Gemini 2.5 Flash vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite leads the LLM Stats Score 31.2 to 22.0. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 1.5x cheaper per token.
Google · Google · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite leads the overall LLM Stats Score 31.2 to 22.0, ranking #105 overall.
In the 4 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite wins 3; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is roughly 1.5x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Gemini 2.5 Flash also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 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 Gemini 2.5 Flash
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
- overall performance matters — it scores 31.2 and ranks #105 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 3 of 4 exact shared results
- cost matters — it's about 1.5x cheaper per token
- 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
14 reported for Gemini 2.5 Flash · 11 for Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Gemini 2.5 Flash outperforms in 1 benchmarks (FACTS Grounding), while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is better at 3 benchmarks (GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, SimpleQA).
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemini 2.5 Flash ($0.30/1M tokens) is 1.2x more expensive than Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite ($0.25/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemini 2.5 Flash ($2.50/1M tokens) is 1.7x more expensive than Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite ($1.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Gemini 2.5 Flash 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 2.5 Flash accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite's 1,000,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 65,536 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Gemini 2.5 Flash and Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemini 2.5 Flash
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
Gemini 2.5 Flash was released on 2025-05-20, while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite was released on 2026-03-03.
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 10 months newer than Gemini 2.5 Flash.
May 20, 2025
1.3 years ago
Mar 3, 2026
6 months ago
9mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Both models have the same knowledge cutoff date of 2025-01-31.
They should have similar awareness of historical events and information up to this date.
Jan 2025
Jan 2025
Provider Availability
Gemini 2.5 Flash is available from Google. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is available from Google.
Gemini 2.5 Flash
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemini 2.5 Flash and Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Gemini 2.5 Flash vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite.