Gemini 3.5 Flash 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 3.5 Flash if you need
- ✓Choose Gemini 3.5 Flash if you need maximum output speed above 180 tokens per second.
- ✓Choose Gemini 3.5 Flash if you need native audio and video processing alongside text and images.
- ✓Choose Gemini 3.5 Flash if you need the lowest output cost at $9 per million tokens.
- ✓Choose Gemini 3.5 Flash if you need strong multimodal versatility without sacrificing speed.
Choose GPT-5.5 if you need
- ✓Choose GPT-5.5 if you need native support for massive file uploads with images and text.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.5 if you need a context window slightly above 1 million tokens for document-heavy tasks.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.5 if you need flexible multimodal workflows focused on files rather than video or audio.
Verdict
Gemini 3.5 Flash leads with higher intelligence (45.4 vs 43.5), far greater speed (182.7 t/s vs 66.52 t/s), and lower price ($9 vs $30 per 1M tokens) while adding native audio and video support. GPT-5.5 counters with a marginally larger context window and native file handling suited to document workflows. Overall, Gemini 3.5 Flash wins on efficiency and breadth of modalities; GPT-5.5 wins only on niche file-centric tasks.
Gemini 3.5 Flash vs GPT-5.5: side by side
| Spec | Gemini 3.5 Flash | GPT-5.5 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | 45.4 | 43.5 | Gemini 3.5 Flash |
| Output speed | 184 t/s | 72 t/s | Gemini 3.5 Flash |
| Output price | $9.00/1M | $30.00/1M | Gemini 3.5 Flash |
| Context | 1049K | 1050K | GPT-5.5 |
| Params | — | — | Tie |
| Provider | OpenAI | Tie |
Detailed analysis
Intelligence
Winner: Gemini 3.5 FlashGemini 3.5 Flash scores 45.4 on the intelligence index compared with GPT-5.5 at 43.5. This gives Gemini a measurable edge on general reasoning tasks. Both models remain proprietary with unknown parameter counts.
Speed
Winner: Gemini 3.5 FlashGemini 3.5 Flash delivers 182.7 tokens per second while GPT-5.5 reaches only 66.52 tokens per second. The speed gap favors Gemini for latency-sensitive multimodal applications. GPT-5.5's larger context can further increase latency on long inputs.
Pricing
Winner: Gemini 3.5 FlashGemini 3.5 Flash costs $9 per million output tokens versus $30 for GPT-5.5. This makes Gemini more than three times cheaper on output volume. Both models share similar proprietary licensing models from their respective providers.
Multimodal Capabilities
Winner: Gemini 3.5 FlashGemini 3.5 Flash natively handles text, image, video, and audio. GPT-5.5 supports files, images, and text but lacks native audio or video. Context windows are nearly identical at 1,048,576 versus 1,050,000 tokens.
Gemini 3.5 Flash
Pros
- +High speed and efficiency
- +Strong multimodal integration
- +Large context window support
Cons
- –Trades depth for speed on complex tasks
- –Variable performance on specialized domains
- –Context utilization depends on task
GPT-5.5
Pros
- +Extremely large context window
- +Native support for files and images
- +Flexible multimodal workflows
Cons
- –No native audio or video support
- –Large context may increase latency
- –Performance depends on input quality across modalities
Summary: Gemini 3.5 Flash vs GPT-5.5
Select Gemini 3.5 Flash for speed-critical, cost-sensitive, or audio-video multimodal work. Choose GPT-5.5 only when native large-file handling outweighs its slower speed and higher price. The data favor Gemini 3.5 Flash on most measurable dimensions.
Frequently asked questions
Gemini 3.5 Flash is better overall because it combines higher intelligence, much faster output, lower cost, and broader modality support including audio and video.