ZMIME
Comparison · 2 models · Updated Oct 4, 2026

Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs Step 3.5 Flash

Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite comes out ahead, 73 to 62 on our weighted score, though Step 3.5 Flash is 3.8× cheaper per token.

  1. Our pick

    Google

    Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite

    Released May 7, 2026

    73/100
    • ECI—
    • Price$0.25 / $1.50
    • Context1.05M
    Full specs Remove Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite

  2. StepFun

    Step 3.5 Flash

    Released Jan 29, 2026

    62/100
    • ECI—
    • Price$0.10 / $0.30
    • Context256K
    Full specs Remove Step 3.5 Flash

  3. Add a model

    Make it a three-way comparison.

01 — Verdict

Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite is our pick

Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite is the better all-round choice, scoring 73/100 against Step 3.5 Flash (62). It leads on inputs & features and context window. Step 3.5 Flash wins on price. The score weighs price 50%, inputs & features 30%, context window 20%. None of the shared benchmarks cover every model here yet, so capability is left out of this verdict.

  • CapabilityNot enough dataNo independent benchmark covers every model here yet
  • Lowest priceStep 3.5 FlashStep 3.5 Flash $0.15 · Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite $0.563 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
  • Longest contextGemini 3.1 Flash LiteGemini 3.1 Flash Lite 1,048,576 · Step 3.5 Flash 256,000 tokens
  • Widest inputsGemini 3.1 Flash LiteGemini 3.1 Flash Lite: Text, Images, PDFs, Audio, Video · Step 3.5 Flash: Text
  • Self-hostingStep 3.5 FlashPublishes downloadable weights
How the score is built
MeasureWeightGemini 3.1 Flash LiteStep 3.5 Flash
Price50%6289
Inputs & features30%10035
Context window20%6136
Overall100%73/10062/100

Left out because at least one model lacks the data: capability. The remaining weights were rescaled.

02 — Side by side

Every spec in one table

Highlighted cells lead their row. Dashes mean the data is not published.

Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite vs Step 3.5 Flash specifications side by side
SpecificationGemini 3.1 Flash LiteGoogleStep 3.5 FlashStepFun
Capability
Capabilities Index (ECI)——
ECI rank——
Price per million tokens
Input$0.25$0.10 (best)
Output$1.50$0.30 (best)
Cached input$0.025$0.02 (best)
Blended (3:1)$0.563$0.15 (best)
Long-context rateSame rateSame rate
Price sourceOfficial Google APIOfficial StepFun (Global) API
Limits
Context window1,048,576 tokens (best)256,000 tokens
Max output65,536 tokens256,000 tokens (best)
Inputs and features
TextYesYes
ImagesYesNo
PDFsYesNo
AudioYesNo
VideoYesNo
ReasoningYesminimal · low · medium · highYeslow · high
Tool callingYesYes
Structured outputYesNo
Availability
WeightsProprietaryOpen
API model IDgemini-3.1-flash-litestep-3.5-flash
API providers23 (best)8
ReleasedMay 7, 2026Jan 29, 2026
Knowledge cutoffJan 2025Jan 2025
03 — Cost

What would a month cost?

Enter your expected volume in millions of tokens. List prices only; caching and batch discounts would lower these.

  • Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite$5.50
  • Step 3.5 Flash$1.60
04 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better: Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite or Step 3.5 Flash?

Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite is the better all-round choice, scoring 73/100 against Step 3.5 Flash (62). It leads on inputs & features and context window. Step 3.5 Flash wins on price. The score weighs price 50%, inputs & features 30%, context window 20%. None of the shared benchmarks cover every model here yet, so capability is left out of this verdict.

Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite or Step 3.5 Flash?

Step 3.5 Flash is cheaper at $0.10 input / $0.30 output per million tokens (official StepFun (Global) API price). Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite costs $0.25 input / $1.50 output per million tokens (official Google API price). At a typical mix of three input tokens to one output token, that is $0.15 per million tokens for Step 3.5 Flash versus $0.563 for Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite (3.8× as much).

Which scores higher on benchmarks?

There is no independent benchmark that covers both models yet. Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite has not been scored yet and Step 3.5 Flash has not been scored yet.

Which is better for coding?

There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite and Step 3.5 Flash yet, so there is no like-for-like coding score. Test both on a sample of your own tasks. Both support tool calling for agent workflows.

Which has the bigger context window?

Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite has the largest context window at 1,048,576 tokens, against 256,000 for Step 3.5 Flash. Maximum output per response: Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite up to 65,536, Step 3.5 Flash up to 256,000 tokens.

Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?

Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite accepts text, images, PDFs, audio and video; Step 3.5 Flash accepts text. Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite handles the widest range of inputs.

Are any of these open source?

Step 3.5 Flash publishes its weights and can be self-hosted; Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite is proprietary.

Which is newer?

Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite is the newest, released May 7, 2026. Step 3.5 Flash came out Jan 29, 2026. Knowledge cutoff: Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Jan 2025, Step 3.5 Flash Jan 2025.

How do you decide the winner?

Each model gets a 0–100 score on capability (50%, independent benchmark results); price (25%, blended price per million tokens (3 input : 1 output), log scale); inputs & features (15%, image, PDF, audio and video input, tool calling, structured output and reasoning); context window (10%, maximum tokens per request, log scale). Dimensions missing for any model are dropped and the remaining weights rescaled, so every model is judged on the same evidence. Specs and prices come from public model listings and the labs’ own API pages; capability scores come from independent benchmark runs. Data updated Oct 4, 2026.

05 — Keep comparing

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