Gemini for Google Workspace in the Philippines: What You Get in 2026

August 22, 2026 · 6min read · Technica Solutions Inc.

Google restructured Gemini for Workspace in early 2025 and the model it settled on is simple: Gemini AI is now part of every paid Google Workspace plan, no separate add-on purchase required. If your organisation is on Business Standard or above, you already have access to the full Gemini feature set — you may just not have turned it on yet.

This guide covers exactly what is included at each tier, the pricing Philippine businesses pay in 2026, and the honest comparison against Microsoft 365 Copilot so you can make an informed decision for your team.

What Changed from the Old Model

Until early 2025, Gemini for Workspace was a separate add-on: Gemini Business at $20/user/month or Gemini Enterprise at $30/user/month. Both add-ons are now retired.

Gemini AI capabilities have been folded into the base Workspace plans. This is the same move Microsoft made with Copilot for M365 at the enterprise tier — AI is becoming a platform feature, not a premium bolt-on.

The result is a roughly 17–22% price increase in base plan costs compared to pre-2025 rates, offset by the inclusion of what was previously a $20/month add-on. For teams that were using Gemini add-ons, this is a net saving. For teams that were not using them, it is a price increase.

What Each Plan Includes

Business Starter (~$7/user/month, annual)

Limited Gemini access. The main feature available at this tier is "Help me write" in the Gmail side panel — a prompt-based email drafting assistant. Gemini in Docs, Sheets, and Meet is not included at Starter. If AI productivity is a priority for your team, Starter is not the right tier.

Business Standard (~$14/user/month, annual)

Full Gemini AI across core Workspace applications:

Gmail — "Help me write" (generate full emails from bullet points), Smart Reply, email summarisation in the side panel
Google Docs — content generation from prompts, tone adjustment, document summarisation
Google Sheets — natural language formula generation ("create a formula that calculates the 30-day moving average of column B"), data insights, Help me organise
Google Slides — image generation for slide visuals, content suggestions
Google Meet — live transcription, translated captions, meeting summaries
NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook) — research assistant that processes uploaded documents, PDFs, and web links into an interactive Q&A interface
Google Vids — AI-assisted video creation from scripts and assets

For most Philippine SMEs, Business Standard is the practical target tier. The AI features at this level deliver genuine workflow savings across email, document creation, and meeting management.

Business Plus (~$22/user/month, annual)

Same Gemini feature set as Standard, with additional security and compliance controls (eDiscovery, audit, retention policies). The AI capability difference between Standard and Plus is negligible — the Plus premium buys compliance infrastructure, not more AI.

Enterprise

Custom-quoted. Includes Gemini features across all apps plus deeper data governance, DLP integration, and higher AI usage limits. Relevant for BPO, BFSI, and organisations with strict data residency requirements.

AI Expanded Access Add-On (~$20/user/month)

For teams that need higher AI output volume or access to the most capable models, Google offers AI Expanded Access as a paid add-on on top of any Business or Enterprise plan. This unlocks:

Higher daily generation limits across all apps
Deep research using Gemini's most capable reasoning models (currently Gemini 3 Pro in Google's stack)
Advanced image and video generation capabilities
Workspace Studio — automation flows between Workspace apps using AI
Real-time speech translation in Meet

AI Expanded Access replaces the retired AI Ultra Access tier. Most Philippine SMEs will find the base Gemini features sufficient; this add-on is for teams running intensive research workflows, content production, or multi-app automation.

Philippine Peso Pricing (2026, VAT-Inclusive, Annual Billing)

Exact PHP pricing varies by reseller and current exchange rate. Based on mid-2026 rates (₱65–73/USD range):

Plan	Approx. PHP/user/month (annual)	VAT included
Business Starter	₱475–560	Yes
Business Standard	₱950–1,100	Yes
Business Plus	₱1,480–1,720	Yes

Month-to-month billing runs approximately 17% higher than annual commitment rates.

Why buy from a Philippine reseller: Google's direct pricing is in USD and does not include Philippine VAT. Buying through an authorised local reseller gets you peso invoicing, BIR-compliant official receipts, and Philippine-based support — at the same or lower cost than purchasing direct. Technica Solutions Inc. is an authorised Google Workspace reseller.

Key Limitation: It Is All-or-Nothing per Plan

If your organisation standardises on Business Standard, every user on that plan gets Gemini AI features — and every user's seat is priced accordingly. There is no mix-and-match of Gemini-enabled and non-Gemini seats within the same plan tier. If only half your team needs AI capabilities, you need to decide whether the per-seat AI cost is justified for the whole team or whether a hybrid plan structure (some on Standard, some on Starter) makes more sense.

Gemini vs. Microsoft 365 Copilot for Philippine SMEs

	Gemini (GWS Business Standard)	Microsoft 365 Copilot
AI inclusion	Bundled in plan	Add-on (~$30/user/month on top of M365 plan)
Email AI	Gmail Help me write, summarise	Copilot in Outlook, draft, summarise
Document AI	Docs generation, Sheets formulas	Copilot in Word, Excel formula assist
Meeting AI	Meet transcription, summaries	Teams Copilot transcription, recap
Collaboration suite	Google ecosystem	Microsoft ecosystem
Best for	GWS-native organisations, cost-sensitive SMEs	Microsoft-centric organisations, Teams-heavy teams

The cost differential is significant for SMEs: Gemini AI is effectively bundled into a ~$14/month plan, while Microsoft 365 Copilot adds $30/month on top of an existing M365 licence. For Philippine SMEs already on Google Workspace, the migration calculus in favour of M365 for AI alone is hard to justify.

Enabling Gemini for Your Team

If your organisation is on Business Standard or above and has not enabled Gemini features:

Sign in to the Google Workspace Admin console (admin.google.com)
Navigate to Apps → Google Workspace → Settings for all products
Under Early access apps, ensure Gemini features are turned on
Optionally configure Gemini data protection settings under Security → Data access to control whether user prompts are used for model improvement

For regulated Philippine organisations (healthcare, BFSI, government), review Google Workspace's data processing terms and the Gemini Workspace AI data handling policies before enabling for sensitive workloads.

Technica Helps You Get Value from Workspace AI

Technica Solutions Inc. is an authorised Google Workspace reseller and deployment partner in the Philippines. We help organisations activate Gemini features, train staff, and configure AI governance settings — so you get real workflow value from what you are already paying for.

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