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Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite vs Gemini 3 Flash

Complete pricing and performance comparison between Google's Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite and Google's Gemini 3 Flash.

Quick Verdict

Cheaper
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
2.0x cheaper input, 2.0x cheaper output
Larger Context
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
1.0M vs 1.0M
Higher Quality
Gemini 3 Flash
Score: 35 vs 34
Faster
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
230 vs 188 tok/s

Pricing Comparison

SpecGemini 3.1 Flash-LiteGemini 3 FlashDifference
ProviderGoogleGoogle
Input / 1M tokens$0.25$0.5Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 50% more expensive
Output / 1M tokens$1.5$3Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 50% more expensive
Context Window1.0M1.0MSame
Max Output66K66K

Performance Benchmarks

MetricGemini 3.1 Flash-LiteGemini 3 FlashWinner
Quality Index3435Gemini 3 Flash
Output Speed230 tok/s188 tok/sGemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Time to First Token5.17s0.68sGemini 3 Flash
Value (Quality/$)134.070.0Higher = 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).

UsageGemini 3.1 Flash-LiteGemini 3 FlashSavings
Single request
1K in / 300 out
$0.0007$0.0014Same
10 requests
10K in / 3K out
$0.0070$0.014Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $0.0070
100 requests
100K in / 30K out
$0.070$0.140Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $0.070
1,000 requests
1M in / 300K out
$0.700$1.40Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $0.700
10,000 requests
10M in / 3M out
$7.00$14.00Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $7.00
1M requests/mo
1B in / 300M out
$700.00$1400.00Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $700.00

Pros & Cons

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite Strengths

  • +Cheaper input tokens
  • +Cheaper output tokens
  • +Faster output (230 vs 188 tok/s)

Gemini 3 Flash Strengths

  • +Higher quality score (35 vs 34)
  • +Lower latency (faster first token)

When to Use Each Model

Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite for

  • →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
  • →Real-time applications, chat, or autocomplete

Choose Gemini 3 Flash for

  • →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite or Gemini 3 Flash?
For input tokens, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 2.0x cheaper at $0.25/1M tokens. For output tokens, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 2.0x cheaper at $1.5/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite costs $0.700 vs Gemini 3 Flash at $1.40.
What's the context window difference?
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite supports 1.0M context (1,048,576 tokens), while Gemini 3 Flash supports 1.0M (1,048,576 tokens). Gemini 3 Flash can handle 1x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite scores 34 vs Gemini 3 Flash at 35. Speed: Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite generates 230 tok/s vs Gemini 3 Flash at 188 tok/s. Time to first token: Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite at 5.17s vs Gemini 3 Flash at 0.68s.
When should I choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite over Gemini 3 Flash?
Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Faster output (230 vs 188 tok/s). Choose Gemini 3 Flash when you need: Higher quality score (35 vs 34), Lower latency (faster first token).
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite = $7.00, Gemini 3 Flash = $14.00. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite = $40.00, Gemini 3 Flash = $80.00.

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Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite DetailsGemini 3 Flash DetailsFull Pricing TableCost Calculator