audio model comparison
Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS Preview vs Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS
Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS Preview and Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS are both current audio models, from Google. Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS is 50% cheaper per 1M input tokens than Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS Preview, $0.50 vs $1. On Artificial Analysis Speech Arena, Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS Preview scores 1214 Elo and Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS 1246 Elo (Artificial Analysis, measured October 13, 2026).
Data verified October 13, 2026 · Dataset 2026-10-13
Side by side
Standard-tier prices in effect today. The better value in each row is highlighted.
| Fact | Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS Preview | Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS |
|---|---|---|
| Price per audio minute | Not reported | $0.009 |
| Price per 1M input tokens | $1 | $0.50 (better) |
| Price per 1M output tokens | $20 | $6 (better) |
| Cost of 10M input and 2M output tokens | $50 | $17 (better) |
| Artificial Analysis Speech Arena | 1214 Elo (#6 of 11) | 1246 Elo (#5 of 11) (better) |
| Provider | ||
| Release date | April 15, 2026 | September 22, 2026 |
| Access | API only | API only |
| Context window | 8,192 tokens | Not reported |
| Max output | 16,384 tokens | Not reported |
| Input | text | text |
| Output | audio | audio |
When to choose each
Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS Preview
Best for
- Controllable text-to-speech generation
Watch out for
- This preview endpoint may change before becoming stable and has more restrictive rate limits
- Google replaced it with Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS, which is cheaper and rated higher by listeners
Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS
Best for
- High-volume speech generation such as notifications, IVR prompts and accessibility audio
Watch out for
- Google doubles the rates on 2027-01-01, to $1.00 input and $12 output per 1M tokens (about $0.018 per minute)
- No independent speech-quality benchmark is recorded here
Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS Preview vs Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS FAQ
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS Preview or Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS?
Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS is 50% cheaper per 1M input tokens than Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS Preview, $0.50 vs $1. For 10M input and 2M output tokens, Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS Preview costs $50 and Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS $17 at standard rates.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS Preview or Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS?
Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS leads on Artificial Analysis Speech Arena, 1246 Elo to 1214 Elo. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
Related comparisons
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Live Preview vs Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS
- Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS Preview vs Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS
- Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS Preview vs TTS-1
- Gemini 3.5 Live Translate Preview vs Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS
- Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS
- Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS vs Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS
- Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS vs Gemini 3.8 Live
- Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS vs GPT-4o Transcribe
- Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS vs Scribe v2 Realtime
Production evaluation
Choosing between Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS Preview and Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS?
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