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HEAD TO HEAD · UPDATED NOV 6, 2026
Gemini 3.8 Flash vs Grok 4.7
Google DeepMind against xAI, on sourced numbers only. Green marks the higher (or cheaper) value on each row; the text below only calls a lead when the gap is bigger than measurement noise.
| Gemini 3.8 Flash | Grok 4.7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Arena Elo | 1496 source ↗ | 1441 source ↗ |
| GPQA Diamond | 95.4% source ↗ | not published |
| $ per 1M in / out | $0.75 / $3.75 source ↗ | $2 / $6 source ↗ |
| Blended $ per 1M (3:1) | $1.50 source ↗ | $3.00 source ↗ |
| Context window | 1M source ↗ | 500K source ↗ |
| Output speed | 117 tok/s source ↗ | 72 tok/s source ↗ |
| Released | Sep 2, 2026 source ↗ | Sep 21, 2026 source ↗ |
| Open weights | No source ↗ | No source ↗ |
| Reasoning effort tiers | low · medium · high (default: medium) | low · medium · high · xhigh (default: high) |
| API effort control | thinking_config={"thinking_level": "low" | "medium" | "high"} source ↗ | reasoning_effort="low" | "medium" | "high" | "xhigh" source ↗ |
| Additional benchmarks | DeepSWE v1.1: 73.7% source ↗ | DeepSWE v1.1: 71.0% source ↗ CursorBench 4.0: 46.3% source ↗ AA Intelligence Index v5.0.1: 35 (xhigh) source ↗ |
| Best for (workload) | 95.4% on GPQA Diamond (Epoch AI) and 117 tok/s output (Artificial Analysis) at a Flash-tier price. source ↗ | xAI's flagship. Reasoning is always on and cannot be turned off; 500K context; 71.0% on DeepSWE v1.1 (xAI). source ↗ |
Arena Elo from the arena.ai text leaderboard as of Oct 27, 2026 source ↗. Speed measured by Artificial Analysis and varies by provider.
Which one should I use?
For high-volume work where cost matters most, Gemini 3.8 Flash is about 2.0 times cheaper per token. For overall answer quality as rated by people in blind tests, Gemini 3.8 Flash leads clearly (1496 vs 1441 Arena Elo). For latency-sensitive use such as live chat, Gemini 3.8 Flash is noticeably faster (117 vs 72 tokens per second). On release timing, Google DeepMind is at day 24 of a typical ~32-day gap (MID-CYCLE), and xAI is at day 46 of a typical ~46-day gap (PAST TYPICAL GAP).
Key differences from the sourced numbers
- Gemini 3.8 Flash is the cheaper option: $1.50 vs $3.00 per 1M tokens at a 3:1 input-to-output mix (about 2.0 times less).
- Gemini 3.8 Flash scores 55 Elo points higher (1496 vs 1441) on the Arena text leaderboard, where people vote on blind side-by-side answers.
- Gemini 3.8 Flash streams output faster: 117 vs 72 tokens per second (Artificial Analysis).
- Gemini 3.8 Flash pricing note: Until Dec 31, 2026; $1.50 / $7.50 from Jan 1, 2027. No higher rate for long prompts.
- Grok 4.7 pricing note: Prompts under 200K tokens; $4 / $12 above 200K.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gemini 3.8 Flash or Grok 4.7 better?
Gemini 3.8 Flash is the cheaper option: $1.50 vs $3.00 per 1M tokens at a 3:1 input-to-output mix (about 2.0 times less). Gemini 3.8 Flash scores 55 Elo points higher (1496 vs 1441) on the Arena text leaderboard, where people vote on blind side-by-side answers. Gemini 3.8 Flash streams output faster: 117 vs 72 tokens per second (Artificial Analysis). Gemini 3.8 Flash pricing note: Until Dec 31, 2026; $1.50 / $7.50 from Jan 1, 2027. No higher rate for long prompts. Grok 4.7 pricing note: Prompts under 200K tokens; $4 / $12 above 200K.
Which one should I use: Gemini 3.8 Flash or Grok 4.7?
For high-volume work where cost matters most, Gemini 3.8 Flash is about 2.0 times cheaper per token. For overall answer quality as rated by people in blind tests, Gemini 3.8 Flash leads clearly (1496 vs 1441 Arena Elo). For latency-sensitive use such as live chat, Gemini 3.8 Flash is noticeably faster (117 vs 72 tokens per second). On release timing, Google DeepMind is at day 24 of a typical ~32-day gap (MID-CYCLE), and xAI is at day 46 of a typical ~46-day gap (PAST TYPICAL GAP).
How much does Gemini 3.8 Flash cost compared with Grok 4.7?
Gemini 3.8 Flash lists at $0.75 / $3.75 per 1M input/output tokens ($1.50/1M blended at 3:1). Grok 4.7 lists at $2 / $6 per 1M input/output tokens ($3.00/1M blended at 3:1).
Facts checked Nov 5, 2026 against official sources. Every number links to its source. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].