# Gemini 3.6 Flash vs Gemini 3.8 Flash

Gemini 3.8 Flash is one of Google's newest models and Gemini 3.6 Flash an earlier one, so this is also what moving up costs or saves. Gemini 3.6 Flash and Gemini 3.8 Flash charge the same per token: $0.75 per million tokens read and $3.75 per million written. The bill can still differ, because the same text can be a different number of tokens on each. Below are both price lists, 8 everyday jobs priced on each, and the count for one text.

- Page, with a calculator for your own job: https://tecyfy.com/prices/compare/gemini-3-6-flash-vs-gemini-3-8-flash
- Makers: Gemini 3.6 Flash from Google, Gemini 3.8 Flash from Google

## Price per million tokens, in US dollars

| | Gemini 3.6 Flash | Gemini 3.8 Flash |
| --- | --: | --: |
| Input | $0.75 | $0.75 |
| Cached input | $0.075 | $0.075 |
| Cache write | not listed | not listed |
| Output | $3.75 | $3.75 |
| Blend, 3 read for each 1 written | $1.50 | $1.50 |
| Batch input | not listed | not listed |
| Batch output | not listed | not listed |
| Context window, tokens | 1.05M | 1.05M |
| Capability score (Epoch Capabilities Index; GPT-5 is 150) | 154 | 157 |
| Longest answer, tokens | 66K | 66K |

Gemini 3.6 Flash: Until 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027 it is $1.50 in, $7.50 out and $0.15 cached.

Gemini 3.8 Flash: Until 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027 it is $1.50 in, $7.50 out and $0.15 cached.

## What 8 everyday jobs cost a month on each

Each job at its usual runs a day, for 30 days, at the standard price.

| Job | Tokens in, out, runs a day | Gemini 3.6 Flash | Gemini 3.8 Flash |
| --- | --- | --: | --: |
| A chat question | 300, 500, 100 | $6.30 | $6.30 |
| A hard question, with thinking | 300, 1,400, 100 | $16.43 | $16.43 |
| A long report, summarised | 60,000, 2,000, 20 | $31.50 | $31.50 |
| A 40-turn agent task | 2,800,000, 40,000, 10 | $165 | $165 |
| A support bot's reply | 4,000, 300, 2,000 | $166 | $166 |
| Sort a message into a category | 250, 5, 50,000 | $309 | $309 |
| Read an invoice into fields | 1,500, 250, 1,000 | $61.88 | $61.88 |
| Review a pull request | 25,000, 4,500, 50 | $53.44 | $53.44 |

## Questions

### Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.6 Flash or Gemini 3.8 Flash?

Per token, neither: both charge $0.75 per million tokens read and $3.75 per million written. The same text can still be a different number of tokens on each, so the bills can differ.

### Which is better, Gemini 3.6 Flash or Gemini 3.8 Flash?

On the Epoch Capabilities Index, an independent score from Epoch AI that combines over 50 benchmarks, Gemini 3.8 Flash scores 157 and Gemini 3.6 Flash 154, above the top of the range of doubt around Gemini 3.6 Flash's score (GPT-5 is 150). One score is an average; test both on your own work before you switch.

### What does an AI agent task cost on Gemini 3.6 Flash and Gemini 3.8 Flash?

One 40-turn task that reads 2,800,000 tokens in all, 90 percent of them from cache, and writes 40,000, costs 55 cents on Gemini 3.6 Flash and 55 cents on Gemini 3.8 Flash. At 10 tasks a day that is $165 and $165 a month.

### Which has the larger context window, Gemini 3.6 Flash or Gemini 3.8 Flash?

Neither: both hold 1.05M tokens at once, about 1,572.9 pages of English text.

### Does the same text take the same number of tokens on Gemini 3.6 Flash and Gemini 3.8 Flash?

Yes, both are counted the same way: our lesson "How AI writes", 1,700 words long, is about 2,200 tokens on each.

### Is it cheaper to move from Gemini 3.6 Flash to Gemini 3.8 Flash?

Per token it costs the same: $0.75 per million tokens read and $3.75 written on both. The newer model may still use a different number of tokens for the same work.

### Can I pay less on Gemini 3.6 Flash and Gemini 3.8 Flash for work that can wait?

Not with a batch price: neither maker's price page lists one for these models. A cache still lowers the price of text the model reads again.

## Sources

- [Google: API prices](https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/pricing)
- [Epoch Capabilities Index, by Epoch AI (CC BY 4.0)](https://epoch.ai/benchmarks/eci)

## Other comparisons

- [Gemini 3.6 Flash vs Gemini 4 Argon](https://tecyfy.com/prices/compare/gemini-3-6-flash-vs-gemini-4-argon.md)
- [Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs Gemini 3.6 Flash](https://tecyfy.com/prices/compare/gemini-3-5-flash-lite-vs-gemini-3-6-flash.md)
- [Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview vs Gemini 3.8 Flash](https://tecyfy.com/prices/compare/gemini-3-1-pro-preview-vs-gemini-3-8-flash.md)
- [Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite vs Gemini 3.8 Flash](https://tecyfy.com/prices/compare/gemini-3-1-flash-lite-vs-gemini-3-8-flash.md)
- [Gemini 3.8 Flash vs Gemini 3 Flash Preview](https://tecyfy.com/prices/compare/gemini-3-8-flash-vs-gemini-3-flash-preview.md)
- [Gemini 2.5 Pro vs Gemini 3.8 Flash](https://tecyfy.com/prices/compare/gemini-2-5-pro-vs-gemini-3-8-flash.md)