Vertex AI Pricing Review + Features and an Alternative | 2026 | Lindy
Vertex AI Pricing Review + Features and an Alternative
Written by
Jack Jundanian
Personally Tested
GM of New Verticals
Jack broke down Vertex AI pricing, covering model training rates, Gemini 2.5 Pro token costs, and pipeline fees for production ML teams.
Jack Jundanian
GM of New Verticals
Jack is GM of New Verticals at Lindy, where he’s focused on exploring how AI agents can be applied to new industries and niche problems alike.
Last Updated: August 8, 2025
Table of contents
- Vertex pricing
- Vertex AI free tier and discounts
- Why Vertex AI pricing confuses
- Lindy vs. Vertex AI
- Key takeaways
- How Lindy simplifies AI
- Lindy: A Vertex alternative
- Frequently asked questions
Vertex AI pricing starts at $21.25/hour per custom training node, but your total cost depends on model usage, pipelines, and your region. If Vertex AI pricing seems unclear, this guide explains what to expect.
We’ll walk you through service types and what’s included in the free tier, and the following points about Vertex AI:
- Vertex AI pricing and billing structure
- What’s included in the free tier
- What makes Vertex AI’s pricing confusing
- A comparison with Lindy (for productivity use cases)
Let’s walk through how Vertex AI pricing works.
Vertex pricing
| Service Type | Price (as of 2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Model training | AutoML: $21.25/hour per custom training node. Image: $3.465/node-hour. AIMRA+: $250/TB + additional compute/storage factors | Your region determines custom training availability, and pricing varies accordingly. |
| Online predictions | Prediction prices start at $0.2 per 1K data points for the first 0-1M points | No scale‑to‑zero, so idle endpoints still incur cost |
| Generative AI models | Gemini 2.5 Pro: $1.25 input / 10 output per 1M tokens (≤200K); Gemini 2.5 Flash GA: $0.30 / $2.50 | Token‑based pricing, split by model/version, and tokens used |
| Pipeline costs | Pipelines $0.03 per run | Pipelines also incur training/storage compute charges |
Vertex AI free tier and discounts
The Vertex AI free tier lets new users try services like online prediction (5 GB per month) and limited custom training hours at no cost. New accounts also get $300 in Google Cloud credits valid for 90 days, which they can use on Vertex AI and other Google Cloud services. Free-tier benefits vary by service and may change at any time.
Here are the other benefits on the Vertex AI free tier:
- Vertex AI Express Mode: You can use core tools like Vertex AI Studio and Agent Builder with limited quotas (up to 10 agent engines, 90 days of usage) without enabling billing.
- Free access to services in preview: Includes Vertex AI Pipelines, TensorBoard, and Generative AI APIs like Gemini, all free while in preview with 100% discounted pricing.
- 10,000 free queries/month on Vertex AI Search: Vertex AI Search offers a free tier with limited services, but 10,000 queries/month. However, it doesn’t include add-ons like Core Generative Answers. Google bills add-ons separately or applies different usage limits. Check the official pricing documentation for the latest usage limits.
- Bonus credits through special programs: Google offers extra credits for universities, research teams, and early-stage startups via the Google for Startups Cloud Program. These credits reduce early-stage spending, but they fail to prevent overages once your workload exceeds the quota.
New accounts get $300 in Google Cloud credits, which expire after 90 days if unused. Since Vertex AI has no monthly spending caps, track your usage to avoid charges once you run out of credits. Also, many "preview" services included in the free tier may later transition to paid pricing without much notice.
Why does Vertex AI pricing confuse users?
Google Vertex AI pricing confuses users due to its token-based billing, variable rates, and multiple model usage types. Vertex uses the following AI pricing tools, which can confuse many users:
Token-based pricing model:
Google Vertex AI uses a token-based pricing model for generative tasks like chat, summarization, and code completion. However, the model determines the charging rate per token. For example, Gemini 1.5 Pro employs a distinct rate structure, dividing costs between input and output tokens.
Confusion around “free usage” vs total monthly spend
Vertex AI prominently markets its free tier and preview access, but the “free usage” it actually covers varies across services. Free experimentation often turns into real charges once teams exceed quotas or lose preview access.
Per-endpoint pricing vs shared infrastructure
One of the most overlooked aspects of Vertex AI is that it charges differently depending on the deployment method. If you deploy a model to a dedicated endpoint, you’re billed by the hour, even if the endpoint is idle.
Hard to estimate costs unless you already know usage patterns
Vertex AI requires teams to predict usage in terms of token volume, compute hours, QPS (queries per second), and storage. Each of these usage types may vary significantly by workload.
Lindy vs. Vertex AI: Simpler pricing, faster results
| Feature/Use Case | Vertex AI | Lindy |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Pay-as-you-go per API, per model, per compute (training + inference) | Transparent per-agent pricing + task volume. Starts at $49.99/month for 5,000 AI tasks |
| Setup Time | Requires configuration of models, endpoints, and pipelines. | 5–10 minutes with templates for common workflows like scheduling, support, and outreach |
| AI Agents / Workflow Ready | No prebuilt agents, developers must build workflows manually | Prebuilt AI agents for email, calls, scheduling, lead routing, support, and more |
| Use Case | Designed for AI engineers building ML models and pipelines | Built for SMB operators to automate business tasks with no-code agents, it’s one of the simplest AI pricing tools for non-technical teams. |
| Pricing Transparency | Complex: usage-based billing across many services and tiers | Simple: flat monthly pricing per workspace + optional phone minute rates |
| Free Tier | 90-day $300 credit, then usage fees apply | Free plan includes 400 AI-powered tasks/month and 1 agent slot |
| Ideal For | Engineers and data scientists building custom LLM apps | Founders, operators, and non-technical teams automating sales, support, and admin workflows |
Key takeaways: Who each platform is for
Product managers, engineers, and founders choose Vertex AI when they need flexible model deployment and native integration with Google Cloud. However, non-technical professionals who handle sales, marketing, and administrative tasks choose Lindy. The platform lets them automate real business tasks without writing code.
Use Vertex AI if you:
- Are a tech-savvy team: You work with ML engineers or data scientists.
- Need to fine-tune your models: Vertex gives you complete control over model behavior.
- Want cloud-scale infrastructure: You prefer to manage models across multiple endpoints.
Use Lindy if you:
- Don’t have development experience: Lindy lets you launch AI agents without touching a line of code.
- Need to deploy AI workflows quickly: You can build an AI agent today, and Lindy provides the platform to create it.
How Lindy simplifies AI for teams
Lindy helps teams deploy automation without developers or complex workflows.
Lindy’s free tier includes 400 monthly tasks, enough to test automations like email follow-ups, meeting summaries, and Slack messages. Each task reflects a real agent action, helping individuals and small teams validate workflows without upfront cost.
Paid plans offer up to 5,000 monthly task automations. They support continuous ops across sales, support, and internal systems with no complex setup. Lindy combines Zapier-style automation with ChatGPT-like reasoning, offering a cost-efficient alternative for teams comparing generative AI pricing models.
Frequently asked questions
What is Vertex AI?
Vertex AI is Google Cloud’s fully managed machine learning platform. It lets teams build, train, deploy, and scale models.
How much does Vertex AI cost per month?
Your workload, model type, and deployment method directly affect your monthly costs. There’s no built-in monthly cap.
Is Vertex AI free to use?
Vertex AI includes a free tier with limited training hours, 5 GB of online prediction, and access to preview services like Gemini and Pipelines. New Google Cloud users get a one-time allowance of $300 in credits valid for 90 days.