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Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking vs o1

Pricing verdict: Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking vs o1: Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($0.75/M vs $15.00/M input tokens), while o1 is better for long-context tasks (200,000 tokens).

Direct answer: choose Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking for lower token spend and choose o1 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
OpenAI
o1

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

o1

Per Request:$0.045
Daily:$4.50
Monthly:$135.00
Yearly:$1,642.50

Cost Differences

+$0.042
Per Request
+$4.20
Daily
+$126.00
Monthly
+$1,533.00
Yearly

o1 costs more than Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking

Quick Recommendation

Winner for direct API pricing: Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking. At the default workload, Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking saves about $126.00/month ($1,533.00/year) versus o1.

Feature Comparison

FeatureGemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinkingo1
ProviderGoogleOpenAI
Input Price$0.75/1M tokens$15.00/1M tokens
Output Price$4.50/1M tokens$60.00/1M tokens
Context Window131,072 tokens200,000 tokens
Max Output65,536 tokens65,536 tokens
Categoryreasoningreasoning
Capabilities
textvisionaudiovideoreasoningstreaming
textreasoning
Release Date9/15/20269/12/2024

Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking vs o1: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking and o1 depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking is the more affordable option at $0.75/1M input tokens — 95% cheaper than o1. Meanwhile, o1 offers a significantly larger context window at 200,000 tokens vs 131,072 for Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking.

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

Both models are in the reasoning category, making this a direct head-to-head comparison. At scale — say 10,000 requests per day — the cost difference adds up: Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking would save you roughly $12,600.00/month compared to o1. For startups and indie developers, that difference can be significant.

Output costs matter too. Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking charges $4.50/1M output tokens vs $60.00 for o1. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking has the edge here at $4.50/1M output tokens.

Multimodal capabilities: Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking supports vision (image inputs) while o1 is text-only. If your application needs image understanding, this narrows your choice.

Best Use Cases

Choose Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking when:

  • • Budget is a primary concern
  • • You need more capabilities (vision, audio, video, streaming)
  • • You're already using Google's API ecosystem

Choose o1 when:

  • • You need a larger context window (200,000 tokens)
  • • You're already using OpenAI'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

  • Smaller context window than o1

o1

  • Input pricing: $15.00/M tokens
  • Output pricing: $60.00/M tokens
  • Context window: 200,000 tokens
  • Max output: 65,536 tokens

Watch out for

  • Higher input cost than Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking
  • Higher output cost than Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking

Try Different Scenarios

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

Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking (Google)

o1 (OpenAI)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking or o1?
Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking is cheaper for input tokens at $0.75 per million tokens vs $15.00 for o1 — that's 95% savings on input costs.
What is the context window difference between Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking and o1?
Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking supports 131,072 tokens while o1 supports 200,000 tokens — a difference of 68,928 tokens in favor of o1.
Which model is better for AI Chatbot?
Both models support text. For ai chatbot, Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking is the lower-cost option, while o1 offers a larger context window (200,000 vs 131,072 tokens). Choose Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking for budget sensitivity or o1 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 o1 costs about $135.00/month. Overall, Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking has lower combined input + output rates ($0.75 in, $4.50 out) vs o1.
Where can I compare Google and OpenAI API pricing beyond this model matchup?
See the Google vs OpenAI provider comparison page for lineup-level averages, then review each model page for exact per-token rates.

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