Gemini 3 Flash vs o4
Cheap, fast, 2M-token context. Meanwhile, o4: reasoning model. thinks before it speaks.
Side-by-side
Specs
| Dimension | Gemini 3 Flash | o4 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Google | OpenAI |
| Released | 2026-01 | 2025-09 |
| Context window | ✓2M | 200K |
| Output max | 32K | ✓100K |
| Input /M | ✓$0.30 | $15.00 |
| Output /M | ✓$1.20 | $60.00 |
| Modalities | ✓text, image, audio, video | text, image |
| Open weights | no | no |
Scorecard
Dimension-by-dimension
Gemini 3 Flash
o4
reasoning
7.0
10.0
coding
7.0
9.0
writing
7.0
7.0
speed
10.0
3.0
value
10.0
5.0
Verdict
Which wins, by use case
| Use case | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| coding | o4 | a clear edge on our weighted coding score |
| writing | Gemini 3 Flash | a coin flip on our weighted writing score |
| chat | Gemini 3 Flash | a decisive lead on our weighted chat score |
| agents | o4 | a clear edge on our weighted agents score |
| summarization | Gemini 3 Flash | a decisive lead on our weighted summarization score |
| translation | Gemini 3 Flash | a decisive lead on our weighted translation score |
| reasoning | o4 | a decisive lead on our weighted reasoning score |
| research | Gemini 3 Flash | a coin flip on our weighted research score |
| vision and multimodal | o4 | a coin flip on our weighted vision score |
| Cheapest AI models for bulk workloads | Gemini 3 Flash | a decisive lead on our weighted cheap-bulk score |
Bottom line
Our take
Pick Gemini 3 Flash if you need: unbeatable cost for the context window, very fast.
Pick o4 if you need: state-of-the-art math & science, complex planning.
At a 500M-input / 150M-output monthly volume, Gemini 3 Flash costs roughly $330 vs o4 at $16500. Use our calculator to plug in your own numbers.
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