--- title: "gemini-3.8-live - Model Details & Comparison" description: "gemini-3.8-live from Google Vertex AI: capabilities, context limits, pricing, and side-by-side comparisons with alternative models." url: "https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/vertex_ai/gemini-3.8-live" markdown: "https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/vertex_ai/gemini-3.8-live.md" --- # gemini-3.8-live - Model Details & Comparison > gemini-3.8-live from Google Vertex AI: capabilities, context limits, pricing, and side-by-side comparisons with alternative models. ## Important Links - [View MCP Gateway](https://www.getmaxim.ai/resources/mcp-gateway.md) - [Features](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/#features) - [Enterprise](https://www.getmaxim.ai/enterprise) - [Pricing](https://www.getmaxim.ai/pricing.md) - [Docs](https://docs.getbifrost.ai) - [GitHub](https://github.com/maximhq/bifrost) - [Book a Demo](https://www.getmaxim.ai/book-a-demo) ## About gemini-3.8-live gemini-3.8-live is a realtime model from Vertex AI, one of 5 realtime models they offer. It is priced at $0.75 per 1M input tokens and $4.50 per 1M output tokens, ranking 20 out of 42 realtime models by cost and cheaper than 45% of models in this category. gemini-3.8-live supports vision, function calling, audio input, audio output, web search — one of only 4 realtime models with this combination. Its 131K-token context window is in the top 27% among realtime models. ## Specifications - **Google Vertex AI Provider.** - **Realtime Mode.** - **131,072 Max Input Tokens.** - **65,536 Max Output Tokens.** - **65,536 Max Tokens.** - **$0.75 / 1M tokens Input Price.** - **$4.50 / 1M tokens Output Price.** ## Capabilities gemini-3.8-live supports: Function Calling, Vision, Web Search, Audio Input, Audio Output. ## gemini-3.8-live Pricing Overview At $0.75 per 1M input tokens and $4.50 per 1M output tokens, gemini-3.8-live ranks 20 out of 42 realtime models by input cost. It is competitively priced compared to the median of $0.75 for realtime models, and is cheaper than 45% of models in this category. gemini-3.8-live is one of 5 Vertex AI realtime models, one of only 4 realtime models combining audio input, audio output, function calling, vision, web search. its 131K-token context window places it in the top 27% of realtime models. ## Models to Compare Alternatives to gemini-3.8-live with comparable capabilities. | Model | Provider | Input $/1M | Output $/1M | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | gemini-3.1-flash-live-preview | Google Gemini | $0.75 | $4.50 | | gemini-3.8-live | Google Gemini | $0.75 | $4.50 | | gemini-3.8-live-extended-thinking | Google Gemini | $0.75 | $4.50 | | gemini-live-2.5-flash-preview-native-audio-09-2025 | Google Gemini | $0.50 | $2.00 | | gemini-2.5-flash-native-audio-preview-12-2025 | Google Gemini | $0.50 | $2.00 | - [Compare gemini-3.1-flash-live-preview](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/gemini/gemini-3.1-flash-live-preview.md) - [Compare gemini-3.8-live](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/gemini/gemini-3.8-live.md) - [Compare gemini-3.8-live-extended-thinking](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/gemini/gemini-3.8-live-extended-thinking.md) - [Compare gemini-live-2.5-flash-preview-native-audio-09-2025](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/gemini/gemini-live-2.5-flash-preview-native-audio-09-2025.md) - [Compare gemini-2.5-flash-native-audio-preview-12-2025](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/gemini/gemini-2.5-flash-native-audio-preview-12-2025.md) ## Related Resources - [Calculate gemini-3.8-live costs](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/llm-cost-calculator/provider/vertex_ai/model/gemini-3.8-live.md) - [All Vertex AI pricing](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/llm-cost-calculator/provider/vertex_ai.md) ## FAQ ### Is gemini-3.8-live cheaper than gemini-3.1-flash-live-preview? No. gemini-3.8-live costs $0.75 per 1M input tokens while gemini-3.1-flash-live-preview costs $0.75 per 1M input tokens, making gemini-3.1-flash-live-preview 0% more affordable for input. However, gemini-3.8-live may offer different capabilities or performance characteristics that justify the price difference. ### How does gemini-3.8-live pricing compare to the average realtime model? gemini-3.8-live input pricing is $0.75 per 1M tokens, which is 0% at the median of $0.75 for realtime models. It ranks 20 out of 42 realtime models by input cost, making it cheaper than 45% of models in this category. For output, it costs $4.50 per 1M tokens compared to the median of $4.50. ### What makes gemini-3.8-live different from other Vertex AI models? Among Vertex AI's 5 realtime models, gemini-3.8-live ranks 4 by input cost. Its combination of audio input, audio output, function calling, vision, web search is shared by only 3 other realtime models. ### What are the best alternatives to gemini-3.8-live? The most comparable realtime models to gemini-3.8-live are: gemini-3.1-flash-live-preview from Google Gemini ($0.75/1M input tokens); gemini-3.8-live from Google Gemini ($0.75/1M input tokens); gemini-3.8-live-extended-thinking from Google Gemini ($0.75/1M input tokens); gemini-live-2.5-flash-preview-native-audio-09-2025 from Google Gemini ($0.50/1M input tokens). These alternatives were selected based on similar capabilities, pricing, and provider diversity. You can compare any of these models in detail using the Bifrost Model Library. ### How large is gemini-3.8-live's context window? gemini-3.8-live supports up to 131,072 input tokens, placing it in the top 27% of realtime models by context window size (rank 5 of 40). This makes it suitable for processing long documents, extensive code repositories, or maintaining detailed conversation histories. ### How do I calculate gemini-3.8-live costs? gemini-3.8-live is priced based on input and output tokens. Use the interactive calculator at the top of this page to estimate costs for your specific workload. Enter your expected input and output tokens volume and the calculator will show the total cost breakdown. For reference, processing 1M input tokens costs $0.75 and generating 1M output tokens costs $4.50. ## Related Resources - [Google Vertex AI models](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/provider/vertex_ai.md) - [Model library](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library.md) - [LLM cost calculator](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/llm-cost-calculator.md) - [Docs: Bifrost docs](https://docs.getbifrost.ai) - [GitHub: maximhq/bifrost](https://github.com/maximhq/bifrost) - [Pricing: Bifrost pricing](https://www.getmaxim.ai/pricing.md) - [Enterprise: Bifrost enterprise](https://www.getmaxim.ai/enterprise) - [Book a Demo: Bifrost demo](https://www.getmaxim.ai/book-a-demo) - [Resources: Bifrost resources](https://www.getmaxim.ai/resources.md) --- *This is a markdown version of [https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/vertex_ai/gemini-3.8-live](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/vertex_ai/gemini-3.8-live) for AI/LLM consumption.*