API cost decision in 10 seconds

Ling-2.6-1T vs Gemma 4 31B

Pick Gemma 4 31B when budget is the priority.

Pricing data updated: 2026-05-26T11:08:00Z 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 $0.39 for Ling-2.6-1T, saving $0.08 (21.3% lower).

Cost-first pickGemma 4 31B

Context-first pickBoth models

Sample savings$0.0821.3%

10x traffic gap$0.83

The reported context window is tied, so cost and provider fit carry more weight. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $0.83. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Cost winner changes by workload shape: input-heavy / RAG favors Ling-2.6-1T, balanced workload favors Gemma 4 31B, and output-heavy chatbot favors Gemma 4 31B.

Workload shape	Token mix	Better pick	Ling-2.6-1T	Gemma 4 31B
Input-heavy / RAG	5M input + 500K output	Ling-2.6-1T	$0.69	$0.78
Balanced workload	1M input + 1M output	Gemma 4 31B	$0.7	$0.49
Output-heavy chatbot	1M input + 5M output	Gemma 4 31B	$3.2	$1.97

Cheaper input Ling-2.6-1T $0.075 vs $0.12 / 1M

Ling-2.6-1T is $0.04 cheaper per 1M input tokens (37.5% lower; 1.6x difference).

Cheaper output Gemma 4 31B $0.625 vs $0.37 / 1M

Gemma 4 31B is $0.26 cheaper per 1M output tokens (40.8% lower; 1.69x difference).

Larger context Tie 262.14K vs 262.14K

Both models report the same context window at 262.14K tokens.

Sample workload Gemma 4 31B $0.39 vs $0.3

Gemma 4 31B is $0.08 cheaper on the standard workload (21.3% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.

Monthly input tokens Monthly output tokens

Ling-2.6-1T Calculating… Estimated API cost

Gemma 4 31B 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

Ling-2.6-1T 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 $0.39 for Ling-2.6-1T and $0.3 for Gemma 4 31B.

Best Fit

Choose Ling-2.6-1T when you care most about lower input-token price.

Choose Gemma 4 31B when you care most about lower output-token price.

Decision Notes

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemma 4 31B is estimated at $0.3 vs $0.39 for Ling-2.6-1T, saving $0.08 (21.3% lower).
Gemma 4 31B is $0.08 cheaper on the standard workload (21.3% lower).
Ling-2.6-1T is $0.04 cheaper per 1M input tokens (37.5% lower; 1.6x difference).
Gemma 4 31B is $0.26 cheaper per 1M output tokens (40.8% lower; 1.69x difference).
Both models report the same context window at 262.14K tokens.

Head-to-Head Specs

Feature	Ling-2.6-1T (inclusionAI)	Gemma 4 31B (Google)
Input Price prompt tokens per 1M	$0.075	$0.12
Completion Price per 1M tokens	$0.625	$0.37
Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output	$0.39	$0.3
Context Window	262.14K	262.14K
Release Date	2026-04-23	2026-04-02

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 $0.39 for Ling-2.6-1T, saving $0.08 (21.3% lower).
High-volume input processing	Ling-2.6-1T	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

Same-provider lower-cost swaps

Ling-2.6-flash can replace Ling-2.6-1T when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.03.
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.

Larger context near this budget

Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
DeepSeek V4 Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.2 sample workload cost.
DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.

Popular competitors

No popular competitor is currently available.

Cheaper alternatives

Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.

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Larger context alternatives

Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.

Open largest context models

Provider catalogs

Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.

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inclusionAI catalog

Review all tracked inclusionAI models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.

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Google catalog

Check other Google models with comparable pricing, context, or release timing.

Open Google models

Ling-2.6-1T

Ling-2.6-1T is an instant (instruct) model from inclusionAI and the company’s trillion-parameter flagship, designed for real-world agents that require fast execution and high efficiency at scale. It uses a “fast...

Gemma 4 31B

Gemma 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...