Google “popularizes” AI Plus: Expanding to more than 40 countries at an extremely low price

After a series of strong moves from OpenAI, Microsoft and many startups, Google has officially launched the AI ​​Plus service package in more than 40 countries, including Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico, Nepal and many other developing markets. This is a strategic step, showing Google's ambition to popularize AI to a large number of global users.

The highlight of this expansion is not only the added national scale, but also the “AI for everyone” philosophy that Google is pursuing. Instead of focusing only on large and potentially profitable markets, the technology giant has chosen a broader approach, covering many areas that were previously considered “not ready” for high-tech services. It is this expansion that changes the landscape: instead of AI being just a luxury tool for large businesses or high-income individuals, it has now become a viable part of the daily lives of millions of users. Not only that, Google also cleverly chose the time to announce the AI ​​Plus package right after OpenAI deployed its low-cost version ChatGPT Go in Indonesia. This move is like an affirmation: Google will not stay out of the game and is ready to compete fairly on the global stage.

1. Affordable price, creating a push in the market

In Indonesia, one of the key markets in the rollout, AI Plus is available for just $4.50 a month , or about 75,000 rupiah. In many other countries, this figure fluctuates around $5 a month .

To put that in perspective, OpenAI’s basic service package costs $20 a month. This means that users in emerging markets only need to pay a quarter of that to access Google’s powerful AI tools. For many users in Vietnam, Nepal, or Mexico, where $20 a month may be out of reach, this new price is like a wide open door to the world of AI.

Not stopping there, Google also applies special incentive programs in some markets such as Nepal and Mexico, with a 50% discount for the first 6 months . This policy not only helps lower the barrier to entry, but also motivates users to experience and gradually stick with Google's service ecosystem. Once they get used to AI Plus, the opportunity for them to continue to renew and upgrade the service in the future is very high.

This pricing method also shows Google's flexibility and wisdom. Instead of applying a fixed fee globally, the company considers adjusting to suit the purchasing power and economic conditions of each region. This is a strategy that streaming platforms like Netflix or Spotify have successfully applied and now Google brings to the field of AI.

2. Outstanding benefits: not only AI but also the ecosystem

One of the factors that makes the AI ​​Plus package resonate is the diversity of benefits that users receive. Google is not just selling “an AI model”, but is building a complete ecosystem to serve learning, work and creative needs.

AI Plus users will have access to Gemini 2.5 Pro , a more powerful upgrade over the free version. This model has smooth natural language processing, fast response speed, and support for multiple native languages.

In addition, AI Plus also offers a suite of photo and video creation tools , including Flow, Whisk, and Veo 3 Fast. This makes the service package an attractive option not only for office workers or students, but also for the content creation community. From making short videos for TikTok, designing ideas for Instagram Reels, to producing visual learning materials, AI Plus opens up many practical applications.

Google has also cleverly integrated AI Plus into familiar products such as Gmail, Docs, Sheets, NotebookLM . This is a strength that OpenAI can hardly compete directly with, because Google is taking advantage of “familiar applications” to make AI a seamless part of daily work and study habits. Users do not need to install additional applications or change processes; AI is directly attached to the tools they already use every day.

Another advantage is that the AI ​​Plus package comes with 200GB of cloud storage . This not only helps to store personal data, but also expands the ability to collaborate with teams and sync across multiple devices. In a context where storage is increasingly becoming a “precious resource”, this is an added value that is hard to ignore.

3. Competition is increasingly fierce

Undeniably, the emergence of AI Plus has heated up the global AI race. Just a day earlier, OpenAI had expanded its low-cost version ChatGPT Go to Indonesia. While OpenAI chose to approach from India, Google expanded to a series of countries, but India was not on the list.

This difference reflects the two companies’ respective strategies. OpenAI focuses on “explosive points” with a huge number of users and a fast-growing digital economy, while Google has chosen a “spread” strategy, prioritizing many countries at once to create a resonance effect. It is impossible to say which is more effective right now, but users are certainly the ones who benefit most from this competition.

In addition, AI Plus’s price of only about $5/month forces OpenAI to reconsider its pricing strategy. If it does not adjust, the risk of losing market share in developing countries is completely real. This is a difficult problem when OpenAI does not have a large application ecosystem like Google to “compensate” for its value outside of AI.

For Google, AI Plus is more than just a profit-making product. It’s a tool to keep users within its vast ecosystem, from Gmail to Drive to YouTube. As AI becomes part of everyday work and play, it will become increasingly difficult to leave Google.

4. Global significance and future trends

Google’s expansion of AI Plus to more than 40 countries is not simply a business strategy, but also reflects an important step forward in the journey to popularize artificial intelligence on a global scale. For many years, AI has been considered a high-end technology, mainly serving research labs or large businesses with expensive operating costs. But for the price of a meal out, millions of ordinary users can now own a powerful tool that will change the way they learn, work and create.

Especially in developing countries like Vietnam, Indonesia or Nepal, AI Plus offers a great opportunity to shorten the technology gap. Students can use AI to look up, learn foreign languages, write reports; teachers have additional assistants to prepare lesson plans; and freelancers and content creators can easily exploit AI to generate ideas, edit text, or create images and videos. All of the things that were previously only possible with expensive software are now accessible and economical.

In Vietnam, the benefits are even more obvious when AI Plus is directly integrated into familiar tools such as Gmail, Docs, Sheets or Drive. Users do not need to learn a new platform, but only need to exploit the familiar Google ecosystem. This helps optimize time, improve work efficiency, and at the same time create conditions for both small startups and individual entrepreneurs to easily take advantage of the power of AI without having to pay too much.

In terms of trends, the personal AI market will certainly explode in the period 2025–2026. Technology companies compete not only on the strength of their models, but also on the ability to integrate into the ecosystem, flexible pricing, and accompanying utilities. Google with AI Plus is clearly shaping a message: artificial intelligence is no longer a privilege of the few, but must become a tool for the majority. This can open up a “popular AI wave”, where every individual can own a “personal virtual assistant” to support them in work, study, and daily life.

If the internet changed the way people connect, or smartphones reshaped communication and entertainment habits, AI is likely to become the next infrastructure technology, present in every daily activity. And with this expansion of AI Plus, Google is helping to accelerate that vision, bringing AI from far-flung labs closer to everyday users around the world.

5. Conclusion

The launch and expansion of Google AI Plus to more than 40 countries, including Vietnam, is a testament to the ambition to bring AI closer to every user around the world. With a price of only about 5 USD/month, with a half-off promotion for the first 6 months in some markets, Google has broken the cost barrier, creating conditions for many people to experience the power of AI for the first time.

Not only does it provide an AI model, the AI ​​Plus plan also integrates fully into Gmail, Docs, Sheets, NotebookLM and comes with 200GB of storage. This makes it a comprehensive support tool, from work, study to content creation.

As OpenAI and many competitors are trying to expand their market, the emergence of AI Plus makes the race more fierce, but at the same time brings many benefits to global users. With this move, Google not only affirms its position in the field of AI, but also lays the foundation for a future where artificial intelligence becomes an indispensable part of daily life.