Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview vs GPT-5.5
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.
Quick verdict: which should you choose?
Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview if you need
- ✓Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview if you need maximum output speed above 300 tokens per second.
- ✓Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview if you need native video and audio handling alongside text and files.
- ✓Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview if you need the lowest price at $1.5 per million tokens.
- ✓Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview if you need a very large context window optimized for lightweight, fast document and media tasks.
Choose GPT-5.5 if you need
- ✓Choose GPT-5.5 if you need the highest intelligence index of 50.8.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.5 if you need flexible multimodal workflows focused on files and images.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.5 if you need suitability for document-heavy tasks with massive text and image inputs.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.5 if you need a slightly larger context window of 1,050,000 tokens.
Verdict
GPT-5.5 leads decisively on intelligence (50.8 vs 33.5) while Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview dominates speed (310 t/s vs 59 t/s) and price ($1.5 vs $30 per million tokens). Gemini also offers native video and audio support that GPT-5.5 lacks. Context windows are nearly identical, so the choice hinges on whether raw capability or efficient multimodal throughput matters more.
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview vs GPT-5.5: side by side
| Spec | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview | GPT-5.5 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | 33.5 | 50.8 | GPT-5.5 |
| Output speed | 310 t/s | 60 t/s | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview |
| Output price | $1.50/1M | $30.00/1M | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview |
| Context | 1049K | 1050K | GPT-5.5 |
| Params | — | — | Tie |
| Type | Proprietary | Proprietary | Tie |
| Provider | OpenAI | Tie |
Detailed analysis
Intelligence
Winner: GPT-5.5GPT-5.5 scores 50.8 on the intelligence index compared to Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview's 33.5. This gap indicates stronger reasoning and task performance for GPT-5.5. The difference is the clearest single advantage for the OpenAI model.
Speed
Winner: Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite PreviewGemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview delivers 310.24 tokens per second versus GPT-5.5's 59.61. The Lite design prioritizes throughput for large-context workloads. GPT-5.5's slower speed aligns with its higher intelligence focus.
Pricing
Winner: Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite PreviewGemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview costs $1.5 per million tokens while GPT-5.5 costs $30 per million tokens. The twenty-fold price difference favors Gemini for high-volume use. Both are proprietary models from major providers.
Multimodal Capabilities
Winner: Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite PreviewGemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview provides unified native support for video, audio, and files. GPT-5.5 supports files and images but explicitly lacks native audio or video. Context sizes are effectively tied at roughly 1 million tokens.
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview
Pros
- +Broad native support for multiple modalities
- +Very large context window for document and media tasks
- +Lightweight design optimized for speed
- +Unified handling of video, audio and files
Cons
- –Preview model may show inconsistent behavior
- –Lite variant trades depth for efficiency
- –Experimental features can be less reliable than stable releases
GPT-5.5
Pros
- +Extremely large context window
- +Native support for files and images
- +Flexible multimodal workflows
- +Suitable for document-heavy tasks
Cons
- –No native audio or video support
- –Large context may increase latency
- –Performance depends on input quality across modalities
Summary: Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview vs GPT-5.5
Select Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview when speed, cost, and broad modality coverage are priorities. Choose GPT-5.5 when maximum intelligence for complex multimodal reasoning is required. The models trade off capability against efficiency in nearly every measured dimension.
Frequently asked questions
GPT-5.5 is stronger on intelligence while Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview wins on speed, price, and audio/video support; neither is universally better.