OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Google: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview: Which AI Model Is Better?
Updated March 24, 2026· Based on independent benchmark data
Quick Verdict
OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo is 4.0x cheaper at $0.50/1M tokens vs $2.00/1M.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo | Google: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Score | N/A | 57.2 |
| Coding Score | N/A | 55.5 |
| Math Score | N/A | N/A |
| Speed (tok/s) | N/A | 117 tok/s |
| Latency (TTFT) | N/A | 21.91s |
| Input Price / 1M tokens | $0.50 | $2.00 |
| Output Price / 1M tokens | $1.50 | $12 |
| Context Window | 16K | 1.0M |
| Max Output Tokens | 4K | 66K |
| Input Modalities | Text | Audio + File + Image + Text + Video |
| Output Modalities | Text | Text |
| Free Tier | No | No |
Detailed Analysis
Pricing
OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo is more affordable at $0.50/1M input tokens ($1.50/1M output), while Google: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview costs $2.00/1M input ($12/1M output). That makes Google: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview 4.0x more expensive per token, which can add up significantly at scale. For a typical workload of 100 requests per day at 2,000 tokens each, OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo would cost approximately $3.00/month vs $12.00/month for Google: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview in input costs alone.
Context Window
Google: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview offers a larger context window at 1.0M tokens compared to OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo's 16K. This means Google: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview can process roughly 524 pages of text in a single request vs 8 pages for OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo. For output length, Google: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview can generate up to 66K tokens per response vs 4K for OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo.
Best Use Cases
Choose OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo when you need lower cost. Choose Google: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview when you need larger context window (1.0M).
Choose OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo if:
- ✓Budget is a concern ($0.50/1M vs $2.00/1M)
Choose Google: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview if:
- ✓You need a larger context window (1.0M vs 16K)
- ✓You need image understanding (Supports image input)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo or Google: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview?
OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo is cheaper at $0.50/1M input tokens vs $2.00/1M for Google: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview.
Can OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo process images?
No, OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo does not support image input. However, Google: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview does support images.
Which has a larger context window, OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo or Google: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview?
Google: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview has a larger context window at 1.0M compared to OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo's 16K.
Related Comparisons
Benchmark data by Artificial Analysis
Data last synced: March 24, 2026