image model comparison
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs GPT Image 2.5 Flare
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image and GPT Image 2.5 Flare are both current image models, from Google and OpenAI. Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image is 95% cheaper per 1M input tokens than GPT Image 2.5 Flare, $0.25 vs $5. On Arena Text-to-Image, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image scores 1250 Elo and GPT Image 2.5 Flare 1398 Elo (Arena, measured October 7, 2026).
- Higher Arena Text-to-Image
- GPT Image 2.5 Flare1398 Elo against 1250 Elo
- Lower price per 1M input tokens
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image$0.25 against $5
- Newer release
- GPT Image 2.5 FlareSep 2026 against Jun 2026
Data verified October 23, 2026 · Dataset 2026-10-29
Side by side
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image and GPT Image 2.5 Flare, line by line
Prices in effect today, compared at the same tier wherever both list one. The better value in each row is highlighted.
| Fact | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image | GPT Image 2.5 Flare |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| Price per image | $0.0336 (1K) | Not listed |
| Price per 1M input tokens | $0.25 (better) | $5 |
| Price per 1M output tokens | $1.50 | Not listed |
| Independent benchmarks | ||
| Arena Text-to-Image | 1250 Elo (#5 of 8) | 1398 Elo (#2 of 8) (better) |
| Arena Image Edit | 1314 Elo (#7 of 7) | 1481 Elo (#2 of 7) (better) |
| Specs | ||
| Provider | OpenAI | |
| Release date | June 30, 2026 | September 8, 2026 |
| Access | API only | API only |
| Context window | 65,536 tokens | Not reported |
| Max output | 4,096 tokens | Not reported |
| Input | text, image | text, image |
| Output | text, image | image |
Scores:Arena · 2026-10-12
Charts
Against every current image model
Where Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image and GPT Image 2.5 Flare land among the current models of their task, on every independent benchmark, on price and on context.
Where each stands
On Arena Text-to-Image, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image ranks #5 and GPT Image 2.5 Flare #2 of 8 current models. Each bar is the share of current models it beats: on score, price and context.
Independent benchmarks
Arena Text-to-Image
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image:#5of 8
1,250 Elo · ahead of 43%
GPT Image 2.5 Flare:#2of 8
1,398 Elo · ahead of 86%
Arena Image Edit
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image:#7of 7
1,314 Elo · ahead of 0%
GPT Image 2.5 Flare:#2of 7
1,481 Elo · ahead of 83%
Price and context
Price per image
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image:#2of 5
$0.0336 · cheaper than 50%
GPT Image 2.5 Flare: Not listed
Quality against price
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image scores 1,250 at $0.0336 (price per image). The line joins the current models no other beats on both price and Arena Text-to-Image score; hover any point to name it.
Quality against price: the data
| Model | Provider | Price per image | Arena Text-to-Image (Elo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2.1 | $0.034 | 1,328 | |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image | $0.034 | 1,250 | |
| Gemini 3 Pro Image | $0.13 | 1,248 | |
| grok-imagine-image | xAI | $0.020 | 1,170 |
| FLUX1.1 [pro] | Black Forest Labs | $0.040 | 1,016 |
Cost
What each costs
Example workloads at each provider's listed rates, then every other rate either one lists. The cheaper figure in each row is highlighted.
Prices, like for like
For price per 1M input tokens, GPT Image 2.5 Flare costs 20 times as much as Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image, at each provider's listed rates.
Price per 1M input tokens
GPT Image 2.5 Flare costs 20× as much
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image
- $0.25
- GPT Image 2.5 Flare
- $5
| Workload or rate | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image | GPT Image 2.5 Flare |
|---|---|---|
| Example workloads | ||
| 1,000 images | $33.60 (1K) | Not listed |
| Other listed rates | ||
| 1M input tokens, cached | Not listed | $1.25 |
| 1M output tokens, batch image output | Not listed | $15 |
| 1M input tokens, image input | Not listed | $8 |
| 1M output tokens, image output | Not listed | $30 |
Verdict
When to choose each
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image
Where it leads
- Lower price per 1M input tokens, $0.25 vs $5
- Also outputs text
Best for
- Low-latency 1K image generation and edits
Watch out for
- Only 1K output is supported; Google documents 2K and 4K as unsupported
GPT Image 2.5 Flare
Where it leads
- Higher Arena Text-to-Image score, 1398 Elo vs 1250 Elo
- Higher Arena Image Edit score, 1481 Elo vs 1314 Elo
- A cached-input rate, $1.25 per 1M tokens
Best for
- Fast, high-volume everyday image generation
Watch out for
- OpenAI publishes no per-image price, and its GPT Image 2 calculator does not estimate 2.5 token use, so cost per image has to be measured
- No independent image-quality benchmark is recorded here
From benchmark to production
Building on Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image or GPT Image 2.5 Flare?
Public scores rarely hold on your own data. We test both models on your real tasks, then build the agent or pipeline around the one that wins.
FAQ
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs GPT Image 2.5 Flare FAQ
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image or GPT Image 2.5 Flare?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image is 95% cheaper per 1M input tokens than GPT Image 2.5 Flare, $0.25 vs $5.
Do Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image and GPT Image 2.5 Flare discount cached input?
GPT Image 2.5 Flare lists a cached-input rate of $1.25 per 1M tokens, 75% below its standard input rate. No cached-input rate is listed for Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image or GPT Image 2.5 Flare?
GPT Image 2.5 Flare leads on Arena Text-to-Image, 1398 Elo to 1250 Elo; GPT Image 2.5 Flare leads on Arena Image Edit, 1481 Elo to 1314 Elo. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
How do Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image and GPT Image 2.5 Flare differ in features?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image produces text and image; GPT Image 2.5 Flare produces image.
Further reading
More on Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image and GPT Image 2.5 Flare
Related comparisons
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs Nano Banana 2.1
- GPT Image 2.5 Flare vs Nano Banana 2.1
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Image vs Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image
- Gemini 3 Pro Image vs GPT Image 2.5 Flare
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs Gemini 3 Pro Image
- GPT Image 2.5 Flare vs GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs GPT Image 2
- GPT Image 2 vs GPT Image 2.5 Flare
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs grok-imagine-image
- FLUX1.1 [pro] vs GPT Image 2.5 Flare
- FLUX1.1 [pro] vs Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image
Production evaluation
Choosing between Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image and GPT Image 2.5 Flare?
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