Gemini 3.6 Flash vs Gemini 3.8 Flash: pricing and benchmarks
Both charge $0.75 per 1M input tokens. Both charge $3.75 per 1M output tokens. On our document Q&A workload both models cost $412.50 a month. Roughly tied. Gemini 3.6 Flash scores 154.2 and Gemini 3.8 Flash scores 157.2 on the Epoch Capabilities Index, and their confidence intervals overlap.
Prices verified October 17, 2026.
Which should you choose?
Roughly tied. Gemini 3.6 Flash scores 154.2 and Gemini 3.8 Flash scores 157.2 on the Epoch Capabilities Index, and their confidence intervals overlap.
Gemini 3.8 Flash scores 73.8% on DeepSWE vs 46.7% for Gemini 3.6 Flash.
Gemini 3.8 Flash scores 68.4% on FrontierMath (Tiers 1–3) vs 58.9% for Gemini 3.6 Flash.
Both cost $1.50 per 1M tokens at a 3:1 input-to-output mix.
Pricing and specs
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | Gemini 3.8 Flash | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | ||
| API model ID | gemini-3.6-flash | gemini-3.8-flash |
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.75 | $0.75 |
| Cached input / 1M tokens | $0.075 | $0.075 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $3.75 | $3.75 |
| Long-context rates | — | — |
| Context window | 1.05M tokens | 1.05M tokens |
| Max output | 66K tokens | 66K tokens |
| Batch discount | 50% off | 50% off |
Benchmarks
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | Gemini 3.8 Flash | |
|---|---|---|
| Epoch Capabilities Index | 154.2 | 157.2 |
| GPQA Diamond· Science reasoning | 94.1% | 95.4% |
| FrontierMath (Tiers 1–3)· Advanced math | 58.9% | 68.4% |
| SimpleQA Verified· Factual accuracy | 66.2% | 69.7% |
| ARC-AGI-2· Abstract reasoning | 60.4% | 89.2% |
| DeepSWE· Coding | 46.7% | 73.8% |
| APEX-Agents· Agentic work | 46.9% | 64.3% |
Source: Epoch AI, best recorded result per model (CC BY 4.0). A dash means no published score. See all benchmarks
Monthly cost for real workloads
| Workload | Gemini 3.6 Flash | Gemini 3.8 Flash | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
Support chatbot 100,000 replies a month, ~1,500 input tokens (system prompt + history) and ~400 output tokens each. | $262.50 | $262.50 | Same |
Document Q&A (RAG) 50,000 questions a month with ~8,000 tokens of retrieved context and ~600 output tokens each. | $412.50 | $412.50 | Same |
Coding agent 10,000 agent steps a month, ~40,000 input tokens each (70% read from the prompt cache) and ~2,000 output tokens. | $186.00 | $186.00 | Same |
Estimates use standard list prices and ignore cache-write surcharges. Different tokenizers can count the same text differently, so test with your own prompts.
Gemini 3.6 Flash vs Gemini 3.8 Flash cost calculator
- $412.50/mo$0.0083 / request
- Gemini 3.6 FlashGoogle$412.50/mo$0.0083 / request
Standard-tier list prices. Long-context rates apply automatically where the provider publishes a threshold. Excludes cache-write surcharges, taxes, batch and volume discounts.
Gemini 3.6 Flash pricing notes
Google’s previous-generation Flash model, which replaced Gemini 3.5 Flash in October 2026.
- Introductory price through December 31, 2026. From January 1, 2027: $1.50 input, $0.15 cached, $7.50 output per 1M tokens.
- Requests to the retired gemini-3.5-flash model ID are routed to Gemini 3.6 Flash.
- Output price includes thinking tokens.
- Priority inference costs 1.8x the standard rate.
Gemini 3.8 Flash pricing notes
Google’s newest Flash model, with thinking, tool use and a 1M-token context window.
- Introductory price through December 31, 2026. From January 1, 2027: $1.50 input, $0.15 cached, $7.50 output per 1M tokens.
- Output price includes thinking tokens.
- Priority inference costs 1.8x the standard rate.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Gemini 3.6 Flash cheaper than Gemini 3.8 Flash?
- Both charge $0.75 per 1M input tokens. Both charge $3.75 per 1M output tokens. On our document Q&A workload both models cost $412.50 a month.
- Which is more capable, Gemini 3.6 Flash or Gemini 3.8 Flash?
- Roughly tied. Gemini 3.6 Flash scores 154.2 and Gemini 3.8 Flash scores 157.2 on the Epoch Capabilities Index, and their confidence intervals overlap.
- How much does Gemini 3.6 Flash cost per 1M tokens?
- Gemini 3.6 Flash costs $0.75 per 1M input tokens and $3.75 per 1M output tokens, and $0.075 per 1M cached input tokens on Google’s standard tier.
- How much does Gemini 3.8 Flash cost per 1M tokens?
- Gemini 3.8 Flash costs $0.75 per 1M input tokens and $3.75 per 1M output tokens, and $0.075 per 1M cached input tokens on Google’s standard tier.
- Which has the larger context window, Gemini 3.6 Flash or Gemini 3.8 Flash?
- Both offer a 1.05M-token context window.