Model Comparison
Gemini 2.5 Pro vs Nova 2 LiteWhich is better in 2026?
Nova 2 Lite shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. Nova 2 Lite is 4.0x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Gemini 2.5 Pro vs Nova 2 Lite — which is better?
Gemini 2.5 Pro (by Google) and Nova 2 Lite (by Amazon) 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 2.5 Pro outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Nova 2 Lite is better at 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, SWE-Bench Verified). Nova 2 Lite shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, Nova 2 Lite is roughly 4.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Gemini 2.5 Pro also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Gemini 2.5 Pro if…
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
Choose Nova 2 Lite if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 3 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 4.0x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2025
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemini 2.5 Pro outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Nova 2 Lite is better at 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, SWE-Bench Verified).
Nova 2 Lite shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemini 2.5 Pro ($1.25/1M tokens) is 4.2x more expensive than Nova 2 Lite ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemini 2.5 Pro ($10.00/1M tokens) is 4.0x more expensive than Nova 2 Lite ($2.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Gemini 2.5 Pro is more expensive than Nova 2 Lite.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemini 2.5 Pro accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Nova 2 Lite's 1,000,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 65,536 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Gemini 2.5 Pro and Nova 2 Lite support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemini 2.5 Pro
Nova 2 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 Pro was released on 2025-05-20, while Nova 2 Lite was released on 2025-12-02.
Nova 2 Lite is 7 months newer than Gemini 2.5 Pro.
May 20, 2025
1.2 years ago
Dec 2, 2025
7 months ago
6mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 2.5 Pro has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-31, while Nova 2 Lite's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Gemini 2.5 Pro's training data extends to 2025-01-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Nova 2 Lite's cutoff date.
Jan 2025
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Provider Availability
Gemini 2.5 Pro is available from Google. Nova 2 Lite is available from Bedrock.
Gemini 2.5 Pro
Nova 2 Lite
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Nova 2 Lite
View detailsAmazon
Gemini 2.5 ProNova 2 LiteDetailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemini 2.5 Pro and Nova 2 Lite side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about Gemini 2.5 Pro vs Nova 2 Lite.