Gemini 3.6 Flash vs LongCat-2.5
Gemini 3.6 Flash and LongCat-2.5 are closely matched at 42.4 and 50.0 on the LLM Stats Score. LongCat-2.5 is 5.7x cheaper per token.
Google · Meituan · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Gemini 3.6 Flash and LongCat-2.5 are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 42.4 and 50.0.
In the 3 individual benchmarks reported for both models, LongCat-2.5 wins 3; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, LongCat-2.5 is roughly 5.7x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Gemini 3.6 Flash
- you want predictable pricing at $1.50/M input and $7.50/M output
Choose LongCat-2.5
- your work emphasizes coding and agents — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 3 of 3 exact shared results
- cost matters — it's about 5.7x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Nov 2026
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
7 reported for Gemini 3.6 Flash · 23 for LongCat-2.5
Gemini 3.6 Flash outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while LongCat-2.5 is better at 3 benchmarks (CharXiv-R, DeepSWE 1.1, Terminal-Bench 2.1).
LongCat-2.5 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 3.6 Flash ($1.50/1M tokens) is 5.0x more expensive than LongCat-2.5 ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemini 3.6 Flash ($7.50/1M tokens) is 6.3x more expensive than LongCat-2.5 ($1.20/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Gemini 3.6 Flash is more expensive than LongCat-2.5.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Both models have the same input context window of 1,048,576 tokens. LongCat-2.5 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Gemini 3.6 Flash is limited to 65,536 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Gemini 3.6 Flash and LongCat-2.5 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemini 3.6 Flash
LongCat-2.5
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemini 3.6 Flash was released on 2026-07-21, while LongCat-2.5 was released on 2026-11-01.
LongCat-2.5 is 3 months newer than Gemini 3.6 Flash.
Jul 21, 2026
3 months ago
Nov 1, 2026
6 days ago
3mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 3.6 Flash has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-03-31, while LongCat-2.5's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Gemini 3.6 Flash's training data extends to 2026-03-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without LongCat-2.5's cutoff date.
Mar 2026
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Provider Availability
Gemini 3.6 Flash is available from Google. LongCat-2.5 is available from Meituan.
Gemini 3.6 Flash
LongCat-2.5
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemini 3.6 Flash and LongCat-2.5 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Gemini 3.6 Flash vs LongCat-2.5.