Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview vs Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview (2026) and Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 (2025) are general-purpose language models from Google DeepMind and AI at Meta. Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview ships a 1M-token context window, while Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 ships a 1M-token context window. On τ-bench, Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview leads by 8 pts. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 is ~1233% cheaper at $0.15/1M; pay for Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview | Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 |
|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | RAG, Agents, and Long context |
| Context window | 1M | 1M |
| Cheapest output | $12/1M tokens | $0.6/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 4 tracked | 7 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | τ-bench leader | 1 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview leads the largest shared benchmark signal on τ-bench by 8 points.
- Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.6/1M tokens.
- Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 for RAG, Agents, and Long context.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output prices on this page.
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview
$4,600
Cheapest tracked route: Google AI Studio
Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8
$270
Cheapest tracked route: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $4,330. Batch, cache, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter and GCP Vertex AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 is $11.40/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling before moving production traffic.
- Provider overlap exists on GCP Vertex AI and OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview is $11.40/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview adds Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-02-19 | 2025-04-05 |
| Context window | 1M | 1M |
| Parameters | — | 17B |
| Architecture | decoder only | mixture of experts |
| License | Proprietary | Open Source |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-01 | 2024-08 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview | Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $2/1M tokens | $0.15/1M tokens |
| Output price | $12/1M tokens | $0.6/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview | Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | Yes | No |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview | Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 |
|---|---|---|
| τ-bench | 76.5 | 68.5 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, τ-bench has Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview at 76.5 and Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 at 68.5, with Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview ahead by 8 points. The largest visible gap is 8 points on τ-bench, 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 Pro Preview, multimodal input: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, function calling: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, tool use: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, and code execution: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview. Both models share structured outputs, 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 Pro Preview lists $2/1M input and $12/1M output tokens, while Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 lists $0.15/1M input and $0.6/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 lower by about $4.71 per million blended tokens. Availability is 4 providers versus 7, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview when coding workflow support are central to the workload. Choose Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 when provider fit, lower input-token cost, 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 3.1 Pro Preview or Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8?
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview supports 1M tokens, while Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 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 3.1 Pro Preview or Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8?
Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview costs $2/1M input and $12/1M output tokens. Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 costs $0.15/1M input and $0.6/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview or Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 open source?
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview is listed under Proprietary. Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 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 Pro Preview or Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8?
Gemini 3.1 Pro 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 Pro Preview or Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8?
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview 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 3.1 Pro Preview and Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8?
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview is available on Google AI Studio, GCP Vertex AI, OpenRouter, and Replicate API. Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 is available on Microsoft Foundry, Together AI, OpenRouter, Fireworks AI, and DeepInfra. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-05-16. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.