Claude Opus 4.5 vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Claude Opus 4.5 leads the LLM Stats Score 38.4 to 31.2. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 17.8x cheaper per token.
Anthropic · Google · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Claude Opus 4.5 leads the overall LLM Stats Score 38.4 to 31.2, ranking #61 overall.
In the 2 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Claude Opus 4.5 wins 2; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is roughly 17.8x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Claude Opus 4.5
- overall performance matters — it scores 38.4 and ranks #61 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 2 of 2 exact shared results
Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
- cost matters — it's about 17.8x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Mar 2026
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
11 reported for Claude Opus 4.5 · 11 for Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Claude Opus 4.5 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMMLU), while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is better at 0 benchmarks.
Claude Opus 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Claude Opus 4.5 ($5.00/1M tokens) is 20.0x more expensive than Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite ($0.25/1M tokens).
For output processing, Claude Opus 4.5 ($25.00/1M tokens) is 16.7x more expensive than Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite ($1.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Claude Opus 4.5 is more expensive than Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to Claude Opus 4.5's 200,000 tokens. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite can generate longer responses up to 65,536 tokens, while Claude Opus 4.5 is limited to 64,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Claude Opus 4.5 and Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Claude Opus 4.5
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Claude Opus 4.5 was released on 2025-11-24, while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite was released on 2026-03-03.
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 3 months newer than Claude Opus 4.5.
Nov 24, 2025
9 months ago
Mar 3, 2026
6 months ago
3mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Claude Opus 4.5 has a knowledge cutoff of 2025-03-31, while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite has a cutoff of 2025-01-31.
Claude Opus 4.5 has more recent training data (up to 2025-03-31), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite (2025-01-31).
Mar 2025
2 mo newerJan 2025
Provider Availability
Claude Opus 4.5 is available from Anthropic. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is available from Google.
Claude Opus 4.5
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Claude Opus 4.5 and Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Claude Opus 4.5 vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite.