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Google Gemini models explained: 3.1 Pro, 3.8 Flash and the rest
Google is moving fast: Gemini 3.6 Flash came out on July 21, 3.7 Flash on August 13 and 3.8 Flash on September 2. Here’s how to make sense of the lineup.
The lineup at a glance
| Model | Status | Input / output per 1M tokens | Cached input |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 3.1 Pro | Preview | $2 / $12 (up to 200K), $4 / $18 above | $0.20 |
| Gemini 3.8 Flash | Stable | $0.75 / $3.75 until Dec 31, 2026 | $0.075 |
| Gemini 3.7 Flash | Stable | $0.75 / $3.75 until Dec 31, 2026 | $0.075 |
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | Stable | $0.75 / $3.75 until Dec 31, 2026 | $0.075 |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | Stable, older | $1.50 / $9 | $0.15 |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | Stable | $0.30 / $2.50 | $0.03 |
Gemini 3.1 Pro and 3.8 Flash both have a context window of about 1 million tokens (1,048,576) and up to 65,536 output tokens.
Pick 3.8 Flash for almost everything
Google calls Gemini 3.8 Flash “our most intelligent workhorse model.” It costs the same as 3.6 and 3.7 Flash, so there is little reason to use the older ones unless you have tested and tuned a prompt for them.
Watch the promo end date. The $0.75 / $3.75 price for the 3.6, 3.7 and 3.8 Flash models runs through December 31, 2026. From January 1, 2027 the price doubles to $1.50 / $7.50. If you’re budgeting for next year, use the higher number.
Gemini 3.1 Pro
3.1 Pro is Google’s strongest model in the API, released February 19, 2026, and still labelled a preview. It is cheap for a top-tier model: $2 input and $12 output per million tokens for prompts up to 200K tokens. Longer prompts cost $4 / $18.
Flash-Lite for volume
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, at $0.30 / $2.50, is Google’s budget option for classification, extraction and other high-volume tasks. Compare it against GPT-6 Luna and DeepSeek V4.1 Flash on the price list.
Caching and batch
Cached input on current Gemini models is listed at one tenth of the normal input price. Explicit caching also charges a storage fee per hour. The Batch API costs 50% less.
Google AI plans for consumers
| Plan | Price per month | What stands out |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Gemini 3.6 Flash, some 3.1 Pro access, 15 GB storage |
| Google AI Plus | $4.99 | 2x Free’s limits, 400 GB storage |
| Google AI Pro | $19.99 | 4x Free’s limits, 5 TB storage, 3.8 Flash access |
| Google AI Ultra | $99.99 (5x Pro’s limits) or $199.99 (20x Pro’s limits) | From 20 TB storage, highest limits |
Gemini 3.8 Flash is available in the Gemini app for Pro and Ultra subscribers. See all AI plans side by side on the plans page.
Quick recommendations
- Default API choice: 3.8 Flash, while the promo price lasts.
- Hardest tasks: 3.1 Pro, keeping prompts under 200K tokens to avoid the higher rate.
- Cheapest bulk work: 3.5 Flash-Lite.
See how people rate Gemini today on the dumb meter.