Google’s free tier just changed twice in quick succession, and both changes matter if you run a website chatbot. First, Gemma 4’s free allowance jumped from 1,500 to 14,400 requests a day — a nearly 10x increase. Then Google dropped in a brand-new model, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, at 500 free requests a day.
Here’s what actually changed, and whether either update matters for your site.
The Headline: Gemma 4 Went From 1,500 to 14,400 Free Requests a Day
This is the bigger of the two changes and the one most people missed. Until recently, Gemma 4 sat at 1,500 free requests a day on the Google AI Studio free tier. That was already the best free deal around — roughly 3x what the Flash-Lite models gave you.
Now it’s 14,400 requests a day. That’s almost ten times its old allowance, and close to 29 times what the Gemini Flash-Lite models get at 500. Google essentially turned Gemma 4 from “good free option” into “run a real chatbot on this and never think about the limit again.”
For a self-hosted WordPress chatbot, 14,400 requests a day is more conversation volume than a small or mid-size site will ever touch. You’d have to average a new message every six seconds, around the clock, to exhaust it.
The Second Change: Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite Is Now Free
Alongside the Gemma bump, Google added Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite to the free tier at 500 requests a day — the same allowance the older 3.1 Flash-Lite gets. The model launched with 3.6 Flash and is positioned as a low-latency, cost-efficient workhorse for high-volume tasks.
The “Lite” name means it trades a bit of reasoning depth for speed. For a chatbot, that’s the right trade: a snappy answer usually beats a slightly more considered one. DeepMind calls 3.5 a “huge jump” over 3.1, which is what most free-tier chatbots were running on.
So the Flash-Lite story is simple: same free price as before, noticeably better output. If you were on 3.1 Flash-Lite, switching to 3.5 is a free upgrade.
The Free Tier Lineup Right Now
| Model | Free requests / day | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Gemma 4 31B | 14,400 | ⬆️ up from 1,500 |
| Gemma 4 26B | 14,400 | ⬆️ up from 1,500 |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite | 500 | 🆕 new model |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite | 500 | unchanged |
| Gemini 3.7 Flash | 20 | unchanged |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash | 20 | unchanged |
Which Free Model Should You Use Now?
The Gemma bump changes the default recommendation. Before, you picked between volume (Gemma at 1,500) and quality (Flash-Lite at 500). Now Gemma 4 gives you both the volume and a big enough allowance that the 500-request ceiling on Flash-Lite looks thin by comparison.
Here’s the clean way to decide:
- Gemma 4 (14,400/day) — the default. Enough volume that you never think about limits, and open-weight so your data isn’t trained on. Pick this unless you have a specific reason not to.
- Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite (500/day) — pick this if you want the fastest, most polished responses and your traffic is light enough that 500 requests a day is plenty.
Most sites should now run Gemma 4 and stop there. Flash-Lite is the choice for a low-traffic site where response quality and speed beat the need for headroom.
Switching in a WordPress Chatbot Takes Seconds
If you run YakWP on WordPress, both changes are already live in your settings. YakWP lists every free Gemini model with its daily allowance right next to the name, so you can see the new numbers without looking anything up.
The switch is a two-step change:
- Go to YakWP settings and confirm the provider is Google Gemini.
- Open the model dropdown and pick Gemma 4 31B (for volume) or Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite (for speed).
That’s it. No new API key, no billing change, no plugin update. Your existing AIza key from Google AI Studio works as-is. If you don’t have one yet, grab it free at aistudio.google.com/apikey — about 30 seconds, no credit card.
If you’re still deciding whether to self-host a chatbot at all, the BYOK explainer covers the why, and the 5-minute setup guide walks through the install.
What These Changes Don’t Mean
Two caveats so the update doesn’t read as bigger than it is.
The frontier Flash models are still 20 requests a day. 3.6, 3.7, and regular 3.5 Flash remain test-only on the free tier. Google is being generous with Gemma and the Lite line, not the flagship models.
Google still doesn’t publish the free tier as a public table. The per-model limits live in your AI Studio rate-limit panel. The numbers here are from a live panel in August 2026; if yours differ, trust your panel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Gemma 4’s free tier really jump to 14,400 requests a day?
Yes. It moved from 1,500 to 14,400 free requests a day, a nearly 10x increase. It’s now the largest free allowance in Google’s lineup by a wide margin.
Is Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite free?
Yes, at 500 requests a day on the Google AI Studio free tier — the same allowance as the older 3.1 Flash-Lite.
Should I use Gemma 4 or Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite for my chatbot?
Gemma 4 for most sites — the 14,400-request allowance removes the limit from the equation. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite if you want the fastest, most polished responses and your traffic fits within 500 requests a day.
Do I need a new API key for either change?
No. Your existing Google AI Studio key works for both Gemma 4 and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite. Just select the model in your chatbot’s settings.
The Bottom Line
The free tier got meaningfully better this month, and the Gemma jump is the part worth paying attention to. 14,400 free requests a day is enough to run a self-hosted chatbot on a real site for $0, forever, without ever glancing at a usage counter. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is a nice speed upgrade on the side.
If you run WordPress, both are already in YakWP’s model list. See what YakWP includes or grab the free plugin and point it at Gemma 4.
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