Prices › Hot models › Gemini
Gemini API pricing, free access & setup
As of 2026-10-17, we track 10 Gemini models (Google Gemini). The cheapest is Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite: $0.1 / $0.4 per 1M input/output tokens via the official API (blended $0.175). On OpenRouter's weekly ranking (as of 2026-10-16) the Gemini family routed about 1.9T tokens, #9 among our 10 hot families. 3 verified free/deal routes are listed.
Conclusions & evidence
| Topic | Conclusion | Channel | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Cheapest overall: Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite, $0.1 / $0.4 per 1M input/output | Official (Intl) | ai.google.dev | 2026-10-17 09:45 UTC+8 |
| Region | Mainland direct: no | Official (Intl) | ai.google.dev | 2026-10-17 |
| Payment | Alipay: unverified; overseas card: unverified | Official (Intl) | ai.google.dev | 2026-10-17 |
| Real-name | ID verification: unverified | Official (Intl) | ai.google.dev | 2026-10-17 |
| Region | Mainland direct: no; provider excludes CN/HK/MO (Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite) | OpenRouter | ai.google.dev | 2026-10-17 11:29 UTC+8 |
| Payment | Alipay: yes; overseas card: not required | OpenRouter | verified | 2026-10-17 |
| Real-name | ID verification: not required | OpenRouter | verified | 2026-10-17 |
Each conclusion is tied to one channel, one source link and a check time; “verified” means checked by the site owner, conclusion only.
Last updated: 2026-10-17 · Google Gemini · Official pricing
Contents: Evidence · Prices · Free & deals · China · Setup · Benchmark · Changes · FAQ
Gemini API prices, all channels (per 1M tokens)
| Model | Channel | Blended | Input | Output | Cached | This channel | Native | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite | Official (Intl) | $0.175 | $0.1 | $0.4 | $0.01 | ✗CN direct?Alipay·unverified?ID·unverified?Intl card·unverified | $0.1 / $0.4 | ai.google.dev 2026-10-17 |
| Gemma 4 31B | OpenRouter | $0.205 | $0.14 | $0.4 | $0.14 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $0.14 / $0.4 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | Official (Intl) | $0.85 | $0.3 | $2.5 | $0.03 | ✗CN direct?Alipay·unverified?ID·unverified?Intl card·unverified | $0.3 / $2.5 | ai.google.dev 2026-10-17 |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | OpenRouter | $0.85 | $0.3 | $2.5 | $0.03 | ✗CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $0.3 / $2.5 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash | Official (Intl) | $0.85 | $0.3 | $2.5 | $0.03 | ✗CN direct?Alipay·unverified?ID·unverified?Intl card·unverified | $0.3 / $2.5 | ai.google.dev 2026-10-17 |
| Gemini 3.8 Flash | Official (Intl) | $1.5 | $0.75 | $3.75 | $0.075 | ✗CN direct?Alipay·unverified?ID·unverified?Intl card·unverified | $0.75 / $3.75 | ai.google.dev 2026-10-17 |
| Gemini 3.8 Flash | OpenRouter | $1.5 | $0.75 | $3.75 | $0.075 | ✗CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $0.75 / $3.75 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | Official (Intl) | $1.5 | $0.75 | $3.75 | $0.075 | ✗CN direct?Alipay·unverified?ID·unverified?Intl card·unverified | $0.75 / $3.75 | ai.google.dev 2026-10-17 |
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | OpenRouter | $1.5 | $0.75 | $3.75 | $0.075 | ✗CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $0.75 / $3.75 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| Gemini 2.5 Pro | Official (Intl) | $3.44 | $1.25 | $10 | $0.125 | ✗CN direct?Alipay·unverified?ID·unverified?Intl card·unverified | $1.25 / $10 | ai.google.dev 2026-10-17 |
| Gemini 4 Argon | Official (Intl) | $4 | $2 | $10 | $0.1 | ✗CN direct?Alipay·unverified?ID·unverified?Intl card·unverified | $2 / $10 | ai.google.dev 2026-10-17 |
| Gemini 4 Argon | OpenRouter | $4 | $2 | $10 | $0.1 | ✗CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $2 / $10 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview | Official (Intl) | $4.5 | $2 | $12 | $0.2 | ✗CN direct?Alipay·unverified?ID·unverified?Intl card·unverified | $2 / $12 | ai.google.dev 2026-10-17 |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash-LiteDeprecated · shutdown no earlier than 2027-05-07 | Official (Intl) | $0.563 | $0.25 | $1.5 | $0.025 | ✗CN direct?Alipay·unverified?ID·unverified?Intl card·unverified | $0.25 / $1.5 | ai.google.dev 2026-10-17 |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | OpenRouter | $0.563 | $0.25 | $1.5 | $0.025 | ✗CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $0.25 / $1.5 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
Blended = 0.75×input + 0.25×output. Relay prices not yet tracked. Methodology
Retired, deprecated or OpenRouter-expiring names are not ranked: Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite（Deprecated · shutdown no earlier than 2027-05-07）. Their prices remain on the model pages and in the main table.Rule
How to use Gemini for free & current deals
| Details | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
Gemini API free tier covers 3.8 Flash, 3.6 Flash, 3.5 Flash-Lite, 2.5 family (rate-limited; data may be used to improve Google products; 4 Argon excluded)
Free-tier data is used to improve Google products. | active | official link 2026-10-17 |
Gemini 4 Argon intro price $2/$10 until 2026-11-30, then $4/$20
| active | official link 2026-10-17 |
Gemini 3.8 Flash $0.75/$3.75 until 2026-12-31, doubles from 2027-01-01
| active | official link 2026-10-17 |
All free LLM APIs → · Submit a deal
Using Gemini from China
| Channel | Access & payment | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official (Intl) | ✗CN direct?Alipay·unverified?ID·unverified?Intl card·unverified | Mainland China / HK not on the Gemini API available-regions list (verified). | ai.google.dev 2026-10-17 |
| OpenRouter | ✗CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | OpenRouter: no ID verification required; Alipay accepted, as are major credit cards and USDC, so no overseas card is needed. Mainland direct use: no. Google Gemini API's official supported-regions list does not include mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau, and OpenRouter Terms §5.7 bar users in a provider's restricted regions from accessing such Restricted Models via OpenRouter (including via VPN/proxy). | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
Use Gemini in Claude Code / Codex / OpenCode / CC Switch
Google Gemini setup for Claude Code / Codex: to be verified. Codex only supports the Responses API (wire_api = "responses"); provider/OpenRouter support not yet verified. Note: Google Gemini's official supported regions exclude mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, and under OpenRouter Terms §5.7 users there cannot use Gemini models via OpenRouter either. Source · 2026-10-17
Claude Code · Codex · OpenCode · CC Switch · Cline
Gemini benchmarks & popularity
| Model | Intelligence | Coding | Agentic | AA variant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemma 4 31B | 14.7 | 43.4 | 4.2 | Gemma 4 31B (Reasoning) |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | 22.2 | 49.3 | 14.3 | Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite |
| Gemini 3.8 Flash | 40.9 | 76.3 | 40.2 | Gemini 3.8 Flash (High) |
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | 34 | 69.2 | 29 | Gemini 3.6 Flash (High) |
| Gemini 4 Argon | 52.6 | — | — | Gemini 4 Argon (High) |
Source: Artificial Analysis indices as shown in the Benchmarks section of OpenRouter rankings, fetched 2026-10-17; higher is better; test variant in the last column. Models not listed have no score from this source. openrouter.ai/rankings · artificialanalysis.ai
OpenRouter weekly ranking (tokens)
- #19
google/gemini-3.8-flash-20260902· 1.9T tokens
Source: OpenRouter (openrouter.ai/rankings), as of 2026-10-16; reflects OpenRouter routing volume only. openrouter.ai/rankings
Gemini price changes
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · Gemma 4 31B cached: $null → $0.14 (OpenRouter basis change: model list price → Crusoe (third-party host); not a provider price change)
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · Gemma 4 31B input: $0.2 → $0.14 (OpenRouter basis change: model list price → Crusoe (third-party host); not a provider price change)
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · Gemini 3.8 Flash cached: $0.0825 → $0.075 (OpenRouter basis change: model list price → Google AI Studio (original vendor); not a provider price change)
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · Gemini 3.8 Flash output: $4.125 → $3.75 (OpenRouter basis change: model list price → Google AI Studio (original vendor); not a provider price change)
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · Gemini 3.8 Flash input: $0.825 → $0.75 (OpenRouter basis change: model list price → Google AI Studio (original vendor); not a provider price change)
- 2026-10-17 · Official (Intl) · Gemini 4 Argon: Google: from 2026-12-01 input $2→$4, output $10→$20
- 2026-10-17 · Official (Intl) · Gemini 3.8 Flash: Google: from 2027-01-01 input $0.75→$1.50, output $3.75→$7.50
- 2026-10-17 · Official (Intl) · Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite listed · $0.1 / $0.4
- 2026-10-17 · Official (Intl) · Gemini 2.5 Flash listed · $0.3 / $2.5
- 2026-10-17 · Official (Intl) · Gemini 2.5 Pro listed · $1.25 / $10
- 2026-10-17 · Official (Intl) · Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview listed · $2 / $12
- 2026-10-17 · Official (Intl) · Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite listed · $0.25 / $1.5
- 2026-10-17 · Official (Intl) · Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite listed · $0.3 / $2.5
- 2026-10-17 · Official (Intl) · Gemini 3.6 Flash listed · $0.75 / $3.75
- 2026-10-17 · Official (Intl) · Gemini 3.8 Flash listed · $0.75 / $3.75
- 2026-10-17 · Official (Intl) · Gemini 4 Argon listed · $2 / $10
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · Gemma 4 31B listed · $0.2 / $0.4
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite listed · $0.25 / $1.5
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · Gemini 3.6 Flash listed · $0.75 / $3.75
Gemini vs others
Gemini 4 Argon vs GPT-6.1 Sol · Gemini 3.8 Flash vs GPT-6 Luna · Claude Haiku 5.5 vs Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite · Claude Sonnet 5.5 vs Gemini 4 Argon ·
FAQ
How much does the Gemini API cost?
As of 2026-10-17, the cheapest is Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite at $0.1 / $0.4 per 1M input/output tokens (Official (Intl)). See the table for all models, each with a source.
What is the official Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite price?
Official (Official (Intl)): $0.1 / $0.4 per 1M input/output tokens, cached $0.01, verified 2026-10-17.
What is the official Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite price?
Official (Official (Intl)): $0.3 / $2.5 per 1M input/output tokens, cached $0.03, verified 2026-10-17.
Is the Gemini API free?
3 verified free/deal routes: Gemini API free tier covers 3.8 Flash, 3.6 Flash, 3.5 Flash-Lite, 2.5 family (rate-limited; data may be used to improve Google products; 4 Argon excluded); Gemini 4 Argon intro price $2/$10 until 2026-11-30, then $4/$20; Gemini 3.8 Flash $0.75/$3.75 until 2026-12-31, doubles from 2027-01-01.
Can I use Gemini from mainland China?
Official (Intl): direct no, Alipay unverified, ID required unverified, overseas card unverified; OpenRouter: direct no, Alipay yes, ID required no, overseas card no. Conditions are verified per channel; sources and check times are in the Conclusions & evidence table.
How do I use Gemini in Claude Code?
We have not verified an Anthropic-compatible endpoint for Google Gemini.
How does Gemini score on benchmarks?
Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (via OpenRouter rankings, 2026-10-17): Gemma 4 31B 14.7, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite 22.2, Gemini 3.8 Flash 40.9, Gemini 3.6 Flash 34.
How do I use Gemini in Codex CLI?
To be verified: Codex only supports the Responses API; support by Google Gemini or OpenRouter is not yet verified.
How popular is Gemini?
On OpenRouter's weekly ranking (as of 2026-10-16) the Gemini family routed ~1.9T tokens. This reflects OpenRouter routing volume only.
Are there cheaper alternatives to Gemini?
See the home table sorted by blended price and our cheapest-LLM-API ranking.
Other hot models
DeepSeek · GLM (Zhipu) · Step (StepFun) · Hunyuan / HY (Tencent) · MiMo (Xiaomi) · Claude · GPT (OpenAI) · Kimi (Moonshot) · Qwen ·