Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite vs Llama Guard 3 1B
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite (2026) and Llama Guard 3 1B (2024) are compact production models from Google DeepMind and AI at Meta. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite ships a 1.05m-token context window, while Llama Guard 3 1B ships a 128k-token context window. On pricing, Llama Guard 3 1B costs $0.10/1M input tokens versus $0.25/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Llama Guard 3 1B is ~150% cheaper at $0.10/1M; pay for Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | Llama Guard 3 1B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps, tool-calling agents, and long-context analysis | general production evaluation |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Long context and Classification |
| Context window | 1.05m | 128k |
| Cheapest output | $1.50/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 3 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 shared | 0 shared |
Decision tradeoffs
- 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 route flexibility.
- Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and JSON / Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Llama Guard 3 1B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.10/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Llama Guard 3 1B for Long context and Classification.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
$575
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Google AI Studio
Llama Guard 3 1B
$105
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Fireworks AI
Estimated monthly gap: $470. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite and Llama Guard 3 1B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Llama Guard 3 1B is $1.40/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and JSON / Tool use before moving production traffic.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Llama Guard 3 1B and Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is $1.40/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite adds Vision, Multimodal, and JSON / Tool use in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-05-07 | 2024-09-25 |
| Context window | 1.05m | 128k |
| Parameters | — | 1B |
| Architecture | Decoder Only | Decoder Only |
| License | Proprietary | Llama 2 Community |
| Openness | Proprietary | Open weights |
| Weights | Not released | Unknown |
| Code | Unknown | Unknown |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: conditional | Commercial use: conditional |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-01 | 2023-12 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | Llama Guard 3 1B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.25/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Output price | $1.50/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | Llama Guard 3 1B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| JSON / Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | No |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark scores are currently available for this pair.
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Last reviewed: 2026-07-09. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.