text model comparison
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs GPT-5.6 Luna
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and GPT-5.6 Luna are both current text models, from Google and OpenAI. GPT-5.6 Luna is 33% cheaper per 1M input tokens than Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, $0.20 vs $0.30. On Arena Text, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite scores 1455 Elo and GPT-5.6 Luna 1452 Elo (Arena, measured October 8, 2026). Both accept about 1.05M tokens of context (1,050,000 and 1,048,576).
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 3.5 Flash-Lite | GPT-5.6 Luna |
|---|---|---|
| Price per 1M input tokens | $0.30 | $0.20 (better) |
| Price per 1M output tokens | $2.50 | $1.20 (better) |
| Cost of 10M input and 2M output tokens | $8 | $4.40 (better) |
| Arena Text | 1455 Elo (#27 of 39) (better) | 1452 Elo (#29 of 39) |
| GPQA Diamond | 83.3% (#32 of 37) | 91.6% (#19 of 37) (better) |
| FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (v2) | 26% (#34 of 37) | 82.1% (#12 of 37) (better) |
| SimpleQA Verified | Not measured | 41% (#26 of 34) |
| Provider | OpenAI | |
| Release date | July 21, 2026 | July 9, 2026 |
| Access | API only | API only |
| Context window | 1,048,576 tokens | 1,050,000 tokens |
| Max output | 65,536 tokens | 128,000 tokens |
| Input | text, image, audio, video | text, image |
| Output | text | text |
When to choose each
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
GPT-5.6 Luna
Best for
- High-volume API evaluation with published low token prices
- Subagents and batch reasoning where cost per call dominates
Watch out for
- Not in the pinned LiveBench snapshot; its independent scores here come from Epoch AI's own GPQA Diamond, FrontierMath and SimpleQA Verified runs
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs GPT-5.6 Luna FAQ
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite or GPT-5.6 Luna?
GPT-5.6 Luna is 33% cheaper per 1M input tokens than Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, $0.20 vs $0.30. For 10M input and 2M output tokens, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite costs $8 and GPT-5.6 Luna $4.40 at standard rates.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite or GPT-5.6 Luna?
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite leads on Arena Text, 1455 Elo to 1452 Elo; GPT-5.6 Luna leads on GPQA Diamond, 91.6% to 83.3%; GPT-5.6 Luna leads on FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (v2), 82.1% to 26%. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
Which has the larger context window, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite or GPT-5.6 Luna?
Both accept about 1.05M tokens of context (1,050,000 and 1,048,576).
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Production evaluation
Choosing between Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and GPT-5.6 Luna?
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