Multimodal / Google Cloud / BigQuery

Google Gemini

  • Gemini 3.8 Flash from 09/02/2026 $0.75/$3.75

    Coding, agents and reasoning. 1M context. Intro price through 12/31/2026, then $1.50/$7.50.

  • Gemini 3.8 Live from 09/15/2026

    Voice and video in the Live API, low latency. Id: gemini‑3.8‑live.

  • Gemini 3.1 Pro from 02/19/2026 about $2/$12

    Still in preview, up to 200k context. Gemini 3.5 Pro is not generally available.

  • Gemini 4 Argon from 09/30/2026 Fairwind

    Fairwind program only. Introductory price $2/$10, then $4/$20. Output up to 1M tokens.

3.8 Flash Cyber is Fairwind‑only. Flash‑Lite covers volume at $0.30/$2.50.

  • Verified2026-10-03
  • Models covered6
  • Sources10
  • Deployment channels5

Purchase decision (when to choose / when to avoid)

Choose if...

  • You're in the Google ecosystem (GCP/BigQuery/Looker/Vertex) and want consistent governance.
  • You have multimodal use cases (text + images + audio/video) and agentic workflows.
  • You need voice and low latency in the Live API - Gemini 3.8 Live (from 09/15/2026).
  • You need model cards and compliance materials (AI Act/GPAI).

Avoid if...

  • You don't use GCP and want minimal operational complexity - compare other SaaS options.
  • You have very restrictive region/retention requirements - verify in service settings (ZDR).

Cost in practice (scenarios)

Analytics team in GCP

Usually: Vertex AI + GCP billing.

  • BigQuery/Looker
  • governance and IAM
Multimodal (audio/video/images)

Cost depends on modality and context length; plan limits.

  • material analysis
  • pipelines
Marketing (copy + briefs)

Gemini App/Workspace + optional API for automation.

  • daily work
  • moderate volume
These are estimates/scenarios (not an invoice). Actual cost depends on context length, number of users, limits and retention policies.

Deployment / data / enterprise

Deployment channels

  • Gemini App
  • Gemini API (AI Studio)
  • Live API (Gemini 3.8 Live)
  • Vertex AI (Google Cloud)
  • Integrations in Google ecosystem (e.g. Workspace)

Data policy

Training on data
Paid tiers usually don't use data for product improvement (check terms).
Retention
Depends on service and configuration (AI Studio vs Vertex).
Data residency
Regions depend on GCP/Vertex; retention/ZDR settings possible.
Works best when you're already in GCP - governance and billing are unified.

Enterprise readiness

Admin
GCP/Vertex: central billing and IAM.
Good choice for companies with data in BigQuery wanting agentic workflows.

Best use cases

  • projects in Google Cloud (BigQuery, Looker, Sheets, Docs, Vertex AI)
  • coding and agents at low token cost - Gemini 3.8 Flash (intro pricing through end of 2026)
  • multimodal scenarios and ML pipelines with governance/retention requirements (ZDR).
  • assistants and automations based on GCP data with model documentation needs (AI Act/GPAI).
  • voice conversations and Live API sessions - Gemini 3.8 Live (GA from 09/15/2026).

Strengths

  • Native multimodality and enterprise maturity via Vertex AI; Zero Data Retention options.
  • Gemini 3.8 Flash - coding/agents/reasoning, intro $0.75/$3.75 through 12/31/2026; 3.8 Live - voice/video in the Live API; 3.5 Flash-Lite $0.30/$2.50 for volume; 3.1 Pro (preview) - flagship reasoning.
  • Permission management and billing in a single GCP account.

Weaknesses / risks

  • Platform dependency; governance sensitive to region and data policy. PaLM 2 (legacy) in the context of EU data protection regulator investigation.
  • Gemini 3.5 Pro is not generally available; 3.1 Pro remains the latest public Pro and is still preview. Gemini 4 Argon (09/30/2026) is Fairwind-only. 3.8 Flash Cyber is Fairwind-only too.
  • Fast Flash rotation (3.6, 3.7, 3.8 in weeks) requires tracking API deprecations.

Current models (examples)

  • Gemini 3.8 Flash - 09/02/2026; coding/agents/reasoning; intro $0.75/$3.75 through 12/31/2026, then $1.50/$7.50; API: gemini-3.8-flash.
  • Gemini 4 Argon - 09/30/2026; Fairwind program only; introductory price $2/$10, then $4/$20; output up to 1M tokens.
  • Gemini 3.8 Flash Cyber - 09/02/2026; vulnerability detection and patching; Fairwind Program access.
  • Gemini 3.8 Live / Live Extended Thinking - 09/15/2026; GA in the Live API; API: gemini-3.8-live.
  • Gemini 3.7 Flash - 08/13/2026; Gemini 3.6 Flash - 07/21/2026; Gemini 3.1 Pro (preview) - 02/19/2026.
  • Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite - volume $0.30/$2.50. Gemini 3.5 Pro is not generally available.

Alternatives (if this model doesn't fit)

OP
OpenAI
widest tool and integration ecosystem
CL
Claude
excellent long-context and safety
MI
Mistral
EU + self-host/open-weight (depending on model)