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HEAD TO HEAD · UPDATED NOV 6, 2026
Gemini 4 Argon vs Gemini 3.8 Flash
Two Google DeepMind models, 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 4 Argon | Gemini 3.8 Flash | |
|---|---|---|
| Arena Elo | 1520 source ↗ | 1496 source ↗ |
| GPQA Diamond | 96.4% source ↗ | 95.4% source ↗ |
| $ per 1M in / out | $2 / $10 source ↗ | $0.75 / $3.75 source ↗ |
| Blended $ per 1M (3:1) | $4.00 source ↗ | $1.50 source ↗ |
| Context window | 1M source ↗ | 1M source ↗ |
| Output speed | 74 tok/s source ↗ | 117 tok/s source ↗ |
| Released | Oct 13, 2026 source ↗ | Sep 2, 2026 source ↗ |
| Open weights | No source ↗ | No source ↗ |
| Reasoning effort tiers | low · medium · high (default: medium) | low · medium · high (default: medium) |
| API effort control | thinking_config={"thinking_level": "low" | "medium" | "high"} source ↗ | thinking_config={"thinking_level": "low" | "medium" | "high"} source ↗ |
| Additional benchmarks | DeepSWE v1.1: 77.9% source ↗ AA Intelligence Index v5.0.1: 50 (High) source ↗ | DeepSWE v1.1: 73.7% source ↗ |
| Best for (workload) | Highest GPQA Diamond score we track (96.4%, Epoch AI) and the top Arena Text score among models you can use today (1520). source ↗ | 95.4% on GPQA Diamond (Epoch AI) and 117 tok/s output (Artificial Analysis) at a Flash-tier price. 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 2.7 times cheaper per token. For overall answer quality as rated by people in blind tests, Gemini 4 Argon leads clearly (1520 vs 1496 Arena Elo). For latency-sensitive use such as live chat, Gemini 3.8 Flash is noticeably faster (117 vs 74 tokens per second). Both are Google DeepMind models. Google DeepMind is at day 24 of a typical ~32-day gap between releases (MID-CYCLE).
Key differences from the sourced numbers
- Gemini 3.8 Flash is the cheaper option: $1.50 vs $4.00 per 1M tokens at a 3:1 input-to-output mix (about 2.7 times less).
- Gemini 4 Argon scores 24 Elo points higher (1520 vs 1496) on the Arena text leaderboard, where people vote on blind side-by-side answers.
- On GPQA Diamond they are close (96.4% vs 95.4%).
- Gemini 3.8 Flash streams output faster: 117 vs 74 tokens per second (Artificial Analysis).
- Gemini 4 Argon pricing note: Introductory price until Nov 30, 2026; $4 / $20 from Dec 1. No higher rate for long prompts.
- Gemini 3.8 Flash pricing note: Until Dec 31, 2026; $1.50 / $7.50 from Jan 1, 2027. No higher rate for long prompts.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gemini 4 Argon or Gemini 3.8 Flash better?
Gemini 3.8 Flash is the cheaper option: $1.50 vs $4.00 per 1M tokens at a 3:1 input-to-output mix (about 2.7 times less). Gemini 4 Argon scores 24 Elo points higher (1520 vs 1496) on the Arena text leaderboard, where people vote on blind side-by-side answers. On GPQA Diamond they are close (96.4% vs 95.4%). Gemini 3.8 Flash streams output faster: 117 vs 74 tokens per second (Artificial Analysis). Gemini 4 Argon pricing note: Introductory price until Nov 30, 2026; $4 / $20 from Dec 1. No higher rate for long prompts. Gemini 3.8 Flash pricing note: Until Dec 31, 2026; $1.50 / $7.50 from Jan 1, 2027. No higher rate for long prompts.
Which one should I use: Gemini 4 Argon or Gemini 3.8 Flash?
For high-volume work where cost matters most, Gemini 3.8 Flash is about 2.7 times cheaper per token. For overall answer quality as rated by people in blind tests, Gemini 4 Argon leads clearly (1520 vs 1496 Arena Elo). For latency-sensitive use such as live chat, Gemini 3.8 Flash is noticeably faster (117 vs 74 tokens per second). Both are Google DeepMind models. Google DeepMind is at day 24 of a typical ~32-day gap between releases (MID-CYCLE).
How much does Gemini 4 Argon cost compared with Gemini 3.8 Flash?
Gemini 4 Argon lists at $2 / $10 per 1M input/output tokens ($4.00/1M blended at 3:1). Gemini 3.8 Flash lists at $0.75 / $3.75 per 1M input/output tokens ($1.50/1M blended at 3:1).
Facts checked Nov 5, 2026 against official sources. Every number links to its source. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].