llm/2ad2a7bb-5462-4391-a2da-bf11064993c9/topic-19-9c9019f5-25bd-4cce-9b5f-55fa3525dfc8-output.json
Users are expressing deep frustration over the $250 monthly price tag for Google’s AI Ultra tier, viewing the exorbitant cost as a prohibitive barrier that stifles experimentation with new "Deep Think" capabilities. Critics argue that this pricing is particularly difficult to justify given a user experience often marred by context loss and technical glitches, with some comparing Google’s restrictive ecosystem to the indifferent monopolies of the 1970s phone companies. There is a strong collective desire for these models to be available on neutral platforms like OpenRouter to avoid platform lock-in, though many fear the "golden age" of easy access is ending as vendors pivot toward mandatory keys and exclusive enterprise tiers. Ultimately, while some power users are willing to pay for high-stakes research, the consensus suggests a growing resentment toward paying premium prices for models that remain difficult to test or integrate into existing workflows.