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Claude 3 Opus vs Gemini 1.5 Flash

Pricing, context window, and benchmark comparison · Last updated April 2026

Quick Verdict

Gemini 1.5 Flash is cheaper than Claude 3 Opus at $0.07/1M/1M vs $15.00/1M/1M input tokens — a 200.0x cost difference. Claude 3 Opus scores higher on quality benchmarks (ELO 1249). Choose Gemini 1.5 Flash for cost-sensitive workloads; choose Claude 3 Opus for maximum quality.

Detailed Comparison

MetricClaude 3 OpusGemini 1.5 Flash
Input Price / 1M tokens$15.00/1M$0.07/1MCheaper
Output Price / 1M tokens$75.00/1M$0.30/1MCheaper
Context Window200K1MLarger
ELO Score (LMSYS)1249Smarter1211
Open Source
Free Tier
Release Date2024-032024-05

Which is cheaper: Claude 3 Opus or Gemini 1.5 Flash?

Gemini 1.5 Flash is the cheaper option at $0.07/1M per 1M input tokens, compared to $15.00/1M for Claude 3 Opus. That is a 200.0x cost difference on input tokens. Output pricing follows a similar pattern: Claude 3 Opus charges $75.00/1M/1M vs $0.30/1M/1M for Gemini 1.5 Flash.

Which has better quality: Claude 3 Opus or Gemini 1.5 Flash?

Based on LMSYS Chatbot Arena rankings, Claude 3 Opus achieves a higher ELO score (1249 vs 1211), suggesting stronger performance on open-ended tasks. Claude 3 Opus excels at best claude model for creative writing. Gemini 1.5 Flash is known for one of the cheapest high-quality models available.

Which should you choose: Claude 3 Opus or Gemini 1.5 Flash?

Choose Claude 3 Opus if:
  • Best Claude model for creative writing
  • 200K context window
  • Deep, thoughtful long-form analysis
Choose Gemini 1.5 Flash if:
  • One of the cheapest high-quality models available
  • 1M token context window
  • Very fast inference

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper: Claude 3 Opus or Gemini 1.5 Flash?

Gemini 1.5 Flash is cheaper at $0.07/1M per 1M input tokens, making it 200.0x more affordable.

Which has better quality: Claude 3 Opus or Gemini 1.5 Flash?

Claude 3 Opus scores higher on the LMSYS Chatbot Arena with an ELO of 1249, suggesting better overall quality for most tasks.

Which has a larger context window: Claude 3 Opus or Gemini 1.5 Flash?

Gemini 1.5 Flash has a larger context window at 1000K tokens.

Should I choose Claude 3 Opus or Gemini 1.5 Flash?

Choose Gemini 1.5 Flash if cost is the priority. Choose Claude 3 Opus if benchmark quality is most important. Consider your specific use case: Claude 3 Opus is best for creative-writing and research, while Gemini 1.5 Flash excels at low-cost and fast-response.

Is Claude 3 Opus or Gemini 1.5 Flash open source?

Claude 3 Opus is proprietary. Gemini 1.5 Flash is proprietary.

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