image model comparison
Gemini 3.1 Flash Image vs Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image
Gemini 3.1 Flash Image and Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image are both current image models, from Google. Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image is 25% cheaper per image than Gemini 3.1 Flash Image, $0.0336 vs $0.045. On Arena Text-to-Image, Gemini 3.1 Flash Image scores 1262 Elo and Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image 1250 Elo (Arena, measured October 7, 2026).
Data verified October 12, 2026 · Dataset 2026-10-12
Side by side
Standard-tier prices in effect today. The better value in each row is highlighted.
| Fact | Gemini 3.1 Flash Image | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image |
|---|---|---|
| Price per image | $0.045 | $0.0336 (better) |
| Arena Text-to-Image | 1262 Elo (#5 of 9) (better) | 1250 Elo (#6 of 9) |
| Arena Image Edit | 1387 Elo (#6 of 8) (better) | 1314 Elo (#8 of 8) |
| Provider | ||
| Release date | May 28, 2026 | June 30, 2026 |
| Access | API only | API only |
| Context window | Not reported | 65,536 tokens |
| Max output | Not reported | 4,096 tokens |
| Input | text, image | text, image |
| Output | text, image | text, image |
Scores:Arena · 2026-10-12
When to choose each
Gemini 3.1 Flash Image
Best for
- Interleaved text and image generation
Watch out for
- No exact compatible public benchmark snapshot is recorded
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image
Best for
- Low-latency 1K image generation and edits
Watch out for
- Only 1K output is supported; Google documents 2K and 4K as unsupported
Gemini 3.1 Flash Image vs Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image FAQ
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.1 Flash Image or Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image is 25% cheaper per image than Gemini 3.1 Flash Image, $0.0336 vs $0.045.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, Gemini 3.1 Flash Image or Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Image leads on Arena Text-to-Image, 1262 Elo to 1250 Elo; Gemini 3.1 Flash Image leads on Arena Image Edit, 1387 Elo to 1314 Elo. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
Related comparisons
- FLUX1.1 [pro] vs Gemini 3.1 Flash Image
- FLUX1.1 [pro] vs Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Image vs Gemini 3 Pro Image
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Image vs GPT Image 2
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Image vs grok-imagine-image
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Image vs Nano Banana 2.1
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs Gemini 3 Pro Image
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs grok-imagine-image
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs Nano Banana 2.1
Production evaluation
Choosing between Gemini 3.1 Flash Image and Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image?
Public benchmarks narrow the shortlist. We run both on your own tasks, data and cost limits, then build the routing and review controls to run the winner in production.
- A head-to-head evaluation on your real workload
- Routing between models by cost and difficulty