Model Comparison
Gemini 3 Flash vs LongCat-Flash-LiteWhich is better in 2026?
Gemini 3 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. LongCat-Flash-Lite is 6.4x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Gemini 3 Flash vs LongCat-Flash-Lite — which is better?
Gemini 3 Flash (by Google) and LongCat-Flash-Lite (by Meituan) 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 3 Flash outperforms in 3 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA, SWE-Bench Verified), while LongCat-Flash-Lite is better at 0 benchmarks. Gemini 3 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, LongCat-Flash-Lite is roughly 6.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Gemini 3 Flash also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Gemini 3 Flash if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
Choose LongCat-Flash-Lite if…
- cost matters — it's about 6.4x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2026
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemini 3 Flash outperforms in 3 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA, SWE-Bench Verified), while LongCat-Flash-Lite is better at 0 benchmarks.
Gemini 3 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemini 3 Flash ($0.50/1M tokens) is 5.0x more expensive than LongCat-Flash-Lite ($0.10/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemini 3 Flash ($3.00/1M tokens) is 7.5x more expensive than LongCat-Flash-Lite ($0.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Gemini 3 Flash is more expensive than LongCat-Flash-Lite.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemini 3 Flash accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to LongCat-Flash-Lite's 256,000 tokens. LongCat-Flash-Lite can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Gemini 3 Flash is limited to 65,536 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Gemini 3 Flash supports multimodal inputs, whereas LongCat-Flash-Lite does not.
Gemini 3 Flash can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
Gemini 3 Flash
LongCat-Flash-Lite
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemini 3 Flash is licensed under a proprietary license, while LongCat-Flash-Lite uses MIT.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
MIT
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemini 3 Flash was released on 2025-12-17, while LongCat-Flash-Lite was released on 2026-02-05.
LongCat-Flash-Lite is 2 months newer than Gemini 3 Flash.
Dec 17, 2025
6 months ago
Feb 5, 2026
4 months ago
1mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 3 Flash has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-31, while LongCat-Flash-Lite's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Gemini 3 Flash's training data extends to 2025-01-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without LongCat-Flash-Lite's cutoff date.
Jan 2025
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Provider Availability
Gemini 3 Flash is available from Google. LongCat-Flash-Lite is available from Meituan.
Gemini 3 Flash
LongCat-Flash-Lite
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about Gemini 3 Flash vs LongCat-Flash-Lite.