audio model comparison
Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS
Gemini 3.5 Transcribe and Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS are both current audio models, from Google. Gemini 3.5 Transcribe is 44% cheaper per audio minute than Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS, $0.005 vs $0.009.
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 3.5 Transcribe | Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS |
|---|---|---|
| Price per audio minute | $0.005 (better) | $0.009 |
| Artificial Analysis AA-WER v2 | 2.6 % WER (#4 of 6) | Not measured |
| Artificial Analysis Speech Arena | Not measured | 1246 Elo (#5 of 11) |
| Provider | ||
| Release date | August 26, 2026 | September 22, 2026 |
| Access | API only | API only |
| Context window | Not reported | Not reported |
| Max output | Not reported | Not reported |
| Input | audio | text |
| Output | text | audio |
Scores:Artificial Analysis · 2026-10-13Artificial Analysis · 2026-10-13
When to choose each
Gemini 3.5 Transcribe
Best for
- Batch transcription with speaker labels
- Multilingual meeting and call transcripts
Watch out for
- One hour of audio per request, or 30 minutes with diarization or timestamps
- Custom vocabulary cannot be combined with diarization or timestamps, and there is no Batch API
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 3.5 Transcribe vs Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS FAQ
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.5 Transcribe or Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS?
Gemini 3.5 Transcribe is 44% cheaper per audio minute than Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS, $0.005 vs $0.009.
Related comparisons
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Live Preview vs Gemini 3.5 Transcribe
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Live Preview vs Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS
- Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS Preview vs Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS
- Gemini 3.5 Live Translate Preview vs Gemini 3.5 Transcribe
- Gemini 3.5 Live Translate Preview vs Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS
- Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS
- Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs Gemini 3.8 Live
- Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs GPT-4o Transcribe
- Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs GPT Transcribe
- Gemini 3.5 Transcribe vs Grok Voice Transcribe 2.0
Production evaluation
Choosing between Gemini 3.5 Transcribe 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