---
title: "How to get free Google AI Pro for an entire year - and save $240: 3 ways - ZDNET"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/ba3b2d11-705e-4e40-b309-b0821335fe42
source_url: "https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-get-free-google-ai-pro-subscription-for-one-year/"
stack: https://stacklist.com/stack/5d8cc977-ef65-41d4-b39f-7509ea94663a
summary: "Google AI Pro subscription offers three ways to get free access for an entire year, saving $240 annually: college students can claim 12 months free, new device purchases (Chromebook Plus, standard Chromebook, or Pixel 11) include free subscriptions, and family members can share select benefits at no additional cost."
tags: "google-ai-pro, free-subscription, college-students, chromebook, pixel-11, family-sharing, cost-savings"
key_entities: "Google (organization), ZDNET (organization), Google AI Pro (technology), Gemini 3.1 Pro (technology), Chromebook Plus (technology), Pixel 11 (technology), Google One (technology), SheerID (technology), Artie Beaty (person), Charlotte (location), UNC Charlotte (location)"
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---

# How to get free Google AI Pro for an entire year - and save $240: 3 ways - ZDNET

Google / ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Google is offering some users a free AI Pro subscription. College students can get 12 months for free. A new device gets you a free subscription, or you can share one. Good news if you’ve been eyeing one of Google’s premium AI plans but don’t want to add another subscription to your monthly bills: you may be able to get one for free. Also: Want a free Apple Watch? Play ZDNET’s ‘Guessing Game’ to win one – only 4 days left Google’s AI Pro plan has several benefits , including access to premier models like Gemini 3.1 Pro and 3.6 Flash, four times higher usage limits for reasoning and context models, huge context windows (up to 1,500 pages of text or 30,000 lines of code in a single prompt), Workspace integration for Gmail, Docs, and more, 5TB of cloud storage, Google Health Premium and a YouTube Premium Lite individual plan , and more. Also: You can earn your Google AI Professional Certificate for free – and I highly recommend it All of those benefits come at a price, though: $19.99 a month. This subscription tier is designed for heavy AI users, not casual chatters, so many people don’t need it. But if you’re an extensive user who enjoys pushing AI to its limits and you rely heavily on the Google ecosystem, you’ll find value. Fortunately, if you’d like to check the benefits, there are ways to try AI Pro for free. Here’s how. 1. College students get one year free Trending Now I used a free, open-source AI tool to build a working app – in two days 09/08/2026 The most exciting AI wearable at CES 2026 might not be smart glasses after all 01/02/2026 OpenAI’s new Astra model is finally here – why safety experts are worried 09/03/2026 If you’re a college student, you can get one free year of Google AI Pro. To claim this offer, click here . You’ll need to be 16 years or older, enrolled at a higher education institution in a country or region where Google AI Pro is supported, have a personal Google account and a Google Pay account with payment attached . You will need to use SheerID to verify your student status. 2. New devices can earn a free year You can also get free Google AI Pro when you buy hardware. This offer includes the Chromebook Plus (12 months), a standard Chromebook (3 months), or a Pixel 11 (6 months). Both new and existing Google One users are eligible for this promotion. The most affordable Chromebook Plus is the Acer 515 at $420. Also: Taught by AI pioneers, Stanford’s free online course takes you far beyond ChatGPT Since the AI subscription alone costs $240, this hardware deal offers good value. 3. Family members can tag along This is a bit of a workaround, but it’s a way to get AI Pro for free or at a discounted rate. Up to five family members of someone who has a Google AI Pro membership can receive “select AI Pro benefits and features” at no additional cost. Not every benefit transfers (for example, this offer doesn’t include YouTube Premium Lite), but it does include AI and 5TB storage benefits. Also: Got 6 hours? This free AI training from Google and Goodwill can boost your resume today If a family member has AI Pro, you can take advantage of this offer and either tag along for free or pay a portion of the signup fee on the side. Show Comments Log In to Comment Log Out Community Guidelines Please accept cookies to view the comments powered by Disqus. Artie Beaty Contributing Writer Artie Beaty is a freelance writer, based just outside Charlotte, with a passion for smart home tech and tech news. He has a bachelor's in journalism from UNC Charlotte and has been writing for over 15 years. On the weekends you'll find him leading haunted ghost tours of uptown Charlotte. See full bio The Latest from Artie Want to print out your photo backlog? Here are the most affordable ways to do it – including free options How to get free Google AI Pro for an entire year – and save $240: 3 ways How I sorted 22,000 digital photos without getting overwhelmed: 4 easy tricks / featured Forget iPhone Duo, I’m more interested in Audio Intelligence – privacy nightmare or accessibility genius?