Gemini 3.1 Pro vs GPT-5.5

Google · US  |  OpenAI · US · Updated June 2026

Quick verdict

Pick Gemini 3.1 Pro for full multimodal input — text, image, audio and video in one 1m-token window or long video and document analysis. Pick GPT-5.5 for terminal, cli and computer-use automation or long-horizon tool sequencing. On a tight budget at scale, Gemini 3.1 Pro is the value pick.

Gemini 3.1 Pro (Google) and GPT-5.5 (OpenAI) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. Gemini 3.1 Pro is a 1M-token multimodal workhorse — huge breadth across text, image, audio and video, but recall fades deep in the window. GPT-5.5 is openAI's first fully retrained base since GPT-4.5 — the terminal and computer-use champion. They diverge most on price and context window — each quantified below from the models' real specs.

Key differences at a glance

Side-by-side specs

SpecGemini 3.1 ProGPT-5.5
ProviderGoogle (US) OpenAI (US)
ReleasedFebruary 19, 2026 April 23, 2026
Context window1M (~1,573 pages) 1M (~1,500 pages)
Price (in/out)$2/$12 per 1M tokens $5/$30 per 1M tokens
Open weight?No — API only No — API only
Modalitiestext, image, audio, video, code text, image, code
SWE-Bench VerifiedNot published Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1M26.3% Not published

Who wins what

Full multimodal input — text, image, audio and video in one 1M-token window

Gemini 3.1 Pro

GPT-5.5 is comparatively weak here — tiered long-context pricing above 272K tokens

Long video and document analysis

Gemini 3.1 Pro

A 1M-token multimodal workhorse — huge breadth across text, image, audio and video, but recall fades deep in the window — and it runs cheaper at $2/$12 per 1M tokens.

Agentic reasoning (high ARC-AGI-2)

Gemini 3.1 Pro

Gemini 3.1 Pro lists agentic reasoning (high ARC-AGI-2) among its strengths; GPT-5.5 does not.

Terminal, CLI and computer-use automation

GPT-5.5

OpenAI's first fully retrained base since GPT-4.5 — the terminal and computer-use champion — and it is the newer of the two.

Long-horizon tool sequencing

GPT-5.5

GPT-5.5 lists long-horizon tool sequencing among its strengths; Gemini 3.1 Pro does not.

Strong agentic coding and reasoning

GPT-5.5

GPT-5.5 lists strong agentic coding and reasoning among its strengths; Gemini 3.1 Pro does not.

Lowest cost at scale

Gemini 3.1 Pro

At $2/$12 per 1M tokens, it is the cheaper of the two — the gap dominates the bill on high-volume workloads.

Which should you pick?

A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume

Gemini 3.1 Pro

At $2/$12 per 1M tokens it undercuts GPT-5.5, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.

Someone analysing very long documents or codebases

Gemini 3.1 Pro

Larger 1M window fits more in one prompt.

Anyone whose priority is full multimodal input — text, image, audio and video in one 1m-token window

Gemini 3.1 Pro

It is specifically built for that.

Anyone whose priority is terminal, cli and computer-use automation

GPT-5.5

That is its strongest area.

Gemini 3.1 Pro: where it fits

A 1M-token multimodal workhorse — huge breadth across text, image, audio and video, but recall fades deep in the window. Released February 19, 2026 by Google, it is built for full multimodal input — text, image, audio and video in one 1M-token window, long video and document analysis, agentic reasoning (high ARC-AGI-2), and broad multimodal understanding across formats.

Its trade-offs are real: long-context recall drops sharply past 256K (26.3% on MRCR v2 at 1M), premium price per token at $2/$12, and superseded within Google's own line by the newer 3.5/3.6 Flash releases for cost-sensitive work. At $2 in / $12 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.

GPT-5.5: where it fits

OpenAI's first fully retrained base since GPT-4.5 — the terminal and computer-use champion. Released April 23, 2026 by OpenAI, it is built for terminal, CLI and computer-use automation, long-horizon tool sequencing, strong agentic coding and reasoning, and browser-driving agents.

Its trade-offs: trails Opus 4.8 on hardest coding benchmarks, and tiered long-context pricing above 272K tokens. At $5 in / $30 out per million tokens, it sits in the premium price band.

The bottom line for this matchup

Gemini 3.1 Pro and GPT-5.5 overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. Gemini 3.1 Pro costs less per token; Gemini 3.1 Pro holds the larger context; and each leads in its own area — Gemini 3.1 Pro for full multimodal input — text, image, audio and video in one 1m-token window, GPT-5.5 for terminal, cli and computer-use automation. Rather than crowning one, run the same hard task through both once and let the results decide.

Want both Gemini 3.1 Pro and GPT-5.5 without two subscriptions? LumiChats gives you these plus 40+ models under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day) — draft with one, cross-check with the other.

See pricing

Frequently asked questions

Is Gemini 3.1 Pro or GPT-5.5 better for coding?

Public SWE-Bench figures are not available for either model, so the honest test is your own repository — run an identical real bug through both. By design, Gemini 3.1 Pro leans toward full multimodal input — text, image, audio and video in one 1m-token window while GPT-5.5 leans toward terminal, cli and computer-use automation, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.

Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.1 Pro or GPT-5.5?

Gemini 3.1 Pro is cheaper — $2/$12 per 1M tokens vs $5/$30 per 1M tokens, roughly 2.5× apart on input.

Which has the bigger context window?

Effectively neither — 1M vs 1M is a difference of a few percent. Remember advertised ≠ usable: recall typically degrades before the ceiling.

Can I use both Gemini 3.1 Pro and GPT-5.5 together?

Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you Gemini 3.1 Pro, GPT-5.5 and 40+ others under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day), so you can draft with one and cross-check with the other instead of buying two subscriptions.

Which is newer, Gemini 3.1 Pro or GPT-5.5?

GPT-5.5 — released April 23, 2026, about 2 months after Gemini 3.1 Pro.

Related comparisons

Specifications and benchmarks reflect publicly reported figures as of June 2026 and may change as providers release updates. Always verify on your own workload.