Moondream 3.1 is $0.08 cheaper per 1M input tokens (20% lower; 1.25x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
NewMoondream 3.1 vs Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch)
Pick Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) when budget and context both matter.
Page updated:
Data confirmed:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) when budget and context both matter.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) is estimated at $1.31 vs $1.55 for Moondream 3.1, saving $0.24 (15.3% lower).
Cost-first pickGemini 3.8 Flash (batch)
Context-first pickGemini 3.8 Flash (batch)
Sample savings$0.2415.3%
10x traffic gap$2.38
Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) is cheaper on the standard workload and also has the larger context window. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $2.38. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Cost winner changes by workload shape: input-heavy / RAG favors Moondream 3.1, balanced workload favors Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch), and output-heavy chatbot favors Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch).
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Moondream 3.1 | Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Moondream 3.1 | $2.75 | $2.81 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) | $2.8 | $2.25 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) | $12.8 | $9.75 |
Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) is $0.62 cheaper per 1M output tokens (25% lower; 1.33x difference).
Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) has 1.02M more context (32.8x larger).
Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) is $0.24 cheaper on the standard workload (15.3% 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
Moondream 3.1 has the lower input price; Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) has the lower output price; Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $1.55 for Moondream 3.1 and $1.31 for Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch).
Choose Moondream 3.1 when you care most about lower input-token price.
Choose Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) when you care most about lower output-token price, and larger context window.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) is estimated at $1.31 vs $1.55 for Moondream 3.1, saving $0.24 (15.3% lower).
- Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) is $0.24 cheaper on the standard workload (15.3% lower).
- Moondream 3.1 is $0.08 cheaper per 1M input tokens (20% lower; 1.25x difference).
- Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) is $0.62 cheaper per 1M output tokens (25% lower; 1.33x difference).
- Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) has 1.02M more context (32.8x larger).
| Feature | NewMoondream 3.1 (Moondream) | Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) (Google) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.3 | $0.375 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $2.5 | $1.875 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $1.55 | $1.31 |
| Context Window | 32K | 1.05M |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) is estimated at $1.31 vs $1.55 for Moondream 3.1, saving $0.24 (15.3% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Moondream 3.1 | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) can replace Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Gemma 4 31B (free) can replace Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Lyria 3 Pro Preview can replace Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Lyria 3 Clip Preview can replace Gemini 3.8 Flash (batch) when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 1.31M context with $0.47 sample workload cost.
- MiMo-V2.6-Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.28 sample workload cost.
- GPT-6 Luna offers 1.05M context with $0.35 sample workload cost.
- GPT-6 Luna Pro offers 1.05M context with $0.35 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4.1 Flash · DeepSeek · #1
- Step 5 Preview · StepFun · #2
- GLM 5.3 Flash · Z.ai · #3
- MiMo-V2.6-Flash · Xiaomi · #4
Cheaper alternatives
Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.
Open cheapest modelsLarger context alternatives
Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.
Open largest context modelsProvider catalogs
Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.
Open provider hubsMoondream catalog
Review all tracked Moondream models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.
Open Moondream modelsGoogle catalog
Check other Google models with comparable pricing, context, or release timing.
Open Google modelsMoondream 3.1 is a vision-language model from Moondream, the successor to Moondream 3 Preview, with 9B total parameters and 2B active (mixture-of-experts). It handles visual question answering, captioning, OCR, and...
Gemini 3.8 Flash is Google's most intelligent Flash model with significant gains from 3.7 Flash across software engineering, agentic tasks, and multi-step reasoning.