If you pay for Google Workspace, you already have Gemini. Google folded it into the Business and Enterprise plans in January 2025, so the real questions now are which plan gets which features, what Google does with your data and how to keep it from surfacing files people shouldn't see. These are the answers we give clients.
By Karla Gilvergara for The NetSys Group, which has delivered managed IT, cybersecurity and cloud services from Brooklyn since 1998. We work on-site across New York City, Long Island, Westchester, the Hudson Valley, North Jersey and Fairfield County, CT, with remote managed IT nationwide.
Gemini for Google Workspace: the questions owners ask
Is Gemini included in Google Workspace now?
Yes. Since January 2025, Google has offered "the best of Google AI in Workspace Business and Enterprise plans without the need to purchase an add-on," according to its Workspace Updates announcement. The paid Gemini add-on went away, and plan prices rose a little to cover it.
How much does Gemini for Google Workspace cost?
Nothing extra; it comes with the plan. Google's pricing page lists Business Starter at $7, Business Standard at $14 and Business Plus at $22 per user per month, checked October 21, 2026. Google says Standard customers who'd bought the old add-on paid $32 and now pay "$14 ... only $2 more than they were paying for Workspace without Gemini."
Which Workspace plan do we need for Gemini?
Business Standard for most teams. Starter gets the Gemini app and Gemini in Gmail, but Google's edition comparison reserves Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive, plus Meet's "Take notes for me," for Standard and up. Starter also caps Deep Research at 5 reports a month, against 20 a day on Standard and Plus.
Does Google train its AI on our company data?
No, not without your permission. Google's Workspace generative AI privacy hub says "Workspace does not use customer data for training models without customer's prior permission or instruction" and that prompts count as customer data. It adds: "Gemini does not share your content outside your organization without your permission."
Can Gemini see files an employee shouldn't?
Only if Drive already lets them open the file. Google says, "If the user doesn't have access to a document or email, Gemini will not retrieve that content." Gemini doesn't create oversharing; it surfaces the oversharing you already have, so clean up "anyone with the link" files first with our Google Workspace security checklist.
Can we turn Gemini off, or only allow some people?
Yes. In the Admin console, Generative AI, then Gemini for Workspace, then Feature access, switches Gemini on or off per app, by organizational unit or group. The Gemini app has its own switch, which Google says "has no effect on other AI features in Google Workspace services." Pilot it with one team first.
Is Gemini HIPAA compliant?
It can be covered, but only under Google's BAA. Google's HIPAA included functionality list names "Gemini in Google Workspace" and "Gemini App (excluding Gemini in Google Chrome)." Gemini Notebook isn't on the Workspace list, so keep patient data out of it. Our Google Workspace HIPAA guide covers the rest.
What happened to NotebookLM and Gems?
Both are changing. On July 16, 2026, Google announced NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook, and existing links redirect. Gems are being replaced by skills, and no sooner than March 1, 2027, business customers' Gems "can no longer be created, edited, or used," per Google's September 30 post, so rebuild the important ones as skills.
Can Gemini connect to HubSpot, QuickBooks or Salesforce?
Yes, and it's on by default. Google's September 15, 2026 update added connectors for Asana, Atlassian Rovo, HubSpot, Mailchimp, QuickBooks, Monday and Salesforce, "ON by default" for users with Gemini access. Review them under Apps, then Google Workspace Marketplace apps, then Apps list, before someone links your books.
Should we switch to Microsoft 365 to get Copilot instead?
Not for AI alone. If your team already lives in Gmail and Drive, Gemini is included and does most of what a small office needs, and switching platforms is a bigger decision about email, files and security. Our Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace comparison covers that call.
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