Pick Gemini in Gmail if you work entirely in Gmail, already have a Google Workspace or Google AI plan, and want help writing, summarizing, and searching mail when you ask for it. Pick Synced, the AI inbox assistant, if you want each new message read and an Action Plan prepared without prompting, or if you also use Outlook, Slack, Teams, or WhatsApp Business. Synced is in private beta; Gemini in Gmail is generally available.
Synced and Gemini in Gmail side by side
Gemini details come from Google's Workspace pricing page, the Gemini in Gmail product page, the Google One plans page, and the Generative AI in Google Workspace Privacy Hub, checked on September 13, 2026.
| Gemini in Gmail | Synced | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Included in Google Workspace: Business Starter $7, Standard $14, Plus $22 per user/month as listed. Personal accounts: Google AI Plus $9.99/month, Google AI Pro $19.99/month | Listed on the pricing page: Free $0. Pro $29.99/user/month, or $24.99/user/month billed annually. Enterprise: contact sales |
| Free plan | Not listed as free. Google's Gmail AI page says Gemini is available with a Google AI plan or any Workspace plan. Workspace has a 14-day trial | Yes. 20 Action Plans a week with Gmail, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Google Calendar |
| Platforms | Gmail on desktop and mobile | Web app for desktop browsers, and iPhone (iOS 16.4+). No iPad app. Android is planned, no date |
| Email providers | Gmail and Google Workspace | Gmail (Free and up), Outlook (Pro) |
| Other channels | Not Slack or WhatsApp. Gemini also works in Google Docs, Meet, and other Workspace apps, and can reference Drive files in Gmail | Slack, Microsoft Teams chats, WhatsApp Business, Instagram Business DMs, Messenger (Facebook Pages), SMS via your own Twilio number, GroupMe (Pro) |
| AI drafting | Yes. Help me write, polish drafts, and Contextual Smart Reply suggestions | Yes. Replies and documents, with context from connected Drive, OneDrive, and Calendar |
| Sends without approval | No auto-send described. You pick a suggestion, then edit or send it | No. Every AI-drafted message waits for your approval |
| Model training policy | Workspace: customer data isn't used to train models without prior permission or instruction. Personal: Google says it removes PII from data subsets used to train Gemini | Google Workspace data isn't used to train generalized AI/ML models. LLM providers are bound not to train on the data |
| Status | Generally available | Private beta (waitlist) |
Checked September 13, 2026. Prices in USD. Google's pricing page showed introductory discounts that we left out.
Where Gemini in Gmail is the better pick
- You already pay for Workspace. Every Business plan on Google's pricing page includes the Gemini AI assistant in Gmail, so there is nothing new to buy or connect.
- You want help inside the Gmail compose window. Help me write, polish, and Contextual Smart Reply sit where you already type, on the web and in the Gmail mobile apps.
- You ask questions of your mail. Gemini's side panel can find confirmation numbers, compare vendor bids across emails, and reference a Drive file with an @ mention.
- Your IT team wants one vendor. Workspace admins manage Gemini with the same agreement and controls as the rest of Google Workspace, and Google's privacy hub says content isn't human reviewed or used for model training outside your domain without permission.
- You want Android. Gmail with Gemini runs on Android today; Synced's Android app is planned with no date.
Where Synced is the better pick
- You don't want to prompt. Most of Gemini's Gmail features start when you click Help me write, tap Summarize, or ask in the side panel. Synced reads each new message as it arrives, writes an Action Plan, and shows you finished drafts in Decide.
- The reply needs more than words. Synced's plan for a message can find the attachment in Drive or OneDrive, pick open slots from Google Calendar, and draft the reply with both included.
- Your mail isn't all in Gmail. Synced connects Outlook on Pro, alongside Gmail.
- Work also arrives in Slack, Microsoft Teams chats, WhatsApp Business, or Instagram Business DMs. Synced treats those as Inboxes next to email. Gemini in Gmail covers Gmail.
Using Gemini in Gmail and Synced together
They don't overlap much in practice. Gemini is a writing and search tool you reach for inside Gmail; Synced connects to the same Google account through Google's OAuth screen and works on incoming messages in the background. Synced asks for Gmail read and modify scopes so it can build context and send the replies you approve; the full list is on Synced for Gmail. Nothing about connecting Synced turns Gemini off.
- Google Workspace pricing (checked 2026-09-13)
- Gemini in Gmail product page and FAQ (checked 2026-09-13)
- Google One plans (Google AI Plus and Pro) (checked 2026-09-13)
- Generative AI in Google Workspace Privacy Hub (checked 2026-09-13)