AI model comparison
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs Gemini 3 Flash Preview
Side by side comparison of Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite and Gemini 3 Flash Preview on pricing, benchmark scores, context window, and more.
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite is Google’s GA high-efficiency multimodal model optimized for low-latency, high-volume workloads.
- Input / 1M
- $0.25
- Output / 1M
- $1.50
- Context
- 1.05M
Gemini 3 Flash Preview is a high speed, high value thinking model designed for agentic workflows, multi turn chat, and coding assistance.
- Input / 1M
- $0.50
- Output / 1M
- $3
- Context
- 1.05M
Comparing image generators? Compare image models
At a glance
Quick verdict
How the two models stack up on the things people ask about most.
Lower price
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite
2x cheaper for a typical chat
Higher intelligence score
Not available
Not enough benchmark data
Larger context window
Tie
1.05M vs 1.05M tokens
Newer release
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite
Released May 7, 2026
Benchmarks
Benchmark scores
Independent scores from Artificial Analysis. Higher is better.
Intelligence index
Gemini 3.1 Flash LiteNot availableGemini 3 Flash PreviewNot availableCoding index
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite34.7Gemini 3 Flash PreviewNot availableAgentic index
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite1.6Gemini 3 Flash PreviewNot availablePricing
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs Gemini 3 Flash Preview API pricing
Per-token API rates. Cheaper option highlighted.
| Metric | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite | Gemini 3 Flash Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Input tokensPer 1M tokens | $0.25 | $0.50 |
| Output tokensPer 1M tokens | $1.50 | $3 |
| Cached input (read)Per 1M tokens | $0.03 | $0.05 |
| Cache writePer 1M tokens | $0.08 | $0.08 |
| Web searchPer request | $0.014 | $0.014 |
What it costs in practice
Estimated cost per 1,000 requests at standard rates. Coding and long-document figures also show the cost when the input is already cached.
Chat message
2K in, 500 out
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite$1.25Gemini 3 Flash Preview$2.50Coding task
30K in, 4K out
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite$13.50$6.75 cachedGemini 3 Flash Preview$27$13.50 cachedLong document summary
150K in, 2K out
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite$40.50$6.75 cachedGemini 3 Flash Preview$81$13.50 cachedSpecs
Context window and capabilities
How much each model can read, how much it can write, and what it accepts as input.
| Metric | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite | Gemini 3 Flash Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Context window | 1.05M tokens | 1.05M tokens |
| Max output | 66K tokens | 66K tokens |
| Input types | Audio, File, Image, Text, Video | Audio, File, Image, Text, Video |
| Output types | Text | Text |
| Reasoning effort levels | High, Medium, Low, Minimal, None | High, Medium, Low, Minimal, None |
| Default reasoning effort | Minimal | Medium |
| Release date | May 7, 2026 | December 17, 2025 |
Features
Supported features
API features available for each model.
| Metric | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite | Gemini 3 Flash Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Tool calling | Supported | Supported |
| Structured outputs | Supported | Supported |
| JSON mode | Supported | Supported |
| Reasoning | Supported | Supported |
| Temperature | Supported | Supported |
| Stop sequences | Supported | Supported |
| Deterministic seed | Supported | Supported |
| Verbosity control | Not supported | Not supported |
Keep exploring
More on these models
Other head-to-heads, the full model page, and the alternatives list for each model.
Gemini 3.1 Flash LiteView full model details- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs GLM 5.3 Flash
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs Hy4 preview
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs GLM 5.3
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs Step 5 Preview
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs Gemini 3.8 Flash
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs DeepSeek V4 Pro 0423
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs Gemini 3.7 Flash
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs Gemini 2.5 Flash
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs Command A+
Gemini 3 Flash PreviewView full model details- Gemini 3 Flash Preview vs DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017
- Gemini 3 Flash Preview vs Hy4 preview
- Gemini 3 Flash Preview vs GLM 5.3
- Gemini 3 Flash Preview vs Step 5 Preview
- Gemini 3 Flash Preview vs Gemini 3.8 Flash
- Gemini 3 Flash Preview vs Gemini 4 Argon
- Gemini 3 Flash Preview vs Gemini 3.7 Flash
- Gemini 3 Flash Preview vs Gemini 2.5 Flash
- Gemini 3 Flash Preview vs Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite
Our take
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite is 2x cheaper for a typical chat. The right pick depends on your workload, so the quickest way to settle it is to send the same prompt to both and compare.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite or Gemini 3 Flash Preview cheaper?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite is cheaper for a typical chat (2K input tokens and 500 output tokens). Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite costs $0.25 per 1M input tokens and $1.50 per 1M output tokens, while Gemini 3 Flash Preview costs $0.50 per 1M input tokens and $3 per 1M output tokens.
Which has a bigger context window, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite or Gemini 3 Flash Preview?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite supports up to 1.05M tokens of context, compared with 1.05M for Gemini 3 Flash Preview.
Can I use Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite and Gemini 3 Flash Preview at the same time?
Yes. Shortcut Chat sends one prompt to multiple models at once, so you can see Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite and Gemini 3 Flash Preview answer side by side and keep the better response.
Why choose? Ask both.
Send one prompt to Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite and Gemini 3 Flash Preview at the same time. Compare the answers side by side and keep the best one.