Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite vs GPT-5.4
Complete pricing and performance comparison between Google's Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite and OpenAI's GPT-5.4.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
10.0x cheaper input, 10.0x cheaper output
Larger Context
GPT-5.4
1.1M vs 1.0M
Higher Quality
GPT-5.4
Score: 57 vs 34
Faster
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
230 vs 83 tok/s
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | GPT-5.4 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | ||
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.25 | $2.5 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 90% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $1.5 | $15 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 90% more expensive |
| Context Window | 1.0M | 1.1M | 1x difference |
| Max Output | 66K | 128K | |
| Tokenizer | cl100k_base | o200k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | GPT-5.4 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 34 | 57 | GPT-5.4 |
| Output Speed | 230 tok/s | 83 tok/s | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite |
| Time to First Token | 5.17s | 131.33s | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite |
| Value (Quality/$) | 134.0 | 22.9 | 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 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | GPT-5.4 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0007 | $0.0070 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $0.0063 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.0070 | $0.070 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $0.063 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.070 | $0.700 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $0.630 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $0.700 | $7.00 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $6.30 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $7.00 | $70.00 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $63.00 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $700.00 | $7000.00 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $6300.00 |
Pros & Cons
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Faster output (230 vs 83 tok/s)
- +Lower latency (faster first token)
GPT-5.4 Strengths
- +Larger context window (1.1M vs 1.0M)
- +Higher max output tokens
- +Higher quality score (57 vs 34)
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 GPT-5.4 for
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite or GPT-5.4?
For input tokens, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 10.0x 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), Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite costs $0.700 vs GPT-5.4 at $7.00.
What's the context window difference?
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite supports 1.0M context (1,048,576 tokens), while GPT-5.4 supports 1.1M (1,050,000 tokens). GPT-5.4 can handle 1x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite scores 34 vs GPT-5.4 at 57. Speed: Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite generates 230 tok/s vs GPT-5.4 at 83 tok/s. Time to first token: Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite at 5.17s vs GPT-5.4 at 131.33s.
When should I choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite over GPT-5.4?
Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Faster output (230 vs 83 tok/s), Lower latency (faster first token). Choose GPT-5.4 when you need: Larger context window (1.1M vs 1.0M), Higher max output tokens, Higher quality score (57 vs 34).
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, GPT-5.4 = $70.00. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite = $40.00, GPT-5.4 = $400.00.