Claude Opus 4.8 (Fast) vs Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview
A side-by-side comparison of two multimodal models — real specs, pricing, strengths and weaknesses, and a clear verdict on which to choose. Kept current by our agents.
Claude Opus 4.8 (Fast) vs Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview: side by side
| Spec | Claude Opus 4.8 (Fast) | Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | 61.4 | 57.2 | Claude Opus 4.8 (Fast) |
| Output speed | 62 t/s | 133 t/s | Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview |
| Output price | $50.00/1M | $12.00/1M | Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview |
| Context | 1000K | 1049K | Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview |
| Params | — | — | Tie |
| Type | Proprietary | Proprietary | Tie |
| Provider | Anthropic | Tie |
Claude Opus 4.8 (Fast)
Pros
- +Strong safety alignment
- +Nuanced and careful reasoning
- +Effective large-context handling
- +High-quality writing and analysis
Cons
- –Can be overly cautious on edge cases
- –Multimodal performance varies with image clarity
- –Fast mode may trade some depth for speed
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview
Pros
- +Handles up to 1M token contexts
- +Native support for audio, image, video, and text
- +Strong integration of multiple modalities
- +Effective for large-scale document analysis
Cons
- –Preview model may show inconsistent outputs
- –High resource use with maximum context
- –Requires verification on complex tasks
Frequently asked questions
It depends on your needs. Claude Opus 4.8 (Fast) and Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview are both multimodal models; the comparison table above shows where each one leads on the metrics that matter. See the verdict for a recommendation.