Google AI Studio
Google's interface for trying Gemini models and testing prompts: chat, Build mode, model settings, API key and a Get code button. Free tier on several models, 1M-token window, text, image, video, audio and PDF inputs. Ideal for prototyping prompts before coding.
Strengths
- Free tier for several Gemini models, including 3.8 Flash and 2.5 Pro, within per-project rate limits
- 1,048,576-token window on Gemini 3.8 Flash, 65,536 output tokens, text, image, video, audio and PDF inputs
- Access to image generation (Nano Banana family), video (Veo 3.1) and speech synthesis, the first two outside the free tier
- Full model parameter control, temperature, safety filters, system prompts
Limitations
- On the free tier, Google states that content is used to improve its products: not for confidential data
- Free-tier rate limits (per model, per project, reset at midnight Pacific) make it unsuitable for production
- Steeper learning curve than consumer chatbot UIs like ChatGPT
Best for
- Developers exploring and prototyping Gemini API integrations for free
- Researchers needing massive context windows for document analysis