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Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite vs Gemini 3.5 Flash

Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite is the lower-priced of the two on Router One — about 11% less on a 1M-input + 1M-output mix. Both carry a 1.05M context window. Both answer on /v1/chat/completions. Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite is in no plan and bills the wallet; Gemini 3.5 Flash counts against the Standard models allowance on Pro, Max and Ultra.

Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite and Gemini 3.5 Flash compared on current per-token rates, context window, and capabilities — both callable through one OpenAI-compatible endpoint with per-request cost traces.

Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite vs Gemini 3.5 Flash: rates, context window, and capabilities

SpecGemini 3.5 Flash LiteGemini 3.5 Flash
Input / 1M tokens$0.30$0.45
Output / 1M tokens$2.50$2.70
Cached input / 1M tokens$0.30$0.45
Context window1.05M1.05M
CapabilitiesChat, Streaming, Tool calling, VisionChat, Streaming, Tool calling, Vision
Subscription plansNot in any plan — walletStandard models — Pro, Max, Ultra
Detail pageGemini 3.5 Flash LiteGemini 3.5 Flash

What does 1M tokens cost on Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite vs Gemini 3.5 Flash?

For a workload of 1M input plus 1M output tokens at current rates: Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite comes to $2.80, Gemini 3.5 Flash comes to $3.15 — Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite is about 11% cheaper on this mix. Real workloads skew heavily toward input tokens, so weigh the input rate by your own ratio; the cached-input row above is the posted catalog rate for that model.

Switch between Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite and Gemini 3.5 Flash

The API key, base URL and endpoint stay the same — Router One serves both on /v1/chat/completions — but per Google's guide to Gemini 3.6 Flash and 3.5 Flash-Lite (checked 2026-10-09), starting with those models the Gemini API ignores temperature, top_p and top_k and rejects a request whose last turn is a prefilled model turn, and Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite's default thinking level is minimal; Gemini 3.5 Flash predates these changes. Move tone and format rules into the system message before you switch, and compare both on your own prompts.

compare.sh
curl https://api.router.one/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk-your-router-one-key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model": "google/gemini-3.5-flash-lite", "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}]}'

# Same request, other model — change one string:
#   "model": "google/gemini-3.5-flash"

FAQ

Is Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite cheaper than Gemini 3.5 Flash?

Input: Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite $0.30 vs Gemini 3.5 Flash $0.45 / 1M tokens; Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite has the lower rate. Output: Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite $2.50 vs Gemini 3.5 Flash $2.70 / 1M tokens; Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite has the lower rate. Total cost depends on the workload's input, output and cache usage. Rates change; the /models page is the live source of truth.

Is Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite or Gemini 3.5 Flash included in a Router One subscription?

Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite is in no Router One plan, so every call bills the wallet per token. Gemini 3.5 Flash counts against the Standard models allowance on Pro, Max and Ultra: Pro 5,000, Max 8,000 and Ultra 25,000 requests per 30-day cycle, shared by every model in that tier. Gemini 3.5 Flash requests above its long-context threshold count as more than one quota request. Requests beyond a plan's allowance bill the wallet per token.

Can I switch between Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite and Gemini 3.5 Flash without changing code?

The API key, base URL and endpoint stay the same — Router One serves both on /v1/chat/completions — but per Google's guide to Gemini 3.6 Flash and 3.5 Flash-Lite (checked 2026-10-09), starting with those models the Gemini API ignores temperature, top_p and top_k and rejects a request whose last turn is a prefilled model turn, and Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite's default thinking level is minimal; Gemini 3.5 Flash predates these changes. Move tone and format rules into the system message before you switch, and compare both on your own prompts.

Where do these numbers come from?

Specs and prices on this page render from the live Router One catalog — the same data as the /models page — and refresh with it. Pricing methodology is documented on /pricing-methodology. Rates on this page were read from the live catalog on 2026-10-09 (UTC) and refresh within the hour.

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