Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview vs Llama 4 Maverick 17B
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview (2026) and Llama 4 Maverick 17B (2025) are compact production models from Google DeepMind and AI at Meta. Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview ships a 1M-token context window, while Llama 4 Maverick 17B ships a 128k-token context window. On pricing, Llama 4 Maverick 17B costs $0.24/1M input tokens versus $0.25/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview fits 8x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and Llama 4 Maverick 17B for tighter calls.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview | Llama 4 Maverick 17B |
|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 1M | 128k |
| Cheapest output | $1.5/1M tokens | $0.97/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 3 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview uniquely exposes Vision, Function calling, and Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Llama 4 Maverick 17B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.97/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Llama 4 Maverick 17B for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output prices on this page.
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview
$575
Cheapest tracked route: Google AI Studio
Llama 4 Maverick 17B
$435
Cheapest tracked route: AWS Bedrock
Estimated monthly gap: $141. Batch, cache, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview and Llama 4 Maverick 17B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Llama 4 Maverick 17B is $0.53/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Function calling, and Tool use before moving production traffic.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Llama 4 Maverick 17B and Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is $0.53/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview adds Vision, Function calling, and Tool use in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-03-03 | 2025-10-01 |
| Context window | 1M | 128k |
| Parameters | — | 17 |
| Architecture | decoder only | - |
| License | Proprietary | Open Source |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-01 | 2024-08 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview | Llama 4 Maverick 17B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.25/1M tokens | $0.24/1M tokens |
| Output price | $1.5/1M tokens | $0.97/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview | Llama 4 Maverick 17B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | Yes | No |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| 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 Preview, function calling: Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview, and tool use: Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview. Both models share multimodal input, 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 3.1 Flash Lite Preview lists $0.25/1M input and $1.5/1M output tokens, while Llama 4 Maverick 17B lists $0.24/1M input and $0.97/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Llama 4 Maverick 17B lower by about $0.17 per million blended tokens. Availability is 3 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview when coding workflow support, larger context windows, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Llama 4 Maverick 17B when coding workflow support 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.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview or Llama 4 Maverick 17B?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview supports 1M tokens, while Llama 4 Maverick 17B supports 128k 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 3.1 Flash Lite Preview or Llama 4 Maverick 17B?
Llama 4 Maverick 17B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview costs $0.25/1M input and $1.5/1M output tokens. Llama 4 Maverick 17B costs $0.24/1M input and $0.97/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview or Llama 4 Maverick 17B open source?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is listed under Proprietary. Llama 4 Maverick 17B is listed under Open Source. 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 3.1 Flash Lite Preview or Llama 4 Maverick 17B?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview 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 3.1 Flash Lite Preview or Llama 4 Maverick 17B?
Both Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview and Llama 4 Maverick 17B expose multimodal input. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Where can I run Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview and Llama 4 Maverick 17B?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is available on Google AI Studio, GCP Vertex AI, and OpenRouter. Llama 4 Maverick 17B is available on AWS Bedrock. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-14. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.