Gemini 3 Pro vs Step 3.5 Flash
Wins 4 of 7 areas
Coding · Reasoning · Long documents · Following instructions
Wins 1 of 7 areas
Math
Gemini 3 Pro wins more areas, narrowly.Step 3.5 Flash is cheaper and better at math.
Scores updated · 28 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 software40Gemini 3 Pro4 of 4 tests
- ReasoningHard problems that need careful thinking30Gemini 3 Pro3 of 3 tests
- Long documentsFinding answers in very long texts10Gemini 3 Pro1 of 1 test
- Following instructionsDoing exactly what it is asked10Gemini 3 Pro1 of 1 test
- MathCompetition and research-level math02Step 3.5 Flash2 of 3 tests · 1 tie
- AgentsCarrying out multi-step tasks on its own11Even1 each
- FactsGetting facts right instead of making them up11Even1 each
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.
Step 3.5 Flash costs 97% less for the same work.
The biggest differences
The three tests each model wins by the widest margin. Scores are out of 100.
Where Gemini 3 Pro pulls ahead
- Answers hard knowledge questions correctlyAA-Omniscience · Accuracy+32.2points ahead
- Reasons across sets of long documentsAA-LCR+26points ahead
- Very hard expert questions across many subjectsHumanity's Last Exam+18.6points ahead
Where Step 3.5 Flash pulls ahead
- Finds hard-to-locate facts by browsing the webBrowseComp+9.8points ahead
- Avoids making up answers it doesn't knowAA-Omniscience · Non-hallucination+5.8points ahead
- US invitational high-school math exam problemsAIME 2026+5points ahead
Every test, side by side
All 28 tests both models report. The winning score is in its model's colour; marks a score checked independently.
CodingGemini 3 Pro
- SciCodeGemini 3 Pro by 15.756.140.4+15.7
- Terminal-Bench HardGemini 3 Pro by 14.441.727.3+14.4
- SWE-bench VerifiedGemini 3 Pro by 1.876.274.4+1.8
- LiveCodeBench v6Gemini 3 Pro by 187.486.4+1
AgentsEven
- BrowseCompStep 3.5 Flash by 9.859.269+9.8
- GDPValGemini 3 Pro by 6.634.227.6+6.6
ReasoningGemini 3 Pro
- Humanity's Last ExamGemini 3 Pro by 18.639.721.1+18.6
- GPQA DiamondGemini 3 Pro by 7.790.883.1+7.7
- CritPtGemini 3 Pro by 6.69.12.5+6.6
FactsEven
- AA-Omniscience · AccuracyGemini 3 Pro by 32.255.823.6+32.2
- AA-Omniscience · Non-hallucinationStep 3.5 Flash by 5.88.514.3+5.8
MathStep 3.5 Flash
- AIME 2026Step 3.5 Flash by 591.796.7+5
- IMOAnswerBenchStep 3.5 Flash by 2.383.185.4+2.3
- HMMT Feb. 2026tie86.486.4tie
Following instructionsGemini 3 Pro
- IFBenchGemini 3 Pro by 5.870.464.6+5.8
Other results12 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 Pro by 57.115.3-41.8+57.1
- Artificial Analysis Coding IndexGemini 3 Pro by 14.946.531.6+14.9
- AA IntelligenceGemini 3 Pro by 11.42816.6+11.4
- browsecomp_with_context_managerStep 3.5 Flash by 9.859.269+9.8
- τ²-BenchGemini 3 Pro by 9.89888.2+9.8
- τ²-Bench Telecom (AA run)Step 3.5 Flash by 7.387.194.4+7.3
- MMLU-ProGemini 3 Pro by 5.790.184.4+5.7
- Terminal-Bench 2.0Gemini 3 Pro by 3.254.251+3.2
- AIME 2025Gemini 3 Pro by 2.710097.3+2.7
- HMMT Feb. 2025tie97.598.4tie
- HMMT Nov. 2025tie93.394tie
- AA Agentic Indextie5252tie
Questions people ask
Which is better, Gemini 3 Pro or Step 3.5 Flash?
Gemini 3 Pro wins four of the seven areas where both have results: coding, reasoning, long documents and following instructions. Step 3.5 Flash wins math, and costs 97% less. They are level on agents and facts.
Which is better for coding?
Gemini 3 Pro. It wins 4 of the 4 coding tests both models report; Step 3.5 Flash wins none.
Which is cheaper?
Gemini 3 Pro costs $2.00 per million input tokens and $12.00 per million output tokens; Step 3.5 Flash costs $0.10 and $0.30. That makes Step 3.5 Flash about 97% cheaper for the same work.
How do you compare the two?
We use the 28 benchmark tests both models have published scores on. The verdict counts the 16 tests in the eight capability areas, and a gap under one point (ten on rating-style scales) counts as a tie. The other 12 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.