Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite vs Qwen 3.5 397B
Complete pricing and performance comparison between Google's Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite and Alibaba's Qwen 3.5 397B.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
2.4x cheaper input, 2.4x cheaper output
Larger Context
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
1.0M vs 128K
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | Qwen 3.5 397B | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Alibaba | ||
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.25 | $0.6 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 58% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $1.5 | $3.6 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 58% more expensive |
| Context Window | 1.0M | 128K | 8x difference |
| Max Output | 66K | 33K |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | Qwen 3.5 397B | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 34 | -- | N/A |
| Output Speed | 230 tok/s | -- | N/A |
| Value (Quality/$) | 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 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | Qwen 3.5 397B | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0007 | $0.0017 | Same |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.0070 | $0.017 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $0.0098 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.070 | $0.168 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $0.098 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $0.700 | $1.68 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $0.980 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $7.00 | $16.80 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $9.80 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $700.00 | $1680.00 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite saves $980.00 |
Pros & Cons
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Larger context window (1.0M vs 128K)
- +Higher max output tokens
Qwen 3.5 397B Strengths
Part of the Alibaba ecosystem
When to Use Each Model
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
Choose Qwen 3.5 397B for
- →Projects already integrated with Alibaba's ecosystem
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite or Qwen 3.5 397B?
For input tokens, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 2.4x cheaper at $0.25/1M tokens. For output tokens, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 2.4x cheaper at $1.5/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite costs $0.700 vs Qwen 3.5 397B at $1.68.
What's the context window difference?
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite supports 1.0M context (1,048,576 tokens), while Qwen 3.5 397B supports 128K (128,000 tokens). Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite can handle 8x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
When should I choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite over Qwen 3.5 397B?
Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Larger context window (1.0M vs 128K), Higher max output tokens. Choose Qwen 3.5 397B when you need: a Alibaba ecosystem model.
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, Qwen 3.5 397B = $16.80. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite = $40.00, Qwen 3.5 397B = $96.00.
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