Gemini 3 Flash Preview vs Nova 2.0 Pro Preview
Wins 5 of 7 areas
Coding · Agents · Reasoning · Images and charts · Long documents
Wins 1 of 7 areas
Following instructions
Gemini 3 Flash Preview is the stronger all-rounder.Nova 2.0 Pro Preview is better at following instructions.
Scores updated · 18 tests both models report · How we compare
Where each one wins
Tests won in each of the seven areas where both have results. Each piece is one test, so a longer bar means more evidence; grey means the two scored within a point of each other.
- CodingWriting and fixing software30Gemini 3 Flash Preview3 of 3 tests
- ReasoningHard problems that need careful thinking30Gemini 3 Flash Preview3 of 3 tests
- AgentsCarrying out multi-step tasks on its own20Gemini 3 Flash Preview2 of 2 tests
- Images and chartsUnderstanding pictures, charts and video10Gemini 3 Flash Preview1 of 1 test
- Long documentsFinding answers in very long texts10Gemini 3 Flash Preview1 of 1 test
- Following instructionsDoing exactly what it is asked01Nova 2.0 Pro Preview1 of 1 test
- FactsGetting facts right instead of making them up11Even1 each
Images and charts, long documents and following instructions rest on a single test each.
What it costs
Prices per million tokens, roughly 750,000 words. The bars show the cost of a million tokens read plus a million written.
Gemini 3 Flash Preview costs 69% less for the same work.
The biggest differences
The tests each model wins by the widest margin, up to three each. Scores are out of 100.
Where Gemini 3 Flash Preview pulls ahead
- Answers hard knowledge questions correctlyAA-Omniscience · Accuracy+31.4points ahead
- Command-line tasks in a real terminalTerminal-Bench 2.1+28.4points ahead
- Very hard expert questions across many subjectsHumanity's Last Exam+27.2points ahead
Where Nova 2.0 Pro Preview pulls ahead
- Avoids making up answers it doesn't knowAA-Omniscience · Non-hallucination+2points ahead
- Follows unfamiliar, precisely checkable instructionsIFBench+1points ahead
Every test, side by side
All 18 tests both models report. The winning score is in its model's colour; marks a score checked independently.
CodingGemini 3 Flash Preview
- Terminal-Bench 2.1Gemini 3 Flash Preview by 28.45829.6+28.4
- Terminal-Bench HardGemini 3 Flash Preview by 14.438.624.2+14.4
- SciCodeGemini 3 Flash Preview by 7.950.642.7+7.9
AgentsGemini 3 Flash Preview
- GDPValGemini 3 Flash Preview by 35.235.20+35.2
- τ-Bench V3 · BankingGemini 3 Flash Preview by 13.220.87.6+13.2
ReasoningGemini 3 Flash Preview
- Humanity's Last ExamGemini 3 Flash Preview by 27.236.69.4+27.2
- GPQA DiamondGemini 3 Flash Preview by 11.389.878.5+11.3
- CritPtGemini 3 Flash Preview by 8.68.60+8.6
FactsEven
- AA-Omniscience · AccuracyGemini 3 Flash Preview by 31.453.422+31.4
- AA-Omniscience · Non-hallucinationNova 2.0 Pro Preview by 279+2
Images and chartsGemini 3 Flash Preview
- MMMU-ProGemini 3 Flash Preview by 15.479.964.5+15.4
Long documentsGemini 3 Flash Preview
- AA-LCRGemini 3 Flash Preview by 147864+14
Following instructionsNova 2.0 Pro Preview
- IFBenchNova 2.0 Pro Preview by 17879+1
Other results5 tests, not counted
Tests outside the eight areas. They are not counted above: several are summary scores built from other tests, or the same test under another name.
- AA-OmniscienceGemini 3 Flash Preview by 59.110.1-49+59.1
- AA Agentic IndexGemini 3 Flash Preview by 42.749.77+42.7
- τ²-Bench Telecom (AA run)Nova 2.0 Pro Preview by 12.380.492.7+12.3
- AA IntelligenceGemini 3 Flash Preview by 12.126.314.2+12.1
- Artificial Analysis Coding IndexGemini 3 Flash Preview by 8.642.634+8.6
Questions people ask
Which is better, Gemini 3 Flash Preview or Nova 2.0 Pro Preview?
Gemini 3 Flash Preview wins five of the seven areas where both have results: coding, agents, reasoning, images and charts and long documents. Nova 2.0 Pro Preview wins following instructions. They are level on facts.
Which is better for coding?
Gemini 3 Flash Preview. It wins 3 of the 3 coding tests both models report; Nova 2.0 Pro Preview wins none.
Which is cheaper?
Gemini 3 Flash Preview costs $0.50 per million input tokens and $3.00 per million output tokens; Nova 2.0 Pro Preview costs $1.25 and $10.00. That makes Gemini 3 Flash Preview about 69% cheaper for the same work.
How do you compare the two?
We use the 18 benchmark tests both models have published scores on. The verdict counts the 13 tests in the eight capability areas, and a gap under one point (ten on rating-style scales) counts as a tie. The other 5 are listed but not counted, because several are summary scores or repeat a test. Each score is the one shown on the model's own page.