API cost decision in 10 seconds

Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview vs GPT-5.5 Pro

Pick Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview for lower cost; pick GPT-5.5 Pro only if the larger context window matters more.

Page updated:  Data confirmed:  Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview for lower cost; pick GPT-5.5 Pro only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is estimated at $1 vs $120 for GPT-5.5 Pro, saving $119 (99.2% lower).

Cost-first pickGemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview
Context-first pickGPT-5.5 Pro
Sample savings$11999.2%
10x traffic gap$1190

GPT-5.5 Pro has more context, but Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview saves $119 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $1190. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickGemini 3.1 Flash Lite PreviewGPT-5.5 Pro
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputGemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview$2$240
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputGemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview$1.75$210
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputGemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview$7.75$930
Cheaper input Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview $0.25 vs $30 / 1M

Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is $29.75 cheaper per 1M input tokens (99.2% lower; 120x difference).

Cheaper output Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview $1.5 vs $180 / 1M

Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is $178.5 cheaper per 1M output tokens (99.2% lower; 120x difference).

Larger context GPT-5.5 Pro 1.05M vs 1.05M

GPT-5.5 Pro has 1.42K more context (1x larger).

Sample workload Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview $1 vs $120

Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is $119 cheaper on the standard workload (99.2% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview Calculating… Estimated API cost
GPT-5.5 Pro Calculating… Estimated API cost
Cheaper for this workload Calculating… Difference: calculating…

This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.

Quick Decision

Verdict

Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview has the lower input price; Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview has the lower output price; GPT-5.5 Pro offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $1 for Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview and $120 for GPT-5.5 Pro.

Best Fit

Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Choose GPT-5.5 Pro when you care most about larger context window.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is estimated at $1 vs $120 for GPT-5.5 Pro, saving $119 (99.2% lower).
  • Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is $119 cheaper on the standard workload (99.2% lower).
  • Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is $29.75 cheaper per 1M input tokens (99.2% lower; 120x difference).
  • Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is $178.5 cheaper per 1M output tokens (99.2% lower; 120x difference).
  • GPT-5.5 Pro has 1.42K more context (1x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureGemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview
(Google)
GPT-5.5 Pro
(OpenAI)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M
$0.25$30
Completion Price
per 1M tokens
$1.5$180
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output
$1$120
Context Window1.05M1.05M
Release Date
Popularity#22#122

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionGemini 3.1 Flash Lite PreviewOn the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is estimated at $1 vs $120 for GPT-5.5 Pro, saving $119 (99.2% lower).
High-volume input processingGemini 3.1 Flash Lite PreviewLower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsGemini 3.1 Flash Lite PreviewLower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workGPT-5.5 ProA larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps
  • Gemma 4 31B (free) can replace Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) can replace Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • Lyria 3 Clip Preview can replace Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • Lyria 3 Pro Preview can replace Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
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Google catalog

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OpenAI catalog

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Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview

Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is Google's high-efficiency model optimized for high-volume use cases. It outperforms Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite on overall quality and approaches Gemini 2.5 Flash performance across...

GPT-5.5 Pro

GPT-5.5 Pro is OpenAI’s high-capability model optimized for deep reasoning and accuracy on complex, high-stakes workloads. It features a 1M+ token context window (922K input, 128K output) with support for...