Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 06-05 vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 06-05 (2025) and Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite (2026) are general-purpose language models from Google DeepMind. Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 06-05 ships a 1M-token context window, while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite ships a 1M-token context window. On pricing, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite costs $0.25/1M input tokens versus $1.25/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is ~400% cheaper at $0.25/1M; pay for Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 06-05 only for coding workflow support.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-03-25 | 2026-05-07 |
| 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 06-05 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $1.25/1M tokens | $0.25/1M tokens |
| Output price | $10/1M tokens | $1.5/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 06-05 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | Yes |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on vision: Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite, multimodal input: Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite, function calling: Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite, and tool use: Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite. Both models share structured outputs and code execution, 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 06-05 lists $1.25/1M input and $10/1M output tokens, while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite lists $0.25/1M input and $1.5/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite lower by about $3.25 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 2, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 06-05 when coding workflow support are central to the workload. Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite when coding workflow support, larger context windows, and lower input-token cost are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 06-05 or Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite?
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite supports 1M tokens, while Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 06-05 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 06-05 or Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite?
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 06-05 costs $1.25/1M input and $10/1M output tokens. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite costs $0.25/1M input and $1.5/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 06-05 or Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite open source?
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 06-05 is listed under Unknown. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite 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 06-05 or Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite?
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite 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 06-05 or Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite?
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite 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 06-05 and Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite?
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 06-05 is available on OpenRouter. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is available on Google AI Studio and OpenRouter. 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.