What is Google AI Studio?
Google AI Studio is a free browser workspace for prototyping with Gemini models, getting API keys and building AI apps from a prompt for developers. It is made by Google and is the main entry point to the Gemini API. Google states that AI Studio usage is free of charge in all available regions, and you only pay when you move to the paid tier of the Gemini API.
AI Studio has grown from a prompt playground into an app builder. In Build mode you describe an app and Gemini writes the code, previews it and lets you refine it, including by highlighting part of the app and asking for a change. Since Google I/O 2026 it can also build Android apps and deploy to Cloud Run. Developers use it to test prompts, compare models, generate API keys and turn ideas into working prototypes.
Main Features
- Tests prompts against current Gemini models with adjustable settings.
- Generates Gemini API keys for use in your own code.
- Builds web and Android apps from a text description in Build mode.
- Refines generated apps by highlighting an element and describing the change.
- Deploys apps to Google Cloud Run in one step.
- Exports prompts as code samples for Python, JavaScript and other languages.
- Supports text, image, audio and video inputs in the same prompt.
How to Get Started with Google AI Studio
- Go to aistudio.google.com and sign in with a Google account.
- Try a prompt in the chat playground and pick a Gemini model.
- Click Get API key to create a key for your project.
- Open Build, describe the app you want and iterate on the preview.
Google AI Studio Pricing
Google AI Studio is free to use in the browser, and the Gemini API has a free tier with rate limits where data may be used to improve Google products. The paid tier is pay-as-you-go per million tokens, for example Gemini 3.5 Flash at $1.50 input and $9 output, and adds higher limits and no training on your data.
Who Should Use It?
- Developers prototyping with the Gemini API.
- Founders turning an idea into a working demo without setup.
- Product managers testing prompts before handing them to engineers.
- Students learning how large language models behave.
- Android developers trying AI-generated app scaffolds.
Google AI Studio Alternatives
- Lovable: more polished full-stack app builder with hosting
- Bolt: browser app builder that supports many model providers
- OpenRouter: one API key for many models beyond Gemini
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Google AI Studio free?
Yes. Google says AI Studio usage is free of charge in all available regions. You only pay if you use the paid tier of the Gemini API in your own apps.
What is Google AI Studio used for?
It is used to test Gemini prompts, get API keys and build AI apps from a prompt. Many developers use it as their first step before writing production code.
Is my data private in Google AI Studio?
Not fully on the free tier. Google states free-tier data may be used to improve its products, while paid-tier data is not, so avoid pasting sensitive data unless you are on a paid key.
Google AI Studio vs Lovable: which is better?
Google AI Studio is better for free Gemini prototyping and API access, while Lovable is better for shipping a full app with a database and hosting. Many builders prototype in AI Studio and move to a dedicated builder later.