Gemini 3.8 Flash vs Nova 2 Lite
Gemini 3.8 Flash leads the LLM Stats Score 51.0 to 25.6. Nova 2 Lite is 1.8x cheaper per token.
Google · Amazon · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Gemini 3.8 Flash leads the overall LLM Stats Score 51.0 to 25.6, ranking #15 overall.
On price, Nova 2 Lite is roughly 1.8x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Gemini 3.8 Flash 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 3.8 Flash
- overall performance matters — it scores 51.0 and ranks #15 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning and coding — it leads those capability indexes
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2026
Choose Nova 2 Lite
- cost matters — it's about 1.8x cheaper per token
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
13 reported for Gemini 3.8 Flash · 19 for Nova 2 Lite
Gemini 3.8 Flash and Nova 2 Litedon't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemini 3.8 Flash ($0.75/1M tokens) is 2.5x more expensive than Nova 2 Lite ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemini 3.8 Flash ($3.75/1M tokens) is 1.5x more expensive than Nova 2 Lite ($2.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Gemini 3.8 Flash is more expensive than Nova 2 Lite.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemini 3.8 Flash accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Nova 2 Lite's 1,000,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 65,536 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Gemini 3.8 Flash and Nova 2 Lite support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemini 3.8 Flash
Nova 2 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 3.8 Flash was released on 2026-09-02, while Nova 2 Lite was released on 2025-12-02.
Gemini 3.8 Flash is 9 months newer than Nova 2 Lite.
Sep 2, 2026
1 days ago
9mo newerDec 2, 2025
9 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 3.8 Flash has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-03-31, while Nova 2 Lite's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Gemini 3.8 Flash's training data extends to 2026-03-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Nova 2 Lite's cutoff date.
Mar 2026
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Provider Availability
Gemini 3.8 Flash is available from Google. Nova 2 Lite is available from Bedrock.
Gemini 3.8 Flash
Nova 2 Lite
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemini 3.8 Flash and Nova 2 Lite side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Gemini 3.8 Flash vs Nova 2 Lite.