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GoogleGemini 2.5 FlashVSGoogleGemini 3.1 Flash-Lite

Analysis by:the whichllmmodel Editorial Team|Updated: June 2026

Our Take

We recommend Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite for superior overall value and reasoning capabilities, as it is cheaper or equal in cost while delivering peak intelligence. While Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite excels at complex scripting single-file apps or clearly defined functions, Gemini 2.5 Flash is suited for scripting multi-file code and clearly defined tasks. Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite for scripting single-file apps or clearly defined functions, or Gemini 2.5 Flash if you specifically require its simpler functions profile.
▶WHY?
Benchmark Calculations & Evidence:
  • Coding Evaluation: Gemini 2.5 Flash was evaluated on SWE-bench Verified (scoring 60.4%), while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite was evaluated on LiveCodeBench (scoring 72%).
  • Reasoning Accuracy: Both models were evaluated on the GPQA Diamond benchmark. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite scored 82.2%, while Gemini 2.5 Flash scored 68.3%.
  • Cost Efficiency: Gemini 2.5 Flash pricing ($0.3/M input, $2.5/M output) is 0.7x cheaper than Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite ($0.25/M input, $1.5/M output).
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    Model Specs

    Gemini 2.5 Flash

    Website

    Benchmarks & Scores

    Coding (swe-bench-verified)
    60.4%

    multi-file code and clearly defined tasks

    Reasoning (gpqa-diamond)
    68.3%

    graduate-level science QA

    Cost & Context

    Cost (per 1M tokens)
    $0.85Input: $0.30 | Output: $2.50
    Context Window
    1.05M tokens
    Model Specs

    Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite

    Website

    Benchmarks & Scores

    Coding (live-code-bench)
    72%

    scripting single-file apps or clearly defined functions

    Reasoning (gpqa-diamond)Winner (+13.9%)
    82.2%

    graduate-level science QA

    Cost & Context

    Cost (per 1M tokens)1.5x cheaper
    $0.56Input: $0.25 | Output: $1.50
    Context Window
    1.05M tokens
    Read our data collection methodology

    Frequently Asked Questions about Gemini 2.5 Flash vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite

    Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is cheaper than Gemini 2.5 Flash. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite has a blended cost of $0.56/1M tokens, which is about 1.5x cheaper than Gemini 2.5 Flash at $0.85/1M tokens.

    For coding tasks, Gemini 2.5 Flash scores 60.4% on swe-bench-verified (multi-file code and clearly defined tasks), while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite scores 72% on live-code-bench (scripting single-file apps or clearly defined functions).

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