Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Complete pricing and performance comparison between Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Google's Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
12.0x cheaper input, 10.0x cheaper output
Larger Context
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
1.0M vs 200K
Higher Quality
Claude Sonnet 4.6
Score: 44 vs 34
Faster
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
230 vs 44 tok/s
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | ||
| Input / 1M tokens | $3 | $0.25 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 92% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $15 | $1.5 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 90% more expensive |
| Context Window | 200K | 1.0M | 5x difference |
| Max Output | 64K | 66K |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 44 | 34 | Claude Sonnet 4.6 |
| Output Speed | 44 tok/s | 230 tok/s | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite |
| Time to First Token | 1.10s | 5.17s | Claude Sonnet 4.6 |
| Value (Quality/$) | 14.8 | 134.0 | Higher = better value |
Benchmark data from Artificial Analysis. Quality Index is a composite score across reasoning, coding, and knowledge tasks.
Cost at Scale
Estimated cost at different usage levels (3:1 input-to-output token ratio, typical for chat).
| Usage | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0075 | $0.0007 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $0.0068 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.075 | $0.0070 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $0.068 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.750 | $0.070 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $0.680 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $7.50 | $0.700 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $6.80 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $75.00 | $7.00 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $68.00 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $7500.00 | $700.00 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $6800.00 |
Pros & Cons
Claude Sonnet 4.6 Strengths
- +Higher quality score (44 vs 34)
- +Lower latency (faster first token)
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Larger context window (1.0M vs 200K)
- +Higher max output tokens
- +Faster output (230 vs 44 tok/s)
When to Use Each Model
Choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 for
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
- →Real-time applications, chat, or autocomplete
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Claude Sonnet 4.6 or Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite?
For input tokens, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 12.0x cheaper at $0.25/1M tokens. For output tokens, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 10.0x cheaper at $1.5/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), Claude Sonnet 4.6 costs $7.50 vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite at $0.700.
What's the context window difference?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 supports 200K context (200,000 tokens), while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite supports 1.0M (1,048,576 tokens). Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite can handle 5x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: Claude Sonnet 4.6 scores 44 vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite at 34. Speed: Claude Sonnet 4.6 generates 44 tok/s vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite at 230 tok/s. Time to first token: Claude Sonnet 4.6 at 1.10s vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite at 5.17s.
When should I choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 over Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite?
Choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 when you need: Higher quality score (44 vs 34), Lower latency (faster first token). Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Larger context window (1.0M vs 200K), Higher max output tokens, Faster output (230 vs 44 tok/s).
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): Claude Sonnet 4.6 = $75.00, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite = $7.00. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): Claude Sonnet 4.6 = $450.00, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite = $40.00.
Related Comparisons
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