Model Comparison

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite vs Gemini 3.6 FlashWhich is better in 2026?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 5.3x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite vs Gemini 3.6 Flash — which is better?

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite (by Google) and Gemini 3.6 Flash (by Google) 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 3.1 Flash-Lite outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MRCR v2 (8-needle)), while Gemini 3.6 Flash is better at 1 benchmark (CharXiv-R). Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

On price, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is roughly 5.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Gemini 3.6 Flash also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite if…

  • cost matters — it's about 5.3x cheaper per token

Choose Gemini 3.6 Flash if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MRCR v2 (8-needle)), while Gemini 3.6 Flash is better at 1 benchmark (CharXiv-R).

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Tue Jul 28 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 3.1 Flash-Lite ($0.25/1M tokens) is 6.0x cheaper than Gemini 3.6 Flash ($1.50/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite ($1.50/1M tokens) is 5.0x cheaper than Gemini 3.6 Flash ($7.50/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Gemini 3.6 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
Tue Jul 28 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Input tokens$0.25
Output tokens$1.50
Best providerGoogle
Google
Gemini 3.6 Flash
Input tokens$1.50
Output tokens$7.50
Best providerGoogle
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Gemini 3.6 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.

Google
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Input1,000,000 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Google
Gemini 3.6 Flash
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Tue Jul 28 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite and Gemini 3.6 Flash support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Gemini 3.6 Flash

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 3.1 Flash-Lite

Proprietary

Closed source

Gemini 3.6 Flash

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite was released on 2026-03-03, while Gemini 3.6 Flash was released on 2026-07-21.

Gemini 3.6 Flash is 5 months newer than Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite.

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite

Mar 3, 2026

4 months ago

Gemini 3.6 Flash

Jul 21, 2026

1 weeks ago

4mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite has a knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-31, while Gemini 3.6 Flash has a cutoff of 2026-03-31.

Gemini 3.6 Flash has more recent training data (up to 2026-03-31), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite (2025-01-31).

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite

Jan 2025

Gemini 3.6 Flash

Mar 2026

1.2 yr newer

Provider Availability

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is available from Google. Gemini 3.6 Flash is available from Google.

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite

google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $0.25/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.50/1M

Gemini 3.6 Flash

google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $1.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $7.50/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Google
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Higher MRCR v2 (8-needle) score (60.1% vs 54.0%)
Google
Larger context window (1,048,576 tokens)
Higher CharXiv-R score (89.4% vs 73.2%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite and Gemini 3.6 Flash side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
✓ Preferred
Gemini 3.6 Flash
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Google
Gemini 3.6 Flash

FAQ

Common questions about Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite vs Gemini 3.6 Flash.

Which is better, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite or Gemini 3.6 Flash?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is made by Google and Gemini 3.6 Flash is made by Google. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite compare to Gemini 3.6 Flash in benchmarks?

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite scores MMMLU: 88.9%, GPQA: 86.9%, VideoMMMU: 84.8%, MMMU-Pro: 76.8%, CharXiv-R: 73.2%. Gemini 3.6 Flash scores CharXiv-R: 89.4%, OSWorld-Verified: 83.0%, Terminal-Bench 2.1: 78.0%, MLE-Bench: 63.9%, SWE-Bench Pro: 58.7%.

Is Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite cheaper than Gemini 3.6 Flash?

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 6.0x cheaper for input tokens. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite costs $0.25/M input and $1.50/M output via google. Gemini 3.6 Flash costs $1.50/M input and $7.50/M output via google.

What are the context window sizes for Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite and Gemini 3.6 Flash?

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite supports 1.0M tokens and Gemini 3.6 Flash 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 3.1 Flash-Lite and Gemini 3.6 Flash?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 1.0M), input pricing ($0.25 vs $1.50/M). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Related comparisons