Side-by-side comparison · AI Assistants & LLMs
Google AI Studio vs Google Gemini vs LMArena
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Founders, marketers and developers who want to test Google's models or build a quick app without paying.
Pick it if: People whose work already runs on Gmail, Google Workspace or an Android phone.
Pick it if: Anyone choosing between AI tools, and people who want to know which model is leading right now.
Google Gemini scores highest overall, but LMArena gives you more for your money. Which one is right comes down to what you value most.
Overview
| Attribute | Google AI Studio | Google Gemini | LMArena |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Google's free workspace for testing Gemini models and building apps from a description. | Google's assistant, built into Gmail, Docs, Drive and Android phones. | Free site where you compare AI models side by side and see which ones people rate best. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Free |
| Starting price | $19.99/mo | US$4.99/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | No | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Google AI Studio | Google Gemini | LMArena |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.9 | 4.2Winner | 3.8 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 3.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 3.5 | 4.5 | 3.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Google AI Studio | Google Gemini | LMArena |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | No | Yes | No |
| Desktop app | No | Yes | No |
| Browser extension | No | Yes | No |
| API access | Yes | Yes | No |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | No | Yes | No |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes | No |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | No |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Makes images | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Makes video | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Writes code | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | Yes | No |
| Learns your brand or style | No | Yes | No |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 11/ 17 | 16/ 17 | 7/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Google AI Studio | Google Gemini | LMArena |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | FreeOur pick Free Testing models and building small prototypes. | Free Free Light use and seeing how it feels. | FreeOur pick Free Everyone. |
Google AI Pro $19.99/mo Regular users who also want the Gemini app upgrade. | Google AI Plus US$4.99/mo Casual users who want Gemini in Gmail and more storage. | ||
Google AI Ultra From $99.99/mo Heavy builders who want the highest limits. | Google AI ProOur pick US$19.99/mo Anyone who works in Google Workspace every day. | ||
Paid API Pay as you go, $10 prepay to start Apps in production and anyone with sensitive data. | Google AI Ultra From US$99.99/mo Heavy creative and agent users. | ||
| Which plan to pick | Start free. If you're putting anything sensitive in or building something people will use, switch to a paid API key so your prompts aren't used for training. Google AI Pro only makes sense if you'd use the Gemini app upgrade too. | Skip the free plan for anything serious now that it's Flash-Lite only. AI Pro (US$19.99, or A$32.99 in Australia) is the one to buy: it's the cheapest way to get Gemini 4 Argon plus Gemini in Docs and Gmail, and the 5 TB of storage offsets a Google One bill. Ultra is for people generating video all day. | There's nothing to buy. Use it free, and pay for whichever assistant comes out best for your work. |
Key features
| Attribute | Google AI Studio | Google Gemini | LMArena |
|---|---|---|---|
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | Google AI Studio | Google Gemini | LMArena |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Google AI Studio | Google Gemini | LMArena |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Google AI Studio, Google Gemini or LMArena?
Google Gemini scores highest overall in our ratings (Google AI Studio 3.9/5, Google Gemini 4.2/5 and LMArena 3.8/5). Google AI Studio is best for prototyping an app or internal tool by describing it and testing new Gemini models before they reach the app. Google Gemini is best for searching and summarising your Gmail and drafting in Google Docs. LMArena is best for choosing between AI models with your own prompts and checking which model leads after a launch.
Which is cheaper, Google AI Studio, Google Gemini or LMArena?
Google AI Studio: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $19.99/mo. Google Gemini: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at US$4.99/mo. LMArena: It's free to use.
Which is easier to use, Google AI Studio, Google Gemini or LMArena?
Google Gemini rates highest for ease of use in our scores. People whose work already runs on Gmail, Google Workspace or an Android phone.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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