Model Comparison

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

Comparing Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and GPT-5 Medium across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

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

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite (by Google) and GPT-5 Medium (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.

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 Medium if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $1.25/M input and $10.00/M output

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and GPT-5 Mediumdon't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

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 Medium ($1.25/1M tokens).

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

In conclusion, GPT-5 Medium 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 Medium
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 Medium's 400,000 tokens. GPT-5 Medium 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 Medium
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 Medium 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 Medium

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 Medium

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

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

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

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

Jul 21, 2026

0 days ago

11mo newer
GPT-5 Medium

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 Medium 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 Medium (2024-09-30).

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

Mar 2026

1.5 yr newer
GPT-5 Medium

Sep 2024

Provider Availability

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

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

No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

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

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

FAQ

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

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

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite (Google) and GPT-5 Medium (OpenAI) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite compare to GPT-5 Medium 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 Medium scores AIME 2025: 88.9%, GPQA: 88.1%.

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

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 Medium 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 Medium?

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite supports 1.0M tokens and GPT-5 Medium 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 Medium?

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 Medium?

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

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