Model Comparison

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs GPT-5Which is better in 2026?

GPT-5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is 4.0x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs GPT-5 — which is better?

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite (by Google) and GPT-5 (by OpenAI) 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 3.5 Flash-Lite outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-5 is better at 1 benchmark (CharXiv-R). GPT-5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is roughly 4.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite if…

  • cost matters — it's about 4.0x cheaper per token
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Choose GPT-5 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

1 benchmarks

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-5 is better at 1 benchmark (CharXiv-R).

GPT-5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite costs less

For input processing, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite ($0.30/1M tokens) is 4.2x cheaper than GPT-5 ($1.25/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite ($2.50/1M tokens) is 4.0x cheaper than GPT-5 ($10.00/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-5 is more expensive than Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Input tokens$0.30
Output tokens$2.50
Best providerGoogle
OpenAI
GPT-5
Input tokens$1.25
Output tokens$10.00
Best providerOpenAI
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to GPT-5's 400,000 tokens. GPT-5 can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is limited to 65,536 tokens.

Google
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
OpenAI
GPT-5
Input400,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and GPT-5 support multimodal inputs.

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

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

Text
Images
Audio
Video

GPT-5

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 3.5 Flash-Lite

Proprietary

Closed source

GPT-5

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite was released on 2026-07-21, while GPT-5 was released on 2025-08-07.

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is 12 months newer than GPT-5.

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

Jul 21, 2026

0 days ago

11mo newer
GPT-5

Aug 7, 2025

11 months ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite has a knowledge cutoff of 2026-03-31, while GPT-5 has a cutoff of 2024-09-30.

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite has more recent training data (up to 2026-03-31), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to GPT-5 (2024-09-30).

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

Mar 2026

1.5 yr newer
GPT-5

Sep 2024

Provider Availability

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is available from Google. GPT-5 is available from OpenAI.

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $0.30/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.50/1M

GPT-5

openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $1.25/1MOutput Price:Output: $10.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Google
Larger context window (1,048,576 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
OpenAI
Higher CharXiv-R score (81.1% vs 76.5%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and GPT-5 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
✓ Preferred
GPT-5
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
OpenAI
GPT-5

FAQ

Common questions about Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs GPT-5.

Which is better, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite or GPT-5?

GPT-5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is made by Google and GPT-5 is made by OpenAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite compare to GPT-5 in benchmarks?

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite scores CharXiv-R: 76.5%, OSWorld-Verified: 74.0%, SWE-Bench Pro: 54.2%, Terminal-Bench 2.1: 54.0%, MLE-Bench: 39.2%. GPT-5 scores SWE-Lancer (IC-Diamond subset): 100.0%, COLLIE: 99.0%, Tau2 Telecom: 96.7%, OpenAI-MRCR: 2 needle 128k: 95.2%, AIME 2025: 94.6%.

Is Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite cheaper than GPT-5?

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is 4.2x cheaper for input tokens. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite costs $0.30/M input and $2.50/M output via google. GPT-5 costs $1.25/M input and $10.00/M output via openai.

What are the context window sizes for Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and GPT-5?

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite supports 1.0M tokens and GPT-5 supports 400K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and GPT-5?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 400K), input pricing ($0.30 vs $1.25/M). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and GPT-5?

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is developed by Google and GPT-5 is developed by OpenAI.

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