text model comparison
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite vs Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite are both current text models, from Google. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 17% cheaper per 1M input tokens than Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, $0.25 vs $0.30. On GPQA Diamond, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite scores 81.8% and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite 83.3% (Epoch AI, measured October 12, 2026). Both accept 1,048,576 tokens of context.
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-Lite | Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Price per 1M input tokens | $0.25 (better) | $0.30 |
| Price per 1M output tokens | $1.50 (better) | $2.50 |
| Cost of 10M input and 2M output tokens | $5.50 (better) | $8 |
| GPQA Diamond | 81.8% (#33 of 37) | 83.3% (#32 of 37) (better) |
| FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (v2) | 27.7% (#33 of 37) (better) | 26% (#34 of 37) |
| Arena Text | Not measured | 1455 Elo (#27 of 39) |
| Provider | ||
| Release date | May 7, 2026 | July 21, 2026 |
| Access | API only | API only |
| Context window | 1,048,576 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Max output | 65,536 tokens | 65,536 tokens |
| Input | text, image, audio, video | text, image, audio, video |
| Output | text | text |
When to choose each
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Best for
- High-volume multimodal extraction and translation
Watch out for
- The published price for audio input differs from the listed text, image, and video input price
- Google's earliest published shutdown date is 2027-05-07; migrate to gemini-3.5-flash-lite.
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Best for
- High-volume extraction, structured parsing, and cost-sensitive subagent trials
Watch out for
- The represented prices are standard API rates; batch, flex, and priority consumption use different rates
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite vs Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite FAQ
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite or Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite?
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 17% cheaper per 1M input tokens than Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, $0.25 vs $0.30. For 10M input and 2M output tokens, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite costs $5.50 and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite $8 at standard rates.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite or Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite?
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite leads on GPQA Diamond, 83.3% to 81.8%; Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite leads on FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (v2), 27.7% to 26%. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
Which has the larger context window, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite or Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite?
Both accept 1,048,576 tokens of context.
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Production evaluation
Choosing between Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite?
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