Google’s Gemini Spark Cuts Price to $20, Expands to 160+ Countries — EEA, UK, Switzerland, and Nigeria Remain Excluded

Google’s persistent AI agent, Gemini Spark, is becoming dramatically more accessible — but only if you don’t live in Europe or Nigeria. In July 2026, Google dropped Spark’s entry price from $100/month to $20/month for US subscribers and expanded global reach to over 160 countries. At the same time, a leak suggests Google may retire the free Gemini Gems feature in October, pushing users toward paid Skills . Here is what has changed, who is still locked out, and what it means for your workflows.

Gemini Spark Availability: A Quick Timeline

• May 2026 (Google I/O): Spark announced as exclusive to Google AI Ultra ($100–$200/month), available only in the US .
• Late July 2026: Spark rolled out to Google AI Pro subscribers in the US ($20/month) .
• July 30, 2026: Google expanded Spark to AI Ultra subscribers in more than 160 countries, with support for all languages available in Gemini Apps .
• Current status: Spark is available to US AI Pro subscribers ($20/month) and to AI Ultra subscribers worldwide — with four standing exceptions .

The Four Excluded Regions (and Why)

Google’s support documentation explicitly excludes the following regions from Gemini Spark, regardless of subscription tier :

Region	Likely Reason
European Economic Area (EEA)	Regulatory complexity under the EU AI Act, which imposes stricter rules on autonomous agentic AI systems .
United Kingdom	Similar post-Brexit regulatory landscape aligning with EEA norms .
Switzerland	Regulatory alignment with EEA data governance standards .
Nigeria	Reason not explicitly stated by Google .

Google has not published a firm timeline for bringing Spark to these markets. Multiple outlets report the EEA/UK/Switzerland block is primarily due to compliance hurdles under the EU AI Act, which has specific requirements for AI systems that operate autonomously in the background . The block is not a temporary delay but an explicit exclusion .

Pricing Changes: The $100 Spark Is Now a $20 Spark

At Google I/O 2026, the company cut the entry price of AI Ultra from approximately $250 to $100/month — a 60% reduction . But the bigger news came in July: U.S. Google AI Pro subscribers, who pay $20/month, gained access to Spark .

Here is the current pricing structure for access to Gemini Spark:

• Google AI Pro: $19.99/month (US only for Spark, currently English only) .
• Google AI Ultra (5x): $99.99/month (global, except excluded regions) .
• Google AI Ultra (20x): $199.99/month (includes additional premium features) .

Spark remains unavailable to free-tier users and those on the $7.99/month Google AI Plus plan .

Is Google Retiring Free Gemini Gems?

On August 10, 2026, Android Authority reported that Google may be planning to discontinue its free Gemini Gems feature on October 20, 2026 . The report is based on a notice discovered behind a feature flag in the Gemini web app’s “Testing Catalog” — not yet visible to users .

Key details from the leak:

• The notice advises users to “save your Gem content or recreate them as skills” .
• “Skills” are the Spark-based equivalent — currently gated behind paid Google AI Pro or Ultra subscriptions .
• The report implies Google would make Skills broadly available (possibly to free users) before the Gems sunset date .
• If Skills remain paid-only after Gems retire, what was once a free customization feature would effectively become paid-only for existing workflows .

Important caveat: Google has not publicly confirmed the retirement. Android Authority and TestingCatalog note the October 20 date comes from an unreleased flag and could change . Google’s public Gemini release notes do not mention the shutdown .

What This Means for Users

For users outside the excluded regions, Gemini Spark is now significantly cheaper and more widely available than it was just months ago. The $20 Pro tier entry point opens Spark to a much larger audience of power users.

For users in the EEA, UK, Switzerland, and Nigeria, the situation is unchanged: Spark remains blocked regardless of subscription. The EU AI Act’s specific rules on autonomous AI agents appear to be the primary barrier, and Google has not signaled a timeline for compliance or rollout .

For users who have built custom Gemini Gems, the October 20 deadline (if confirmed) means planning ahead. Whether Skills will remain a paid feature or become broadly available before Gems retire is the open question that will determine whether a formerly free feature effectively becomes paid.

Bottom line: Gemini Spark is expanding fast, but its availability, pricing, and the possible end of free Gems all point in the same direction: Google is increasingly positioning its most powerful AI features behind paid subscriptions — and certain regions are being left behind entirely, at least for now.