image model comparison
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs MiniMax H3-Image
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image and MiniMax H3-Image are both current image models, from Google and MiniMax. Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image is 89% cheaper per 1M input tokens than MiniMax H3-Image, $0.25 vs $2.30. On Arena Text-to-Image, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image scores 1249 Elo and MiniMax H3-Image 1197 Elo (Arena, measured November 12, 2026).
- Higher Arena Text-to-Image
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image1249 Elo against 1197 Elo
- Lower price per 1M input tokens
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image$0.25 against $2.30
- Newer release
- MiniMax H3-ImageNov 2026 against Jun 2026
Data verified November 15, 2026 · Dataset 2026-11-15
Side by side
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image and MiniMax H3-Image, 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 | MiniMax H3-Image |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| Price per image | $0.0336 (1K) | Not listed |
| Price per 1M input tokens | $0.25 (better) | $2.30 |
| Price per 1M output tokens | $1.50 | Not listed |
| Independent benchmarks | ||
| Arena Text-to-Image | 1249 Elo (#7 of 11) (better) | 1197 Elo (#9 of 11) |
| Arena Image Edit | 1313 Elo (#10 of 10) | 1359 Elo (#8 of 10) (better) |
| Specs | ||
| Provider | MiniMax | |
| Release date | June 30, 2026 | November 11, 2026 |
| Access | API only | API and open weights |
| 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 · 2026-11-15
Charts
Against every current image model
Where Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image and MiniMax H3-Image 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 #7 and MiniMax H3-Image #9 of 11 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:#7of 11
1,249 Elo · ahead of 40%
MiniMax H3-Image:#9of 11
1,197 Elo · ahead of 20%
Arena Image Edit
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image:#10of 10
1,313 Elo · ahead of 0%
MiniMax H3-Image:#8of 10
1,359 Elo · ahead of 22%
Price and context
Price per image
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image:#2of 5
$0.0336 · cheaper than 50%
MiniMax H3-Image: Not listed
Quality against price
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image scores 1,249 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 | 1,327 | |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image | $0.034 | 1,249 | |
| Gemini 3 Pro Image | $0.13 | 1,246 | |
| grok-imagine-image | xAI | $0.020 | 1,169 |
| 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, MiniMax H3-Image costs 9.2 times as much as Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image, at each provider's listed rates.
Price per 1M input tokens
MiniMax H3-Image costs 9.2× as much
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image
- $0.25
- MiniMax H3-Image
- $2.30
| Workload or rate | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image | MiniMax H3-Image |
|---|---|---|
| Example workloads | ||
| 1,000 images | $33.60 (1K) | Not listed |
| Other listed rates | ||
| 1M input tokens, image input | Not listed | $1.50 |
| 1M output tokens, image output | Not listed | $3.80 |
Your own bill will differ. These figures use list prices and example workloads. The AI Model Cost Audit reviews your real usage, shortlists models that score as well for each task for less, and estimates the savings.
Launch price $100, regular price $150
Verdict
When to choose each
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image
Where it leads
- Lower price per 1M input tokens, $0.25 vs $2.30
- Higher Arena Text-to-Image score, 1249 Elo vs 1197 Elo
- 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
MiniMax H3-Image
Where it leads
- Higher Arena Image Edit score, 1359 Elo vs 1313 Elo
- Open weights you can run yourself
Best for
- High-resolution product and marketing images where cost per image matters
- Teams that want to self-host or fine-tune an image model, where the license's territory rules allow it
Watch out for
- Arena rates it well below GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst: 1197 against 1406 on text-to-image and 1359 against 1476 on image editing (November 12, 2026), on 3,277 to 5,129 votes so far
- The weights' community license excludes the European Union, the United Kingdom, South Korea and the United States, and needs MiniMax's written authorization above $1 million in annual revenue or for any hosted service
- The launch-week 50% discount on 4K images ends on November 17, 2026, and MiniMax publishes no quality benchmarks of its own
From benchmark to production
Building on Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image or MiniMax H3-Image?
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.
AI Model Cost AuditLaunch price $100, regular price $150
FAQ
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs MiniMax H3-Image FAQ
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image or MiniMax H3-Image?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image is 89% cheaper per 1M input tokens than MiniMax H3-Image, $0.25 vs $2.30.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image or MiniMax H3-Image?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image leads on Arena Text-to-Image, 1249 Elo to 1197 Elo; MiniMax H3-Image leads on Arena Image Edit, 1359 Elo to 1313 Elo. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
How do Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image and MiniMax H3-Image differ in features?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image produces text and image; MiniMax H3-Image produces image.
Can I run Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image or MiniMax H3-Image myself?
MiniMax H3-Image is released as open weights you can run yourself; Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image is available through its provider's API only.
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More on Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image and MiniMax H3-Image
Related comparisons
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs Nano Banana 2.1
- Gemini 3 Pro Image vs MiniMax H3-Image
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs GPT Image 2.5 Flare
- GPT Image 2.5 Flare vs MiniMax H3-Image
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Image vs Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image
- GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst vs MiniMax H3-Image
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs Gemini 3 Pro Image
- GPT Image 2.6 Flare vs MiniMax H3-Image
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs GPT Image 2
- GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst vs MiniMax H3-Image
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image vs grok-imagine-image
- FLUX1.1 [pro] vs Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image
Production evaluation
Choosing between Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image and MiniMax H3-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