After launching with a generous free access model, Google appears to be pulling back. Users who previously enjoyed a fixed daily allowance of prompts and image-generations for Gemini 3 Pro are now finding themselves under a new “Basic access” scheme — a version where daily quotas are no longer guaranteed. Instead, limits may fluctuate depending on demand and server load.
Under the original terms, free users could run five prompts per day and generate up to three images with the associated image model. Now, prompt allowances are vague, and the image-generation limit has reportedly dropped to two per day. Some premium features (like enhanced image tools) appear restricted for free users, while paying subscribers keep their full access intact.
This shift reflects a broader challenge for high-performance AI systems: demand is surging, and the compute cost is steep. Free tiers that once made AI widely available are proving expensive to sustain — which means companies like Google are increasingly nudging heavy users toward paid subscriptions. For casual users, the change reduces reliability: you may not be able to count on Gemini 3 Pro delivering when you need it most.
For those relying on Gemini 3 Pro — students, creators, hobbyists, or anyone who used free prompts and image generations — this is a turning point. The once-free “just try it” appeal is fading fast. If you need consistent output or plan to use the tool for heavier workloads, a paid plan may soon become almost unavoidable.
