Should my usage of Gemini API on GCloud be charged while it's not GA yet?

[ZRonald]

I've been trying out Gemini API on Google Cloud via Vertex AI over the past months. I found out I was charged for it. 

Shouldn't it be free before Gemini API is Generally Available? Pricing  |  Generative AI on Vertex AI  |  Google Cloud

Or is it only free if I use the API via aistudio:
Gemini API Pricing  |  Google AI for Developers

[lsolatorio · Accepted solution]

Hi @ZRonald, 

Thank you for joining our community.

While the second link mentions a free tier with a 60 requests per minute (RPM) limit, it's unclear if this applies to pre-GA usage. To confirm current pricing for your specific use case, contacting your Google Cloud representative is recommended (as suggested in the Gemini API FAQ).

Is there a free evaluation tier for the Vertex AI Gemini API?

Contact your Google Cloud representative for more information.

What is the pricing for Vertex AI Gemini API?

Pricing information for Gemini models is available in the Multimodal section of the Pricing for Generative AI on Vertex AI.

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I hope I was able to provide you with useful insights.