Cohere vs Vertex AI: Pricing Comparison 2026
Side-by-side pricing comparison of Cohere and Vertex AI. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.
Bottom line: Cohere starts at Custom pricing and Vertex AI starts at $2/mo. Compare all 15 pricing tiers side by side.
Last updated: March 16, 2026
Cohere vs Vertex AI: Quick Pricing Facts
| Feature | Cohere | Vertex AI |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Custom pricing | $2/mo |
| Number of Plans | 3 | 12 |
| Free Tier | Yes | No |
| Pricing Model | usage-based | usage-based |
| Annual Discount | N/A | N/A |
Cohere and Vertex AI are both priced at Custom pricing, making them equally accessible AI & ML tools. Together they offer 15 pricing plans with 10 features compared, so the best choice comes down to which features match your needs.
Cohere stands out with a free plan for getting started.
Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your AI & ML needs.
| Pricing Plans |  Cohere Try it free |  Vertex AI Try it free |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | cached Custom pricing | |
| Tier 2 | ProductionPopular Custom pricing Includes
| $14 per 1,000 search queries $14/monthCheapest |
| Tier 3 | Enterprise Custom pricing Includes
| $14 per 1,000 queries $14/monthCheapest |
| Tier 4 | — | Gemini 2.0 Flash $2/monthCheapest |
| Tier 5 | — | $45 per 1,000 grounded prompts $45/monthCheapest |
| Tier 6 | — | $25 per 1,000 grounded prompts $25/monthCheapest |
| Tier 7 | — | Gemini Flash Custom pricing |
| Tier 8 | — | $35 per 1,000 grounded prompts $35/monthCheapest |
| Tier 9 | — | Model Custom pricing |
| Tier 10 | — | Open Source Model Custom pricing |
| Tier 11 | — | Duration Custom pricing |
| Tier 12 | — | $10 per 1000 searches $10/monthCheapest |
Swipe to compare plans →
Cohere
Cohere offers a free plan.
Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.
Best value: Cohere
Try Cohere freeWhich Should You Choose?
Choose Cohere if:
- •You need a free plan with Rate-limited API access, Community support—Cohere offers no-cost access with no credit card required
- •You want more features built-in—Cohere offers 10 additional features across its plans
- •You prioritize Cohere's user experience and interface over price (both tools are similarly priced)
Choose Vertex AI if:
- •You need 12 pricing tiers for flexible team sizing—more options mean less overpaying for features you don't need
- •You prioritize Vertex AI's user experience and interface over price (both tools are similarly priced)
- •You need predictable billing — Vertex AI's usage-based model avoids surprise overages
Cohere offers a free plan [1], eliminating the cost barrier for evaluation, while Vertex AI requires paid subscription from the start. This gives Cohere a significant advantage for teams with budget constraints or extended trial periods. Once you outgrow Cohere's free tier, upgrading to a paid plan at approximately Custom pricing provides substantial additional functionality. Compare this pricing path against Vertex AI's tiering starting at $2/mo to assess total cost of ownership over 12 months. Cohere's 3 tiers provide flexibility at different budgets, while Vertex AI's 12 tiers structure may force you into higher-cost plans than necessary for your use case. If evaluation cost matters to your decision, Cohere is the obvious starting point with zero financial commitment. Use the free tier to validate core functionality before committing to paid plans from either tool.
Frequently Asked Questions: Cohere vs Vertex AI
How many pricing plans does Cohere have vs Vertex AI?
Does Cohere or Vertex AI offer a free plan?
What is the most popular Cohere plan?
Does Cohere or Vertex AI offer custom enterprise pricing?
How do Cohere and Vertex AI compare for AI & ML?
Sources
- Cohere Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
- Vertex AI Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
Related Articles
Track Price Changes
Get notified when pricing changes for these tools.