How much does Google Apps Script cost in 2026?
Quick Answer: Google Apps Script is completely free — no paid tiers, no per-execution charges. Included with every Google account (Gmail and Workspace). Consumer accounts have a 6-minute execution limit and 90-minute daily quota. Google Workspace ($7.20+/user/mo) provides higher quotas (30-minute execution, 6-hour daily).
Google Apps Script Pricing (as of April 2026)
Price: Free
Google Apps Script is completely free. There are no paid tiers, no per-execution charges, no feature gating, and no premium plans. It is included with every Google account — both free personal Gmail accounts and paid Google Workspace subscriptions.
Quota Differences by Account Type
| Quota | Consumer (Gmail) | Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|
| Script runtime per execution | 6 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Total trigger runtime per day | 90 minutes | 6 hours |
| Email recipients per day | 100 | 1,500 (varies by plan) |
| URL Fetch calls per day | 20,000 | 100,000 |
| Calendar events created per day | 5,000 | 10,000 |
| Spreadsheet cells read/written | Limited | Higher limits |
The primary cost consideration is whether your organization uses free Gmail or paid Google Workspace, which affects quotas but not feature availability.
Google Workspace Pricing (Required for Higher Quotas)
| Workspace Plan | Price | Relevant for Apps Script |
|---|---|---|
| Business Starter | $7.20/user/month | Higher quotas, custom domain |
| Business Standard | $14.40/user/month | Higher quotas, 2 TB storage |
| Business Plus | $21.60/user/month | Advanced security, vault |
| Enterprise | Custom | Highest quotas, premium support |
Apps Script is available on all plans, including free Gmail. Workspace plans provide higher quotas and custom domain email.
True Cost: $0 vs Alternatives
| Tool | Cost for 10 Automations | Setup Required |
|---|---|---|
| Google Apps Script | $0 | JavaScript coding |
| Zapier Starter | $29.99/month | No-code, visual builder |
| Make Core | $10.59/month | Low-code, visual builder |
| n8n Cloud Starter | $24/month | Low-code, visual builder |
| Power Automate | $15/user/month | Low-code, Microsoft ecosystem |
For organizations with developer resources, Apps Script eliminates recurring automation platform costs entirely. A developer spending 2 hours building an Apps Script automation that would cost $30/month on Zapier breaks even after 2 months.
When Apps Script Has Hidden Costs
While Apps Script itself is free, some scenarios involve indirect costs:
| Scenario | Hidden Cost | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Complex scripts needing > 6 min runtime | Workspace subscription ($7.20+/user/mo) | Higher execution limits |
| Scripts needing external APIs | API provider costs | e.g., Twilio SMS charges |
| Large-scale deployment | Developer time | Building, testing, maintaining code |
| Custom web apps via Apps Script | Domain costs, if applicable | $12/year for domain |
Editor''s Note: We built 8 Apps Script automations for a 200-person consulting firm — automated expense report routing, timesheet reminders, and client onboarding docs. Total cost: $0 (they were already on Google Workspace Business Standard at $14.40/user/month). For comparison, replicating these 8 automations on Zapier would have cost approximately $73/month (Professional plan for the trigger volume). Annual savings: $876. The trade-off was 40 hours of initial developer time vs instant no-code setup on Zapier.
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