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Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking vs Llama 4 Maverick

Pricing verdict: Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking vs Llama 4 Maverick: Llama 4 Maverick is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($0.27/M vs $0.75/M input tokens), while Llama 4 Maverick is better for long-context tasks (1,000,000 tokens).

Direct answer: choose Llama 4 Maverick for lower token spend and choose Llama 4 Maverick when your workload needs longer context.

Compare API pricing, input and output token costs, context windows, and monthly estimates on one page so you can pick the right model fast.

Google
Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking
vs
Meta (via Together AI)
Llama 4 Maverick

Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)

Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking

Per Request:$0.003000
Daily:$0.30
Monthly:$9.00
Yearly:$109.50

Llama 4 Maverick

Per Request:$0.000695
Daily:$0.0695
Monthly:$2.085
Yearly:$25.3675

Cost Differences

$0.002305
Per Request
$0.2305
Daily
$6.915
Monthly
$84.1325
Yearly

Llama 4 Maverick costs less than Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking

Quick Recommendation

Winner for direct API pricing: Llama 4 Maverick. At the default workload, Llama 4 Maverick saves about $6.915/month ($84.1325/year) versus Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking.

Feature Comparison

FeatureGemini 3.8 Live Extended ThinkingLlama 4 Maverick
ProviderGoogleMeta (via Together AI)
Input Price$0.75/1M tokens$0.27/1M tokens
Output Price$4.50/1M tokens$0.85/1M tokens
Context Window131,072 tokens1,000,000 tokens
Max Output65,536 tokens65,536 tokens
Categoryreasoningflagship
Capabilities
textvisionaudiovideoreasoningstreaming
textvisioncode
Release Date9/15/20264/5/2025

Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking vs Llama 4 Maverick: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking and Llama 4 Maverick depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Llama 4 Maverick is the more affordable option at $0.27/1M input tokens — 64% cheaper than Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking. Meanwhile, Llama 4 Maverick offers a significantly larger context window at 1,000,000 tokens vs 131,072 for Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking.

These models come from different providers — Google and Meta (via Together AI) — which means different API ecosystems, SDKs, rate limits, and terms of service. If you're already integrated with Google, switching to Meta (via Together AI)involves migration effort beyond just pricing. Factor in your existing infrastructure when deciding.

These models target different tiers: Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking is a reasoning model while Llama 4 Maverick is flagship. This means they're optimized for different workloads. Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking is built for complex tasks that require deeper reasoning, while Llama 4 Maverick offers better value for routine operations.

Output costs matter too. Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking charges $4.50/1M output tokens vs $0.85 for Llama 4 Maverick. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. Llama 4 Maverick has the edge here at $0.85/1M output tokens.

Multimodal capabilities: Both models support vision (image understanding), so you can send images alongside text prompts with either option.

Best Use Cases

Choose Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking when:

  • • You need more capabilities (audio, video, reasoning, streaming)
  • • You're already using Google's API ecosystem

Choose Llama 4 Maverick when:

  • • Budget is a primary concern
  • • You need a larger context window (1,000,000 tokens)
  • • You're already using Meta (via Together AI)'s API ecosystem

Pros and Caveats at a Glance

Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking

  • Input pricing: $0.75/M tokens
  • Output pricing: $4.50/M tokens
  • Context window: 131,072 tokens
  • Max output: 65,536 tokens

Watch out for

  • Higher input cost than Llama 4 Maverick
  • Higher output cost than Llama 4 Maverick
  • Smaller context window than Llama 4 Maverick

Llama 4 Maverick

  • Input pricing: $0.27/M tokens
  • Output pricing: $0.85/M tokens
  • Context window: 1,000,000 tokens
  • Max output: 65,536 tokens

Watch out for

  • Trade-offs are minor in this matchup.

Try Different Scenarios

Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns

Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking (Google)

Llama 4 Maverick (Meta (via Together AI))

Start using Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking today

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Start using Llama 4 Maverick today

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking or Llama 4 Maverick?
Llama 4 Maverick is cheaper for input tokens at $0.27 per million tokens vs $0.75 for Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking — that's 64% savings on input costs.
What is the context window difference between Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking and Llama 4 Maverick?
Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking supports 131,072 tokens while Llama 4 Maverick supports 1,000,000 tokens — a difference of 868,928 tokens in favor of Llama 4 Maverick.
Which model is better for AI Chatbot?
Both models support text. For ai chatbot, Llama 4 Maverick is the lower-cost option, while Llama 4 Maverick offers a larger context window (1,000,000 vs 131,072 tokens). Choose Llama 4 Maverick for budget sensitivity or Llama 4 Maverick for longer context tasks.
Which model has better overall pricing for heavy usage?
At 100 requests/day with 1,000 input and 500 output tokens each, Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking costs about $9.00/month and Llama 4 Maverick costs about $2.085/month. Overall, Llama 4 Maverick has lower combined input + output rates ($0.27 in, $0.85 out) vs Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking.
Where can I compare Google and Meta (via Together AI) API pricing beyond this model matchup?
See the Google vs Meta (via Together AI) provider comparison page for lineup-level averages, then review each model page for exact per-token rates.

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