Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs o3
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and o3 are closely matched at 29.9 and 31.1 on the LLM Stats Score. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is 4.1x cheaper per token.
Google · OpenAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and o3 are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 29.9 and 31.1.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, o3 wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is roughly 4.1x 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.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
- cost matters — it's about 4.1x 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 o3
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
6 reported for Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite · 22 for o3
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while o3 is better at 1 benchmark (CharXiv-R).
o3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite ($0.30/1M tokens) is 6.7x cheaper than o3 ($2.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite ($2.50/1M tokens) is 3.2x cheaper than o3 ($8.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, o3 is more expensive than Gemini 3.5 Flash-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 o3's 200,000 tokens. o3 can generate longer responses up to 100,000 tokens, while Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is limited to 65,536 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and o3 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
o3
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 o3 was released on 2025-04-16.
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is 15 months newer than o3.
Jul 21, 2026
1 months ago
1.3yr newerApr 16, 2025
1.4 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite has a knowledge cutoff of 2026-03-31, while o3 has a cutoff of 2024-05-31.
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 o3 (2024-05-31).
Mar 2026
1.8 yr newerMay 2024
Provider Availability
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is available from Google. o3 is available from OpenAI.
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
o3
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and o3 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs o3.