API cost decision in 10 seconds

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview vs Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free)

Pick Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) for lower cost; pick Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview only if the larger context window matters more.

Page updated: 2026-05-26T10:03:26Z Data confirmed: 2026-05-26T13:08:02Z Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) for lower cost; pick Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) is estimated at $0 vs $8 for Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, saving $8 (100% lower).

Cost-first pickNemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free)

Context-first pickGemini 3.1 Pro Preview

Sample savings$8100%

10x traffic gap$80

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview has more context, but Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) saves $8 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $80. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shape	Token mix	Better pick	Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview	Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free)
Input-heavy / RAG	5M input + 500K output	Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free)	$16	$0
Balanced workload	1M input + 1M output	Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free)	$14	$0
Output-heavy chatbot	1M input + 5M output	Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free)	$62	$0

Cheaper input Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) $2 vs $0 / 1M

Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) is free for input tokens while Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview costs $2 per 1M tokens.

Cheaper output Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) $12 vs $0 / 1M

Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) is free for output tokens while Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview costs $12 per 1M tokens.

Larger context Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview 1.05M vs 256K

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview has 792.58K more context (4.1x larger).

Sample workload Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) $8 vs $0

Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $8.

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.

Monthly input tokens Monthly output tokens

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Calculating… Estimated API cost

Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) 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

Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) has the lower input price; Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) has the lower output price; Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $8 for Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview and $0 for Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free).

Best Fit

Choose Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview when you care most about larger context window.

Choose Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Decision Notes

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) is estimated at $0 vs $8 for Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, saving $8 (100% lower).
Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $8.
Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) is free for input tokens while Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview costs $2 per 1M tokens.
Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) is free for output tokens while Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview costs $12 per 1M tokens.
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview has 792.58K more context (4.1x larger).

Head-to-Head Specs

Feature	Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview (Google)	Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) (NVIDIA)
Input Price prompt tokens per 1M	$2	$0
Completion Price per 1M tokens	$12	$0
Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output	$8	$0
Context Window	1.05M	256K
Release Date	2026-02-19	2025-12-14

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use case	Better pick	Why
Budget-constrained production	Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free)	On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) is estimated at $0 vs $8 for Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, saving $8 (100% lower).
High-volume input processing	Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free)	Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbots	Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free)	Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document work	Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview	A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps

Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) can replace Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
Gemma 4 31B (free) can replace Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
Lyria 3 Pro Preview can replace Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
Lyria 3 Clip Preview can replace Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.

Larger context near this budget

Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent offers 2M context with $5 sample workload cost.
Grok 4.20 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
GPT-5.4 offers 1.05M context with $10 sample workload cost.

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Google catalog

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NVIDIA catalog

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