Model Comparison
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs Nova LiteWhich is better in 2026?
Comparing Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and Nova Lite across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.
Verdict: Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs Nova Lite — which is better?
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite (by Google) and Nova Lite (by Amazon) 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, Nova Lite is roughly 8.1x 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…
- 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 Nova Lite if…
- cost matters — it's about 8.1x cheaper per token
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and Nova Litedon'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
For input processing, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite ($0.30/1M tokens) is 5.0x more expensive than Nova Lite ($0.06/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite ($2.50/1M tokens) is 10.4x more expensive than Nova Lite ($0.24/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is more expensive than Nova Lite.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Nova Lite's 300,000 tokens. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite can generate longer responses up to 65,536 tokens, while Nova Lite is limited to 2,048 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and Nova Lite support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Nova Lite
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite was released on 2026-07-21, while Nova Lite was released on 2024-11-20.
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is 20 months newer than Nova Lite.
Jul 21, 2026
1 days ago
1.7yr newerNov 20, 2024
1.7 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-03-31, while Nova Lite's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite's training data extends to 2026-03-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Nova Lite's cutoff date.
Mar 2026
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Provider Availability
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is available from Google. Nova Lite is available from Bedrock.
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Nova Lite
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Nova Lite
View detailsAmazon
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and Nova Lite side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs Nova Lite.