Model Comparison

Gemini 3 Flash vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite

Gemini 3 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 2.0x cheaper per token.

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

9 benchmarks

Gemini 3 Flash outperforms in 8 benchmarks (CharXiv-R, FACTS Grounding, GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, MMMLU, MMMU-Pro, SimpleQA, VideoMMMU), while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is better at 1 benchmark (MRCR v2 (8-needle)).

Gemini 3 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Fri May 15 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite costs less

For input processing, Gemini 3 Flash ($0.50/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite ($0.25/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemini 3 Flash ($3.00/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite ($1.50/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Gemini 3 Flash is more expensive than Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Fri May 15 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemini 3 Flash
Input tokens$0.50
Output tokens$3.00
Best providerGoogle
Google
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Input tokens$0.25
Output tokens$1.50
Best providerGoogle
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Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Both models have the same input context window of 1,000,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 65,536 tokens.

Google
Gemini 3 Flash
Input1,000,000 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Google
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Input1,000,000 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Fri May 15 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Gemini 3 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 3 Flash

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.

Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.

Gemini 3 Flash

Proprietary

Closed source

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemini 3 Flash was released on 2025-12-17, while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite was released on 2026-03-03.

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 3 months newer than Gemini 3 Flash.

Gemini 3 Flash

Dec 17, 2025

4 months ago

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite

Mar 3, 2026

2 months ago

2mo newer

Knowledge 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.

Gemini 3 Flash

Jan 2025

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite

Jan 2025

Provider Availability

Gemini 3 Flash is available from Google. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is available from Google.

Gemini 3 Flash

google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $0.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.00/1M

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite

google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $0.25/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.50/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

Higher CharXiv-R score (80.3% vs 73.2%)
Higher FACTS Grounding score (61.9% vs 40.6%)
Higher GPQA score (90.4% vs 86.9%)
Higher Humanity's Last Exam score (43.5% vs 16.0%)
Higher MMMLU score (91.8% vs 88.9%)
Higher MMMU-Pro score (81.2% vs 76.8%)
Higher SimpleQA score (68.7% vs 43.3%)
Higher VideoMMMU score (86.9% vs 84.8%)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Higher MRCR v2 (8-needle) score (60.1% vs 22.1%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemini 3 Flash
Google
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite

FAQ

Common questions about Gemini 3 Flash vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite.

Which is better, Gemini 3 Flash or Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite?

Gemini 3 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemini 3 Flash is made by Google and Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is made by Google. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Gemini 3 Flash compare to Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite in benchmarks?

Gemini 3 Flash scores Vending-Bench 2: 100.0%, AIME 2025: 99.7%, Global PIQA: 92.8%, MMMLU: 91.8%, GPQA: 90.4%. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite scores MMMLU: 88.9%, GPQA: 86.9%, VideoMMMU: 84.8%, MMMU-Pro: 76.8%, CharXiv-R: 73.2%.

Is Gemini 3 Flash cheaper than Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite?

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 2.0x cheaper for input tokens. Gemini 3 Flash costs $0.50/M input and $3.00/M output via google. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite costs $0.25/M input and $1.50/M output via google.

What are the context window sizes for Gemini 3 Flash and Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite?

Gemini 3 Flash supports 1.0M tokens and Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite supports 1.0M tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Gemini 3 Flash and Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite?

Key differences include input pricing ($0.50 vs $0.25/M). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.