Google has rolled out its new, lower-cost AI Plus plan to more than 40 countries, aiming to bring advanced AI features to markets where its standard $20 monthly subscription has been out of reach.
The plan, first introduced in Indonesia earlier this month at Rp 75,000 (about $4.50), is priced at around $5 per month in most countries. In select markets such as Nepal and Mexico, Google is offering a 50% discount for the first six months.
The rollout includes countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, with Angola, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Senegal, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe among those named.
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What Google’s AI Plus Plan Offers
Subscribers get access to Gemini 2.5 Pro, Google’s most advanced model, alongside creative tools such as Flow, Whisk, and Veo 3 Fast for image and video generation. The plan also unlocks more capabilities on NotebookLM, Google’s AI research assistant, allows AI use inside Gmail, Docs, and Sheets, and includes 200GB of cloud storage.
The bundle highlights Google’s push to make AI not just an optional add-on, but a seamless part of daily productivity and entertainment.
A Direct Counter to OpenAI
The move comes just one day after OpenAI expanded its sub-$5 ChatGPT Go plan to Indonesia, intensifying competition between the two companies. Both still offer their $20 per month flagship subscriptions, but the cheaper tiers are designed to attract users in markets where affordability drives adoption.
One conspicuous omission from Google’s rollout is India, where OpenAI launched ChatGPT Go earlier this year. Industry analysts note that India remains one of the most critical growth markets for generative AI, though regulatory and infrastructure concerns may explain Google’s delay.
Two Different Strategies: Bundling vs. Pure AI
Google’s approach is built around ecosystem lock-in. By weaving AI into widely used services like Gmail, Docs, and Sheets—and pairing it with cloud storage—Google is tying generative AI to tools that already have billions of users. The strategy mirrors its playbook with Android and Google Workspace, where integration made switching costs high for users and enterprises alike.
OpenAI, by contrast, has focused on a “pure AI” approach. Its ChatGPT products are positioned primarily as conversational assistants and productivity enhancers without a broader ecosystem of default tools. The model allows OpenAI to innovate rapidly in AI capabilities, but leaves it dependent on partnerships—such as its multibillion-dollar tie-up with Microsoft—for distribution and integration.
Emboldening the contrast, Google is betting on breadth, embedding Gemini across everything from email to spreadsheets to creative tools, while OpenAI is betting on depth, doubling down on ChatGPT’s conversational and reasoning abilities as the centerpiece.
Why Emerging Markets Matter
Both companies appear to be converging on the same conclusion: to dominate the AI subscription market, they must first win in emerging economies, where hundreds of millions of potential paying users are price-sensitive.
This mirrors the smartphone wars of the past decade, when affordability in markets like Africa, Asia, and Latin America shaped global leaders. Adoption in these regions could decide which company sets the standard for everyday AI use worldwide.
Google’s bundling strategy may give it a stickier advantage, especially in places where Gmail and Docs are already widely used. OpenAI, meanwhile, will need to convince users that ChatGPT alone is compelling enough to justify the subscription—even without an ecosystem of tools built around it.