's ceiling is real but increasingly unknowable in advance. Plan around the fact that free-tier access to premium models can be cut without a stated figure, and that what counts against your budget is deliberately fuzzy.