Model Comparison
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B vs o4-miniWhich is better in 2026?
o4-mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B is 15.1x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B vs o4-mini — which is better?
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B (by Google) and o4-mini (by OpenAI) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while o4-mini is better at 3 benchmarks (GPQA, MathVista, MMMU). o4-mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B is roughly 15.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B if…
- cost matters — it's about 15.1x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
Choose o4-mini if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2025
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while o4-mini is better at 3 benchmarks (GPQA, MathVista, MMMU).
o4-mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B ($0.07/1M tokens) is 15.7x cheaper than o4-mini ($1.10/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B ($0.30/1M tokens) is 14.7x cheaper than o4-mini ($4.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, o4-mini is more expensive than Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to o4-mini's 200,000 tokens. o4-mini can generate longer responses up to 100,000 tokens, while Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B is limited to 8,192 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B and o4-mini support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B
o4-mini
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
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B was released on 2024-03-15, while o4-mini was released on 2025-04-16.
o4-mini is 13 months newer than Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B.
Mar 15, 2024
2.3 years ago
Apr 16, 2025
1.2 years ago
1.1yr newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-10-01, while o4-mini has a cutoff of 2024-05-31.
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B has more recent training data (up to 2024-10-01), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to o4-mini (2024-05-31).
Oct 2024
5 mo newerMay 2024
Provider Availability
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B is available from Google. o4-mini is available from OpenAI.
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B
o4-mini
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
o4-mini
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B vs o4-mini.