Google now runs two Gemini timelines that no longer move together. The Flash line has raced all the way to Gemini 3.6 Flash, launched July 21, 2026, while the Pro line has been frozen at Gemini 3.1 Pro since February. If you have been hunting for a “Gemini 3.5 Pro” or a “3.6 Pro,” that is the first thing to clear up in any honest Gemini model comparison, because neither one exists yet.
This guide maps the entire lineup from Gemini 2.5 through 3.6 Flash, one version at a time, with a benchmark and pricing table for each, plus how the models surface inside the Gemini app and a plain recommendation for every use case. You will see exactly why Google split the family in two, what actually changed at each release, and which model is the right default for coding, everyday chat, long documents, and tight budgets.
The Key Takeaways
- Gemini 3.6 Flash is the newest model, live since July 21, 2026, at $1.50 / $7.50 per 1M tokens.
- There is no Gemini 3.5 Pro or 3.6 Pro. The current flagship Pro is still Gemini 3.1 Pro from February 2026.
- The 3.6 Flash price cut is output-only; input stayed at $1.50, output dropped from $9.00 to $7.50.
- Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is the cheapest current model at $0.30 / $2.50 per 1M tokens.
- In the app, the Free plan runs Gemini 3.6 Flash. Deep Think stays on AI Ultra, while Gemini Spark reaches AI Pro in the US.
- Google confirmed it has begun its “most ambitious pre-training run yet” for Gemini 4.
The Gemini lineup at a glance (2026)
Google organizes Gemini into three tiers. Pro is the flagship reasoning tier, Flash is the fast everyday workhorse, and Flash-Lite is the budget option. The confusing part is that these tiers no longer share a version number, so the newest Flash (3.6) is two full releases ahead of the newest Pro (3.1).
Here is the current family, oldest to newest, with the models that matter most in bold.
| Model | Released | Tier | Status | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 2.5 Pro | Mar 2025 | Pro | Legacy | Cheaper fallback reasoning |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash | Apr 2025 | Flash | Legacy | Older everyday tasks |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite | Jun 2025 | Flash-Lite | Legacy | High-volume, low cost |
| Gemini 3 Pro | Nov 2025 | Pro | Preview | First “3.0” flagship |
| Gemini 3 Flash | Dec 2025 | Flash | Preview | Balanced value |
| Gemini 3.1 Pro | Feb 2026 | Pro | Current flagship | Hardest reasoning, long docs |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | Mar 2026 | Flash-Lite | Superseded | Budget agentic work |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | May 2026 | Flash | Superseded | Prior workhorse |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | Jul 2026 | Flash-Lite | Current | Cheapest quality option |
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | Jul 2026 | Flash | Current workhorse | Most people, most tasks |
Two specialist models sit outside the main grid. Gemini 3 Deep Think is an extended-reasoning preview from December 2025, and Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber, released July 21, is a version of 3.5 Flash fine-tuned to find and patch security vulnerabilities inside Google’s CodeMender system.
Why there’s no Gemini 3.5 Pro (or 3.6 Pro)
The single biggest source of confusion in any Gemini model comparison is the missing Pro releases. When Google shipped 3.5 Flash and then 3.6 Flash, many people assumed a matching Pro arrived too. It did not.
According to TechCrunch, Google released three new models on July 21 and pointedly no 3.5 Pro. Bloomberg reporting cited in that coverage says Google hit internal delays and struggled to meet its own performance goals for 3.5 Pro, so it remains in partner testing rather than general release. Product lead Logan Kilpatrick said the company is still testing it and hopes it will “land soon.”
That leaves Gemini 3.1 Pro, from February 2026, as the newest Pro model you can actually use. Meanwhile the Flash line kept shipping, which is why the version numbers look mismatched. The takeaway is simple, when you want top-tier Gemini reasoning today, you use 3.1 Pro, not a 3.5 or 3.6 Pro that has not been released.
Gemini 2.5: the legacy three-tier foundation
The 2.5 family is the legacy generation, released across 2025, and it set the three-tier pattern Google still uses. Gemini 2.5 Pro arrived March 25, 2.5 Flash on April 17, and 2.5 Flash-Lite on June 17, each with a 1M-token context window. These models still work and remain a cheaper fallback, but they trail the 3.x family on reasoning, coding, and agentic tasks.
How the 2.5 tiers benchmark and price
At launch, 2.5 Pro topped the LMArena leaderboard and scored 63.8% on SWE-Bench Verified. 2.5 Flash undercut it sharply, and 2.5 Flash-Lite went lower still at $0.10 / $0.40, still the cheapest Gemini rate the API has ever carried.
| Model | Released | Price (in / out per 1M) | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 2.5 Pro | Mar 25, 2025 | $1.25 / $10.00 | LMArena #1 at launch; SWE-Bench 63.8% |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash | Apr 17, 2025 | $0.30 / $2.50 | Fast everyday workhorse |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite | Jun 17, 2025 | $0.10 / $0.40 | Cheapest Gemini rate ever |
When to pick a 2.5 model
Use 2.5 only if you are on older infrastructure or need the lowest possible cost and do not care about frontier quality. For anything new, the 3.x tiers are a clear upgrade at similar or lower prices.
Gemini 3.0: the generation reset
Model Gemini 3 opened the current generation. Gemini 3 Pro launched November 18, 2025 as a preview flagship, followed by Gemini 3 Deep Think on December 4 for harder multi-step reasoning, and Gemini 3 Flash on December 17. This was the jump that reset Google’s benchmark position against ChatGPT and Claude.
Gemini 3.0 benchmarks and pricing
Gemini 3 Pro shipped with a 1M-token context window and 64K output, posting 91.9% on GPQA Diamond, a 1501 Elo on LMArena, and 76.2% on SWE-Bench Verified. Gemini 3 Flash then beat its own Pro sibling on coding, hitting 78% on SWE-Bench Verified at just $0.50 / $3.00 per 1M tokens. Deep Think, an extended-reasoning mode for AI Ultra subscribers, pushed ARC-AGI-2 to 45.1% with code execution.
| Model | Released | Price (in / out per 1M) | Key benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 3 Pro | Nov 18, 2025 | n/a (preview) | GPQA 91.9%, SWE 76.2%, 1501 Elo |
| Gemini 3 Deep Think | Dec 4, 2025 | AI Ultra only | ARC-AGI-2 45.1% |
| Gemini 3 Flash | Dec 17, 2025 | $0.50 / $3.00 | SWE-Bench 78% |
How the 3.0 generation holds up
The 3.0 models introduced the architecture and long-context work that later versions built on. Most have since been superseded by 3.1 and the newer Flash releases, so treat 3.0 as the foundation rather than a model you would pick today.
Gemini 3.1 Pro: the current flagship
Gemini 3.1 Pro, released February 19, 2026, is the model to reach for when you need maximum capability. It uses a sparse mixture-of-experts design, handles a 1M-token context window, and outputs up to 64K tokens in a single response. It scores 94.3% on GPQA Diamond and 80.6% on SWE-Bench Verified, though on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index v4.1 it lands at 46, behind the current OpenAI and Anthropic flagships.
Gemini 3.1 Pro specs and pricing
| Spec | Gemini 3.1 Pro |
|---|---|
| Released | February 19, 2026 |
| Context / max output | 1M / 64K tokens |
| Price (prompts up to 200K) | $2.00 / $12.00 per 1M |
| Price (prompts above 200K) | $4.00 / $18.00 per 1M |
| GPQA Diamond | 94.3% |
| SWE-Bench Verified | 80.6% |
| AA Intelligence Index v4.1 | 46 |
When to use 3.1 Pro
It is the right choice for complex reasoning, long-document analysis, research, and the hardest agentic coding tasks. Because Google has not updated the Pro tier since February, 3.1 Pro is likely to remain the flagship until 3.5 Pro finally clears testing.
Gemini 3.5 Flash and Flash-Lite: the mid-2026 workhorses
Gemini 3.5 Flash shipped at Google I/O on May 19, 2026, at $1.50 / $9.00 per 1M tokens with a 1M-token context window, and it notably beat 3.1 Pro on several coding and agentic benchmarks despite being a Flash model. It served as the everyday workhorse until 3.6 replaced it in July.
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite: the budget champion
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, released July 21 at $0.30 / $2.50 per 1M tokens, is the current budget champion. Google says it beats the older, larger Gemini 3 Flash outright on some evals, including SWE-Bench Pro and OSWorld-Verified, which makes it a strong price-to-performance pick for high-volume work.
| Model | Released | Price (in / out per 1M) | Context | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | May 19, 2026 | $1.50 / $9.00 | 1M | Beat 3.1 Pro on coding evals |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | Jul 21, 2026 | $0.30 / $2.50 | 1M | Cheapest current model |
Why the Flash pairing matters
The pairing is the point. Flash covers quality everyday work while Flash-Lite handles the high-volume, cost-sensitive jobs, and both hold a full million-token window. When 3.6 Flash arrived in July, it slotted in above 3.5 Flash while Flash-Lite stayed as the value floor.
Gemini 3.6 Flash: the current workhorse
Gemini 3.6 Flash is the newest release, live since July 21, 2026, in AI Studio, the Gemini API, and the Gemini app, with a 1M-token context window. It is an efficiency upgrade rather than a new frontier tier. It uses about 17% fewer output tokens than 3.5 Flash on the Artificial Analysis Index, with reductions up to 65% on some long-horizon engineering tasks.
Gemini 3.6 Flash pricing and benchmark gains
The price change matters and is often misreported. The cut is output-only, the output price dropped from $9.00 to $7.50 per 1M tokens while input stayed flat at $1.50. On benchmarks, DeepSWE rose from 37% to 49%, MLE-Bench from 49.7% to 63.9%, and OSWorld-Verified from 78.4% to 83.0%, per Google’s announcement. For a deeper look at this release, see our full Gemini 3.6 Flash breakdown.
| Spec | Gemini 3.6 Flash |
|---|---|
| Released | July 21, 2026 |
| Price | $1.50 / $7.50 per 1M (output cut from $9.00) |
| Context | 1M tokens |
| AA Intelligence Index v4.1 | 50 |
| DeepSWE | 37% to 49% |
| MLE-Bench | 49.7% to 63.9% |
| OSWorld-Verified | 78.4% to 83.0% |
Gemini API pricing compared (2026)
Pricing is where the tier split becomes practical. Flash and Flash-Lite are built for volume, while Pro costs more and is reserved for the tasks that justify it. The table below shows current API rates per 1 million tokens.
| Model | Input (per 1M) | Output (per 1M) | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | $1.50 | $7.50 | 1M |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | $1.50 | $9.00 | 1M |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | $0.30 | $2.50 | 1M |
| Gemini 3.1 Pro | $2.00 | $12.00 | 1M |
For most workloads, 3.6 Flash now delivers better results than 3.5 Flash at a lower output cost, so there is little reason to stay on the older model. If you are running huge volumes of simpler requests, 3.5 Flash-Lite cuts costs further while holding surprisingly strong quality.
Note that the Pro tier is metered by prompt size. The $2.00 / $12.00 rate covers prompts up to 200K tokens and doubles to $4.00 / $18.00 above that, which is why the flagship is reserved for work that genuinely needs it.
How Gemini appears in the app (Free, Plus, Pro, Ultra)
Most people never touch the API. Inside the Gemini app the models show up as consumer plans rather than version numbers, and which release you get depends on what you pay. The Free plan now runs Gemini 3.6 Flash by default with only limited access to the Pro reasoning model, while the paid tiers raise your usage limits and open up the heavier features.
| Plan | Price / month | Model access and features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Access to Gemini 3.6 Flash; varying access to 3.1 Pro |
| Google AI Plus | $4.99 | 2x higher limits than Free, video generation, Daily Brief |
| Google AI Pro | $19.99 | 4x higher limits, higher access to Gemini 3.1 Pro reasoning, Deep Research, agentic features, Gemini Spark in the US |
| Google AI Ultra | $99.99 to $199.99 | Highest 3.1 Pro access, Deep Think, Gemini Spark, Veo 3.1, up to 20x the Pro plan’s limits |
The practical read is simple. If you just want a fast, capable assistant, the Free plan and its 3.6 Flash engine cover most needs. Step up to AI Pro for heavier reasoning, Deep Research and, if you are in the US, the Gemini Spark agent. Only the AI Ultra plans add Deep Think, and outside the US Spark still needs Ultra. Spark is not offered at all in the EEA, the UK, Switzerland or Nigeria.
Gemini benchmarks compared
Benchmarks tell the same split-lineage story. On the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index v4.1, a composite of nine evaluations, the Flash models now edge out the older Pro. Both Gemini 3.5 Flash and Gemini 3.6 Flash score 50, while the flagship Gemini 3.1 Pro sits at 46 and the budget Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite lands at 36.
| Model | AA Intelligence Index (v4.1) | Output speed (tokens/sec) |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | 50 | Not yet listed |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | 50 | 189 |
| Gemini 3.1 Pro | 46 | 113 |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | 36 | 463 |
The flat 50 between 3.5 and 3.6 Flash is the key detail. Gemini 3.6’s real gains show up in efficiency and agentic coding rather than the composite score. As noted above, it posts double-digit jumps on DeepSWE and MLE-Bench while using about 17% fewer output tokens than 3.5 Flash. For raw speed, Flash-Lite is in another class at 463 tokens per second, versus 189 for 3.5 Flash and 113 for 3.1 Pro.
Benchmark progression across the Gemini family
Tracking a few key evals across releases shows the two tracks clearly. The Pro line climbs steadily on the hardest reasoning and coding tests, while the Flash line quietly catches the flagship on the composite index. Empty cells mean Google or Artificial Analysis has not published that number for the model.
| Benchmark | 2.5 Pro | 3 Pro | 3.1 Pro | 3.5 Flash | 3.6 Flash |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPQA Diamond | n/a | 91.9% | 94.3% | n/a | n/a |
| SWE-Bench Verified | 63.8% | 76.2% | 80.6% | n/a | n/a |
| AA Index v4.1 | n/a | n/a | 46 | 50 | 50 |
| DeepSWE | n/a | n/a | n/a | 37% | 49% |
Read down the Pro columns and the trend is a clean climb, GPQA Diamond from 91.9% to 94.3% and SWE-Bench Verified from 63.8% through 76.2% to 80.6%. Read across the bottom rows and you see why Flash gets the attention, it matches the flagship’s composite score of 46 to 50 while its agentic coding jumps sharply from 37% to 49% on DeepSWE. The Pro tier still owns peak reasoning, but Flash has closed most of the everyday gap.
Which Gemini model should you use?
For most people, Gemini 3.6 Flash is the right default. It is fast, cheap at $1.50 / $7.50 per 1M tokens, and handles coding and everyday tasks well. Step up to Gemini 3.1 Pro for the hardest reasoning and long-document work, and drop to Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite when cost matters most. The table below maps common jobs to the model that fits.
| Your task | Best model | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday chat and writing | Gemini 3.6 Flash | Fast, cheap, strong general quality |
| General coding | Gemini 3.6 Flash | Big agentic-coding gains (DeepSWE 49%) |
| Hardest reasoning and research | Gemini 3.1 Pro | Top scores, GPQA 94.3% and SWE 80.6% |
| Long-document analysis | Gemini 3.1 Pro | 1M context with the deepest reasoning |
| High-volume, budget work | Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | $0.30 / $2.50 and fastest at 463 tok/s |
| Security vulnerability work | Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber | Specialist tuned for CodeMender |
If your main job is programming, 3.6 Flash is the value pick and 3.1 Pro is the ceiling for the toughest problems. For a broader look at matching tasks to models across vendors, our guide on when to use which AI model covers the full field.
How Gemini stacks up against ChatGPT and Claude
Google’s strategy differs from its rivals. Instead of chasing a single maximum-benchmark flagship, it optimizes for practical versatility, multimodality, and deep integration across Search, Workspace, and Android. That is why the Flash tier gets so much attention, it is the model most people actually touch every day.
| Flagship | AA Index (v4.1) | Context / Output | Price (in / out per 1M) | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 3.1 Pro | 46 | 1M / 64K | $2.00 / $12.00 | Feb 2026 |
| GPT-5.6 Sol | 59 | 1.05M / 128K | $5.00 / $30.00 | Jul 2026 |
| Claude Opus 5 | 61 | 1M / 128K | $5.00 / $25.00 | Jul 2026 |
The gap is real but narrower than the raw scores suggest. Gemini 3.1 Pro trails GPT-5.6 Sol at 59 and Claude Opus 5 at 61 on the composite v4.1 index, yet it is also the cheapest of the three by a wide margin, roughly half the input price and well under half the output price. Google’s bet is that most work does not need the very top of the reasoning curve, and its Flash tier, scoring 50, closes most of that gap for everyday tasks at a fraction of the cost.
All three flagships now handle around a million tokens of context, so the real trade-off is reasoning depth and price rather than window size. One practical difference, OpenAI and Anthropic allow far longer single responses at 128K output tokens versus Gemini’s 64K, which matters for large code generation or long reports.
On raw frontier reasoning, 3.1 Pro competes with the top GPT-5.x and Claude models without leading the pack, while Flash punches above its price class. For the full cross-vendor picture, see our best AI models comparison and the deep-dive Gemini 3.5 review.
What’s next for Gemini (3.5 Pro and Gemini 4)
Two releases hang over the current lineup. The first is Gemini 3.5 Pro, still stuck in partner testing after Google missed its own internal goals, with the product team saying only that it hopes the model will “land soon.” When it ships, it will finally give the Pro tier its overdue update and likely reset the top of this comparison.
The second is Gemini 4. Alongside the July 2026 releases, Google confirmed it has begun its “most ambitious pre-training run yet,” a strong signal that the next full generation is in active development. No date has been announced, and 3.5 Pro is still expected to arrive first, so the two-track map is likely to persist for a while yet.
Use every top Gemini-class model without picking a version
The version maze is exactly the problem Fello AI removes. Instead of tracking which Flash or Pro release is current and juggling API tiers, you get access to frontier Gemini-class models alongside other leading systems in one app, and you simply pick the best answer.
For anyone who wants the power of models like Gemini without managing versions, keys, or pricing tables, Fello is a clean alternative or complement, starting at $9.99 a month. You can download Fello on the App Store and start using top-tier AI without the homework.
Conclusion
The honest Gemini model comparison for 2026 is a story of two tracks. Flash has sprinted to 3.6, cheaper and more efficient than ever, while Pro sits patiently at 3.1 waiting for 3.5 to clear testing. For nearly everyone, start with Gemini 3.6 Flash, step up to 3.1 Pro for the hardest work, and drop to 3.5 Flash-Lite when budget rules. With Gemini 4 already in pre-training, expect the map to shift again before long.
FAQ
Is there a Gemini 3.5 Pro?
No. As of July 2026, Gemini 3.5 Pro has not shipped. Google is still testing it with partners after internal delays, so the current flagship Pro model remains Gemini 3.1 Pro from February 2026. The Flash line, meanwhile, has advanced all the way to 3.6 Flash.
Which Gemini model should I use?
For most people, Gemini 3.6 Flash is the best default because it is fast, cheap, and strong at coding and everyday tasks. Choose Gemini 3.1 Pro for the hardest reasoning and long documents, and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite when you need the lowest cost.
What is the difference between Gemini 3.5 Flash and 3.6 Flash?
Gemini 3.6 Flash replaces 3.5 Flash as the workhorse. It uses about 17% fewer output tokens, cuts the output price from $9 to $7.50 per 1M while input stays at $1.50, and posts big coding gains such as DeepSWE rising from 37% to 49%. It is an efficiency upgrade, not a new frontier tier.
Which Gemini models do the app plans include?
The Free plan runs Gemini 3.6 Flash with limited access to 3.1 Pro. Google AI Pro at $19.99 raises limits and gives higher access to the Pro reasoning model plus Deep Research, and the AI Ultra plans, from $99.99 to $199.99, add Deep Think. Gemini Spark is on AI Pro in the US and needs Ultra elsewhere.
What is the cheapest Gemini model?
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, released July 21, 2026, is the cheapest current model at $0.30 input and $2.50 output per 1M tokens. Google says it beats the older Gemini 3 Flash on some coding and agentic benchmarks, making it strong value for high-volume work.
Is Gemini 4 coming?
Yes, it is in development. Alongside the July 2026 releases, Google confirmed it has started its most ambitious pre-training run yet for Gemini 4. No release date has been announced, and Gemini 3.5 Pro is still expected to arrive before then.
