text model comparison
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs Grok 4.6
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and Grok 4.6 are both current text models, from Google and xAI. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is 85% cheaper per 1M input tokens than Grok 4.6, $0.30 vs $2. On Arena Text, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite scores 1455 Elo and Grok 4.6 1454 Elo (Arena, measured October 8, 2026). Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite has the larger context window, 1,048,576 vs 500,000 tokens.
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 | Grok 4.6 |
|---|---|---|
| Price per 1M input tokens | $0.30 (better) | $2 |
| Price per 1M output tokens | $2.50 (better) | $6 |
| Cost of 10M input and 2M output tokens | $8 (better) | $32 |
| Arena Text | 1455 Elo (#27 of 39) (better) | 1454 Elo (#28 of 39) |
| GPQA Diamond | 83.3% (#32 of 37) | 94% (#9 of 37) (better) |
| FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (v2) | 26% (#34 of 37) | 66% (#23 of 37) (better) |
| SimpleQA Verified | Not measured | 49.3% (#19 of 34) |
| Provider | xAI | |
| Release date | July 21, 2026 | August 12, 2026 |
| Access | API only | API only |
| Context window | 1,048,576 tokens | 500,000 tokens |
| Max output | 65,536 tokens | Not reported |
| 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
Grok 4.6
Best for
- Coding, agentic, and knowledge-work API evaluations with controlled long-context cost
Watch out for
- Published token rates increase for all tokens in a request once its prompt reaches xAI's 200,000-token long-context threshold
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs Grok 4.6 FAQ
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite or Grok 4.6?
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is 85% cheaper per 1M input tokens than Grok 4.6, $0.30 vs $2. For 10M input and 2M output tokens, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite costs $8 and Grok 4.6 $32 at standard rates.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite or Grok 4.6?
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite leads on Arena Text, 1455 Elo to 1454 Elo; Grok 4.6 leads on GPQA Diamond, 94% to 83.3%; Grok 4.6 leads on FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (v2), 66% to 26%. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
Which has the larger context window, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite or Grok 4.6?
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite has the larger context window, 1,048,576 vs 500,000 tokens.
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- Grok 4.20 vs Grok 4.6
Production evaluation
Choosing between Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and Grok 4.6?
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