Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 vs Gemini 3 Pro
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 (2025) and Gemini 3 Pro (2025) are general-purpose language models from Google DeepMind. Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 ships a 1M-token context window, while Gemini 3 Pro ships a 1M-token context window. On Massive Multi-discipline Multimodal Understanding, Gemini 3 Pro leads by 1.4 pts. On pricing, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 costs $1.25/1M input tokens versus $1.25/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
Gemini 3 Pro is safer overall; choose Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 when provider fit matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 | Gemini 3 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | RAG, Long context, and Vision | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 1M | 1M |
| Cheapest output | $10/1M tokens | $5/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 2 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 1 rows | Massive Multi-discipline Multimodal Understanding leader |
Decision tradeoffs
- Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 uniquely exposes Structured outputs in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 for RAG, Long context, and Vision.
- Gemini 3 Pro leads the largest shared benchmark signal on Massive Multi-discipline Multimodal Understanding by 1.4 points.
- Gemini 3 Pro has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $5/1M tokens.
- Gemini 3 Pro has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Gemini 3 Pro uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Gemini 3 Pro for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output prices on this page.
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06
$3,500
Cheapest tracked route: OpenRouter
Gemini 3 Pro
$2,250
Cheapest tracked route: GCP Vertex AI
Estimated monthly gap: $1,250. Batch, cache, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 and Gemini 3 Pro; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Gemini 3 Pro is $5/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Structured outputs before moving production traffic.
- Gemini 3 Pro adds Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Gemini 3 Pro and Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 is $5/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling before moving production traffic.
- Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 adds Structured outputs in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-05-06 | 2025-12-11 |
| Context window | 1M | 1M |
| Parameters | — | — |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | Unknown | Proprietary |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | 2025-01 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 | Gemini 3 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $1.25/1M tokens | $1.25/1M tokens |
| Output price | $10/1M tokens | $5/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 | Gemini 3 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | No |
| Code execution | No | Yes |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 | Gemini 3 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Massive Multi-discipline Multimodal Understanding | 79.6 | 81.0 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, Massive Multi-discipline Multimodal Understanding has Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 at 79.6 and Gemini 3 Pro at 81, with Gemini 3 Pro ahead by 1.4 points. The largest visible gap is 1.4 points on Massive Multi-discipline Multimodal Understanding, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint differs most on vision: Gemini 3 Pro, multimodal input: Gemini 3 Pro, function calling: Gemini 3 Pro, tool use: Gemini 3 Pro, structured outputs: Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06, and code execution: Gemini 3 Pro. Both models share the core language-model surface, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 lists $1.25/1M input and $10/1M output tokens, while Gemini 3 Pro lists $1.25/1M input and $5/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Gemini 3 Pro lower by about $1.5 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 2, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 when provider fit are central to the workload. Choose Gemini 3 Pro when coding workflow support and broader provider choice are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 or Gemini 3 Pro?
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 supports 1M tokens, while Gemini 3 Pro supports 1M tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 or Gemini 3 Pro?
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 costs $1.25/1M input and $10/1M output tokens. Gemini 3 Pro costs $1.25/1M input and $5/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 or Gemini 3 Pro open source?
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 is listed under Unknown. Gemini 3 Pro is listed under Proprietary. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for vision, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 or Gemini 3 Pro?
Gemini 3 Pro has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for multimodal input, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 or Gemini 3 Pro?
Gemini 3 Pro has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 and Gemini 3 Pro?
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 is available on OpenRouter. Gemini 3 Pro is available on Replicate API and GCP Vertex AI. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-11. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.