Skip to main content
Freemium Writing & Editing

Google Gemini

Google's general assistant, and the one most likely to be already paid for if you run Workspace

Visit Google Gemini Verified Sep 2026 · Next review scheduled Dec 2026

Gemini is Google's general-purpose assistant, sitting alongside Claude, ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot as one of the four models a comms team is realistically choosing between. Its distinguishing feature for most organisations is not capability but placement: if you run Google Workspace, Gemini is already inside Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Meet, which removes the copy-and-paste tax that makes standalone assistants tiring to use. It is strong on long-context work, handles images, audio and video natively, and the same model family powers NotebookLM and Google's image tools. It is also one of the answer engines the GEO category tracks, so what it says about your organisation is a live reputational question and not only a productivity one.

For comms teams: teams already running Google Workspace.

Best for

  • Teams already running Google Workspace
  • Drafting and summarising inside documents rather than in a separate tab
  • Working across mixed media, including video and audio material

Pricing

Free tier in the Gemini app; consumer paid plans from around £19/month; included in Google Workspace Business Standard and above at no separate line item; API access charged on usage.

Google reorganises its AI plan names frequently. Confirm what your Workspace edition already includes before buying a consumer subscription, most business subscribers do not need one.

Pricing last verified Sep 2026 – check vendor site for current rates.

What works well

  • + Already inside the tools a Workspace team uses all day
  • + Handles long documents and mixed media without fuss
  • + No extra procurement conversation for most Workspace customers

Watch out for

  • - Consumer and Workspace tiers have materially different data terms
  • - Plan naming changes often, which makes it hard to know what you actually have
  • - Writing quality is a matter of taste; many comms teams prefer Claude for tone and nuance

When to choose this

Choose Gemini when your organisation runs Google Workspace and you want AI inside the documents and email you already work in, rather than in another tab.

Who should look elsewhere

If you are a Microsoft organisation, Copilot occupies the same position inside your stack and Gemini adds a second account for no gain. If tone, nuance and long-form drafting are the priority, many communicators prefer Claude. And if you want grounded answers from a defined set of documents rather than a general assistant, NotebookLM uses the same model family and is the better shape for that job.

Key features

  • Built into Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Meet for Workspace users
  • Long-context handling for large documents and transcripts
  • Native handling of images, audio and video
  • Deep research mode that compiles a sourced report
  • Enterprise data-handling commitments on Workspace tiers

Governance & data

Data inputs Prompts, uploaded files, and document context where Workspace integration is enabled
Model training & controls Google states Workspace content is not used to train models; consumer-tier terms differ and change. Confirm the tier before use.
Admin, SSO & permissions Workspace admin console controls which users and services have Gemini enabled
Audit trail & approvals Workspace audit logs cover admin activity; per-prompt logging varies by edition
Risk notes The gap between the free consumer app and the Workspace entitlement is the main governance trap. Set out which one staff should be using and why, before anyone pastes client material into the wrong one.

Governance information is based on publicly available vendor documentation. Verify with your vendor before procurement decisions.

Integrations

Google WorkspaceGoogle DriveGemini API

Available on

WebiOSAndroid

More in Writing & Editing

Deciding whether to adopt it?

Three free templates take you from a review to a decision you can defend, and a record of it.

Making the call across a whole team or tool stack? Deploy Comms With AI builds the policy and the register with you.