Gemini storage and file handling across all plans

Gemini’s integration with Google Workspace and Vertex AI has made it a powerful tool for document analysis, data processing, and multimodal workflows. However, its storage policies and file handling capabilities vary widely across free, paid, enterprise, and developer environments. Understanding these differences is essential to optimize uploads, manage context efficiently, and choose the right plan based on your workflow needs.

Gemini supports multiple file types with distinct upload limits

Gemini allows you to upload documents, presentations, videos, code repositories, and datasets for processing. However, size caps and supported formats depend on whether you are using the Gemini app, Gemini Advanced/Pro, Enterprise tiers, or Vertex AI API.

File Type	Max Size	Details
Documents (PDF, DOCX, TXT, PPTX)	100 MB	Ideal for reports, research papers, or presentations
Videos	2 GB	Free plans capped at 5 minutes; Pro and Ultra allow videos up to 1 hour
Spreadsheets	100 MB	Google Sheets integration allows full previews and in-cell analysis
Code repositories	100 MB or 5,000 files	Used for debugging, training, and multi-file code reviews
Drive-synced assets	100 MB	Larger data must be uploaded through Vertex AI APIs

Gemini automatically indexes supported file types, enabling document search, summarization, and Workspace-integrated responses.

Upload frequency and daily quotas depend on your plan

File upload policies vary based on your Gemini subscription level. Free users face stricter quotas, while paid plans provide higher throughput and larger daily allowances.

Plan	Per-File Limit	Daily Upload Limit	Uploads/Minute
Free (Gemini Flash/Lite)	100 MB	~200 MB/day	~2 uploads/minute
Gemini Advanced (Pro)	100 MB	~5 GB/day	~10 uploads/minute
Enterprise / Ultra	100 MB	Up to 20 GB/day	Up to ~30 uploads/minute

Paid and enterprise plans also unlock extended video processing limits, Drive indexing, and advanced model integration, making them suitable for collaborative workflows and research-heavy environments.

Gemini Advanced (Pro) provides larger context windows and enhanced file handling

Gemini Pro users benefit from enhanced data analysis features beyond free-tier capabilities:

• Uploads up to 100 MB per file with higher concurrency.

• Extended 1 million-token context windows compared to 32K on free plans.

• Longer video support up to 1 hour per clip.

• Priority processing for files integrated with Google Workspace apps.

For professionals working on complex research, multi-document comparison, or code analysis, Gemini Pro significantly improves usability and throughput.

Enterprise plans add governance, security, and retention controls

Gemini Enterprise expands capabilities beyond Pro, adding stronger compliance and team features:

• Audit logging for uploaded files with size, format, and user metadata.

• No-train policy toggle, preventing files from being used for model training.

• Data region controls to store files locally for EU or sector-based compliance.

• Malware scanning and data loss prevention checks before ingestion.

These options are especially relevant for financial, legal, and healthcare enterprises that handle sensitive documents requiring privacy guarantees.

Vertex AI and Gemini Files API enable developer-scale storage

For technical teams, Gemini integrates with Vertex AI and exposes a dedicated Files API for automation and RAG workflows.

Interface	Per-File Limit	Project Storage Limit	Retention
Vertex AI (Gemini 2.5 Pro)	50 MB	Unlimited streaming requests	Real-time processing
Files API	2 GB/file	20 GB per project	Stored for 48 hours
Workspace Sync	100 MB	Based on Drive allocation	Persistent

The Files API is best suited for multi-document research pipelines, structured analysis workflows, and agent-driven systems requiring large volumes of transient data.

Practical tips for optimizing file usage in Gemini

To make the most of Gemini’s storage and file-handling features:

• Segment large documents into smaller parts to reduce retrieval latency.

• Leverage Vertex AI when working with multi-GB datasets or custom model pipelines.

• Use Google Drive integration for persistent document storage beyond temporary Gemini retention.

• Upgrade to Pro or Enterprise tiers for extended token windows and faster processing throughput.

Summary of Gemini file policies across plans

Plan / Interface	Per-File Limit	Daily Quota	Context Window
Gemini Free	100 MB	~200 MB	32K tokens
Gemini Pro / Advanced	100 MB	5 GB	1M tokens
Enterprise / Ultra	100 MB	20 GB	Custom scaling
Vertex AI API	50 MB	Flexible	1M+ tokens
Files API	2 GB per file	20 GB/project	Limited retention

Gemini’s file management capabilities combine Google Drive’s persistence with AI-driven indexing and summarization, making it a flexible solution for professionals, developers, and enterprises. Choosing the right tier depends on the size of your datasets, token requirements, integration needs, and compliance policies.

____________

FOLLOW US FOR MORE.

DATA STUDIOS

datastudios.org