The Google Vids Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Google Vids in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Google Vids
The Insider’s Guide
Google Workspace's AI video creator and editor
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among screen recording and video tools, read from Google Vids’s own pages.
Made by Google · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Google Vids’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Google Vids’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 11 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade
Google Vids is the video creation app in Google Workspace. It records the screen and voice, turns Google Slides into video and lets a recording be edited by changing its text transcript, with templates, stock media and Gemini features that generate clips, avatars and voiceovers. Basic use is free with a Google Account; higher limits come with Workspace plans for business and Google AI plans for consumers.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Google Vids, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for video for teams already on Google Workspace
Google Vids is the video maker inside Google Workspace: it records your screen, turns a Slides deck into a video, and edits a recording through its transcript.
- 2
Paid plans start at $7 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter).
- 3
There is a free plan
Basic Vids features are free with a personal Google Account, with 50 Gemini credits a month and up to 6 AI avatar or video clip generations a month, using preset avatars only.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Recording studio
Records the screen and audio directly in Vids for walkthroughs and training. A clip made in the recording studio can be up to 30 minutes long.
- 6
Transcript-based editing
A video is edited by changing its text transcript like a document, then finished with styled captions and transitions instead of a complex timeline.
- 7
Slides to video and templates
Converts a Google Slides presentation into a video, or starts from a template, with stock media and files added from Google Drive or Google Photos.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 11 of 52
That is against the other screen recording and video tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Google Vids you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Google Vids at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day Google Workspace trial
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Category
- Screen Recording & Video
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for video for teams already on Google Workspace
Google Vids is the video maker inside Google Workspace: it records your screen, turns a Slides deck into a video, and edits a recording through its transcript. It isn't sold on its own, so business use means Workspace from $7 a user a month on a yearly commitment. You can only create in a desktop browser, no video can run past 30 minutes, and many AI features are English only.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | You can't buy Vids on its own. It comes with Google Workspace, from $7 a user a month on a 1-year commitment, which is between the lowest quarter and the middle for video tools here. The $7 covers the whole suite, not just this. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Basic Vids is free with a personal Google Account. The AI side is where it bites: 50 Gemini credits a month, up to 6 avatar or clip generations, and preset avatars only. |
| Features | C | Screen recording, editing by transcript, Slides turned into video, templates, stock media and AI avatars and voiceovers in 24 languages. The gaps the listing names: no video can run past 30 minutes, creating only works on desktop, and Google says many AI features are English only. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record, but there's nothing to set up at all: it sits inside the Google account you already have, in a browser, and you edit by changing the transcript like a document. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A web app, nothing else, working with Google Slides, Drive, Photos and YouTube. Creating and editing are desktop browser only, so on a phone all you can do is watch. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Google Vids is for
- Fits if your company is already on Google Workspace and wants video included
- Works for turning a Google Slides deck into a narrated training or onboarding video
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want to edit on a phone or tablet, as creating and editing are desktop only
- Not for you if your videos run long, since each one can be at most 30 minutes
- Tight if you lean on AI, because Business Starter gives 10 AI avatars and 200 seconds of AI clips a month
- Watch out: Vids isn't sold alone, and the $7 needs a 1-year commitment, $8.40 without one
- Tight if you're on a free personal account, which gets 50 Gemini credits, 6 generations a month and preset avatars only
Good to know
Good for
- Organizations already on Google Workspace that want video included
- Turning existing Google Slides decks into narrated videos
- Training and onboarding videos made without a camera
Worth knowing
- Vids is not sold on its own: business use comes with Google Workspace plans, and consumers get higher limits through Google AI plans.
- Creating and editing work only on desktop; mobile devices can view videos but not edit them.
- Each video can be at most 30 minutes long.
- Gemini features are metered by plan, and Google says many AI features in Vids are available only in English.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$7
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Google Vids has a free plan. Paid plans start at $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter).
Basic Vids is free with a personal Google Account.
Personal Google Account
$0
Basic Vids features in a desktop browser, with 50 Gemini credits a month and up to 6 AI avatar or video clip generations, using preset avatars.
Business Starter
$7
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($8.40 flexible)
Google Workspace suite plan that includes Vids, with 10 AI avatars, 200 seconds of AI video clips and 5 image generations a month.
Business Standard
$14
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($16.80 flexible)
Suite plan with 2 TB of pooled storage per user. Vids limits rise to 25 AI avatars, 500 seconds of AI video clips and 30 image generations a month.
Business Plus
$22
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($26.40 flexible)
Suite plan with 5 TB of pooled storage per user, Vault and advanced endpoint management. Vids limits are the same as on Standard.
Enterprise
Custom
Suite plans priced through Google sales with no user limit. Vids limits run from 10 to 25 AI avatars a month depending on the edition.
The free plan
Basic Vids features are free with a personal Google Account, with 50 Gemini credits a month and up to 6 AI avatar or video clip generations a month, using preset avatars only.
Trying it first
14-day Google Workspace trial
Read from workspace.google.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 16% with a 1-year commitment
Business Starter is $7 per user per month on the Annual/Fixed-Term Plan against $8.40 on the Flexible Plan. Standard drops from $16.80 to $14 and Plus from $26.40 to $22.
Stated on knowledge.workspace.google.comNonprofit
Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0
Eligible nonprofits get Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0, or Business Standard at $3.50 and Business Plus at $6.16 per user per month on a 1-year commitment.
Stated on google.comEducation
Education Fundamentals at no charge
Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals, which includes Vids, is available at no charge to qualifying institutions.
Stated on edu.google.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Google Workspace's AI video creator and editor. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, transcription, templates, screen recording, video editing.
A web app, nothing else, working with Google Slides, Drive, Photos and YouTube.
- Recording studio
- Records the screen and audio directly in Vids for walkthroughs and training. A clip made in the recording studio can be up to 30 minutes long.
- Transcript-based editing
- A video is edited by changing its text transcript like a document, then finished with styled captions and transitions instead of a complex timeline.
- Slides to video and templates
- Converts a Google Slides presentation into a video, or starts from a template, with stock media and files added from Google Drive or Google Photos.
- AI avatars and voiceovers
- Scripts AI avatars and voiceovers in 24 languages. Monthly avatar limits depend on the plan, from 10 on Business Starter to 25 on Standard and Plus.
- Gemini video generation
- Generates video clips from a text prompt and animates still images with audio, within a monthly allowance of clip seconds set by the plan.
- Sharing and YouTube export
- Permissions set who can edit, comment or view. Videos play in the browser with automatic captions, and can be exported to YouTube, private by default.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Google Slides
- Google Drive
- Google Photos
- YouTube
Google Vids is made by Google.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
11/52
Other screen recording and video tools it is graded above
Google Vids's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 11 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 16.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 20 of 52) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $7 a month for each person, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 14 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 4 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 53 screen recording and video tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Google Vids’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 10 of 52
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 52
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 52
- BEase of useAbove 20 of 52
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 15 of 52
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 46 screen recording and video tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Google Vids is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Google Vids you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 25 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools grade higher. It costs $84 a year.
What you could make
- Templates: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A video editor.
- Recording the screen with its sound, and somewhere to keep the video.
- Speech turned into text you can trust.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions.
What this rests on. Google Vids’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Clipchamp, Synthesia, HeyGen, Descript and Loom
The 5 tools Google Vids is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Clipchamp
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Microsoft's browser-based video editor with a free plan.
- Only Clipchamp lists a Windows app.
- Clipchamp also covers noise cancellation.
- 2.4GPA
Synthesia
Free plan · from $18/mo
AI video platform that turns scripts into avatar-presented videos.
- Only Synthesia lists a browser extension.
- Google Vids also covers transcription and video editing.
- 2.6GPA
HeyGen
Free plan · from $24/mo
AI video generator with realistic avatars and video translation.
- Only HeyGen lists iOS and Android apps.
- Google Vids also covers transcription, screen recording and video editing.
- 2.4GPA
Descript
Free plan · from $16/mo
Audio and video editor that works by editing the transcript.
- Only Descript lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Google Vids also covers templates.
- Descript also covers noise cancellation.
- 2.8GPA
Loom
Free plan · from $18/mo
Screen and camera recorder for shareable video messages.
- Only Google Vids lists a web app.
- Only Loom lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Loom lists a browser extension.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Google Vids free?
Google Vids has a free plan. Basic Vids features are free with a personal Google Account, with 50 Gemini credits a month and up to 6 AI avatar or video clip generations a month, using preset avatars only.
How much does Google Vids cost?
Google Vids lists 5 plans. Personal Google Account: $0.
What platforms does Google Vids work on?
Google Vids is available on Web.
Does Google Vids offer any discounts?
Google Vids publicly lists the following: Save 16% with a 1-year commitment; Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0; Education Fundamentals at no charge.
Does Google Vids have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Google Vids is listed for Web.
Does Google Vids have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Google Vids is listed for Web.
Is Google Vids open source?
Google Vids is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
What does Google Vids integrate with?
Google Vids's listing names Google Slides, Google Drive, Google Photos and YouTube.
Does Google Vids have a student discount?
Education Fundamentals at no charge. Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals, which includes Vids, is available at no charge to qualifying institutions.
Does Google Vids have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day Google Workspace trial.
Who makes Google Vids?
Google Vids is made by Google.
What are the alternatives to Google Vids?
The closest alternatives to Google Vids in our directory are Clipchamp, Synthesia, HeyGen, Descript and Loom.
How does Google Vids compare with other screen recording and video tools?
Google Vids's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 11 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 16.
Is Google Vids good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Google Vids C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $7 a month for each person, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 14 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Google Vids?
To replace Google Vids you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Google Vids’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Google's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-06-28.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Google. Prices change, so check workspace.google.com before you buy.
- workspace.google.com/products/vids/
- workspace.google.com/pricing?region=US&hl=en
- knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/billing/compare-flexible-and-annual-fixed-term-payment-plans
- support.google.com/docs/answer/15609411?hl=en
- support.google.com/docs/answer/16286470?hl=en
- support.google.com/docs/answer/16545758?hl=en
- google.com/nonprofits/offerings/workspace/
- edu.google.com/workspace-for-education/editions/compare-editions/
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Google Vids, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/google-vids
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Google Vids: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/google-vids
Know someone choosing between screen recording and video tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/google-vids/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded screen recording and video tools after Google Vids, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Screen Recording & Video Insider's GuideEvery one of the 53 screen recording and video tools we grade, compared
- DaVinci Resolve Insider's GuideVideo editing, color, effects and audio post-production in one app3.4 GPA
- Zencastr Insider's GuideFree podcast recording, chat-based editing and hosting in one app3.4 GPA
- Cap Insider's GuideOpen-source screen recorder with instant share links and an editor3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Google Vids’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Google Vids is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Google. Prices and plans change: check workspace.google.com before you buy.