Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite vs Llama 4 Maverick 17B

Name: Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Author: Google DeepMind

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite (2026) and Llama 4 Maverick 17B (2025) are compact production models from Google DeepMind and AI at Meta. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite ships a 1M-token context window, while Llama 4 Maverick 17B ships a 128k-token context window. On Google-Proof Q&A, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite leads by 19.8 pts. 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.

Pick Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite for reasoning; Llama 4 Maverick 17B is better when coding workflow support matters more.

Decision scorecard

Local evidence first

Signal	Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite	Llama 4 Maverick 17B	How to read it
Decision fit	Coding, RAG, and Agents	Coding, RAG, and Agents	Primary workload tags from local decision data.
Context window	1M	128k	Higher is better when prompts, retrieval chunks, or transcripts are large.
Cheapest output	$1.5/1M tokens	$0.97/1M tokens	Cheapest tracked provider route; verify your exact region and tier.
Provider routes	2 tracked	1 tracked	Broader coverage can reduce vendor lock-in and fallback risk.
Shared benchmarks	Google-Proof Q&A leader	1 rows	Largest visible lead is 19.8 points on Google-Proof Q&A.

Decision tradeoffs

Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite when...

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite leads the largest shared benchmark signal on Google-Proof Q&A by 19.8 points.
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite uniquely exposes Vision, Function calling, and Tool use in local model data.
Local decision data tags Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite for Coding, RAG, and Agents.

Choose Llama 4 Maverick 17B when...

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.

Lower estimate Llama 4 Maverick 17B

Requests / monthInput tokens / requestOutput tokens / request

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite

$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

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite -> Llama 4 Maverick 17B

No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite 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.

Llama 4 Maverick 17B -> Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite

No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Llama 4 Maverick 17B and Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is $0.53/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite adds Vision, Function calling, and Tool use in local capability data.

Specs

Specification	Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite Google DeepMind	Llama 4 Maverick 17B AI at Meta
Released	2026-05-07	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	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	Google AI Studio OpenRouter	AWS Bedrock

Capabilities

Capability	Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite	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

Benchmark	Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite	Llama 4 Maverick 17B
Google-Proof Q&A	86.9	67.1

Deep dive

On shared benchmark coverage, Google-Proof Q&A has Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite at 86.9 and Llama 4 Maverick 17B at 67.1, with Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite ahead by 19.8 points. The largest visible gap is 19.8 points on Google-Proof Q&A, 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 3.1 Flash-Lite, function calling: Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite, and tool use: Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite. 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 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 2 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.

Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite 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 or Llama 4 Maverick 17B?

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite 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 or Llama 4 Maverick 17B?

Llama 4 Maverick 17B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite 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 or Llama 4 Maverick 17B open source?

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite 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 or Llama 4 Maverick 17B?

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 3.1 Flash-Lite or Llama 4 Maverick 17B?

Both Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite 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 and Llama 4 Maverick 17B?

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is available on Google AI Studio and OpenRouter. Llama 4 Maverick 17B is available on AWS Bedrock. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.

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Last reviewed: 2026-05-11. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.