Gemma 4 31B is $0.13 cheaper per 1M input tokens (52% lower; 2.08x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
Gemma 4 31B vs Seed 1.6
Pick Gemma 4 31B when budget is the priority.
Pricing data updated:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick Gemma 4 31B when budget is the priority.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemma 4 31B is estimated at $0.3 vs $1.25 for Seed 1.6, saving $0.95 (75.6% lower).
Cost-first pickGemma 4 31B
Context-first pickBoth models
Sample savings$0.9575.6%
10x traffic gap$9.45
The reported context window is tied, so cost and provider fit carry more weight. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $9.45. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Gemma 4 31B stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Gemma 4 31B | Seed 1.6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Gemma 4 31B | $0.78 | $2.25 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Gemma 4 31B | $0.49 | $2.25 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Gemma 4 31B | $1.97 | $10.25 |
Gemma 4 31B is $1.63 cheaper per 1M output tokens (81.5% lower; 5.41x difference).
Both models report the same context window at 262.14K tokens.
Gemma 4 31B is $0.95 cheaper on the standard workload (75.6% lower).
Estimate your workload cost
Your Workload Cost
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
Gemma 4 31B has the lower input price; Gemma 4 31B has the lower output price; both models report the same context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Gemma 4 31B is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.3 for Gemma 4 31B and $1.25 for Seed 1.6.
Choose Gemma 4 31B when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
Choose Seed 1.6 when its provider, model quality, latency, or availability is more important than the numeric price/context winner.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemma 4 31B is estimated at $0.3 vs $1.25 for Seed 1.6, saving $0.95 (75.6% lower).
- Gemma 4 31B is $0.95 cheaper on the standard workload (75.6% lower).
- Gemma 4 31B is $0.13 cheaper per 1M input tokens (52% lower; 2.08x difference).
- Gemma 4 31B is $1.63 cheaper per 1M output tokens (81.5% lower; 5.41x difference).
- Both models report the same context window at 262.14K tokens.
| Feature | Gemma 4 31B (Google) | Seed 1.6 (ByteDance Seed) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.12 | $0.25 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.37 | $2 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.3 | $1.25 |
| Context Window | 262.14K | 262.14K |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Gemma 4 31B | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemma 4 31B is estimated at $0.3 vs $1.25 for Seed 1.6, saving $0.95 (75.6% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Gemma 4 31B | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Gemma 4 31B | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Tie | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) can replace Gemma 4 31B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Gemma 4 31B (free) can replace Gemma 4 31B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Lyria 3 Pro Preview can replace Gemma 4 31B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Lyria 3 Clip Preview can replace Gemma 4 31B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
- Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite offers 1.05M context with $1 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Pro offers 1.05M context with $0.87 sample workload cost.
- No popular competitor is currently available.
Cheaper alternatives
Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.
Open cheapest modelsLarger context alternatives
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Open provider hubsGoogle catalog
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Open ByteDance Seed modelsGemma 4 31B Instruct is Google DeepMind's 30.7B dense multimodal model supporting text and image input with text output. Features a 256K token context window, configurable thinking/reasoning mode, native function...
Seed 1.6 is a general-purpose model released by the ByteDance Seed team. It incorporates multimodal capabilities and adaptive deep thinking with a 256K context window.