Google’s Gemini line moved quickly in 2026. Gemini 3.5 Flash shipped in May, Gemini 3.6 Flash and 3.5 Flash-Lite in July, and Gemini 4 Argon appeared in October.
This page lists what is available, what it costs and which tier fits which job.
For the three-vendor comparison, see the AI model comparison for 2026. For every vendor’s releases, see latest AI models.
The current lineup
| Model | Listed | Context | Price (input / output) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 4 Argon | 13 Oct 2026 | 1.05M | $2 / $10 | Newest Gemini; positioning still emerging |
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | 21 Jul 2026 | 1.05M | $0.75 / $3.75 | Volume, multimodal, batch |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | 19 May 2026 | 1.05M | $1.50 / $9.00 | Previous Flash |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | 21 Jul 2026 | 1.05M | $0.30 / $2.50 | Cheapest tier |
Prices are list prices per million tokens. Batch tiers are generally half price.
Gemini 3.6 Flash: the value pick
Gemini 3.6 Flash launched at $0.75 / $3.75, half the launch price of Gemini 3.5 Flash at $1.50 / $9.00. For a 1M-context multimodal model, that is aggressive.
It handles text, image, audio and video in one model, which is still rare. If your pipeline mixes screenshots, documents and video, the alternative is usually stitching two or three models together.
Batch pricing is $0.375 / $1.875, which makes overnight classification and bulk summarisation cheap. The Gemini 3.6 Flash guide covers the use cases.
Gemini 4 Argon: promising but unproven
Gemini 4 Argon is the newest Gemini entry in public catalogues, listed at $2 / $10 with a 1.05M context window. Google teased Gemini 4 before Argon shipped, and further variants may follow.
We have not found published benchmark results for Argon that we could verify, so this page does not rank it against the other flagships. Treat it as promising, not proven, until independent evaluations exist.
Gemini 3.5 Flash and Flash-Lite
Gemini 3.5 Flash is the previous generation. It is still available at $1.50 / $9.00, which is now more expensive than its successor. Migrate unless you have a compatibility reason.
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite at $0.30 / $2.50 is the budget tier. Note the pricing confusion that followed its launch: some comparisons listed Flash at Flash-Lite prices. The correction is documented in the comparison page.
What changed in 2026
- May: Gemini 3.5 Flash shipped at $1.50 / $9.00.
- July: Gemini 3.6 Flash and 3.5 Flash-Lite shipped. Flash’s price halved.
- July: Google teased upcoming Gemini 4 in launch coverage.
- October: Gemini 4 Argon appeared in public catalogues at $2 / $10.
What Gemini is best at
- Cost per token. Gemini 3.6 Flash is the cheapest of the flagship-class models.
- Native multimodality. Text, image, audio and video in one model.
- Batch economics. Half-price batch suits bulk work.
- Speed. Flash models are built for low latency.
Where it trails
- Hardest coding. Claude Fable 5.1 has the stronger published scores.
- Long-horizon agents. Gemini is competitive, but the deepest benchmark results belong to Claude.
- Writing polish. Functional, but less refined than Fable or GPT for brand-sensitive copy.
- Computer use exclusivity. No longer a differentiator, because GPT-6.1 Terra now includes it.
Which one should you use?
| If you need… | Choose |
|---|---|
| Cheapest capable model | Gemini 3.6 Flash |
| Audio or video processing | Gemini 3.6 Flash |
| High-volume batch work | Gemini 3.6 Flash batch |
| The newest Gemini | Gemini 4 Argon, after testing |
| Absolute lowest cost | Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite |
How to evaluate Gemini 4 Argon
- Wait for published benchmarks or run your own.
- Compare it with Gemini 3.6 Flash on the same tasks.
- Check whether the price premium buys quality you can see.
- Confirm your SDK and tooling support it.
- Keep 3.6 Flash as the fallback.
FAQ
What is Google’s best Gemini model right now?
Gemini 4 Argon is the newest listed model. Gemini 3.6 Flash remains the best-documented value pick for volume and multimodal work.
Is Gemini 3.6 Flash cheaper than 3.5 Flash?
Yes. It launched at $0.75 / $3.75, half the $1.50 / $9.00 launch price of 3.5 Flash.
Does Gemini still have exclusive computer use?
No. Gemini 3.6 Flash supports computer use, but so does GPT-6.1 Terra.
Is Gemini 4 Argon worth switching to?
Not without evidence. Test it against 3.6 Flash on your own tasks before paying the higher per-token rate.
Next step
If you are choosing a Gemini tier for a product, our AI app development cost guide covers the build side. For a short evaluation, contact 24Bit System.
Related reading: Gemini 3.6 Flash and best AI model for agents.
