AI Models · Open-Source vs Paid

LFM2.5-2.6B (free) Open vs Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Paid

LFM2.5-2.6B (free) vs Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview compared — price per token, context window, multimodality, openness and which to choose. Can the open-source model replace the paid one? Full 2026 breakdown.

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview — full profile ›

Prices & specs refreshed from live data · olud.ai

Open-model prices = cheapest provider via OpenRouter; official maker rates may be higher.

LFM2.5-2.6B (free)OpenLiquid
Free /M input
Free /M outputNo per-token fees if you self-host
TypeOpen-weight
Context window66K tokens
MultimodalNo
Self-hostYes
Gemini 3.1 Pro PreviewPaidGoogle
$2 /M input
$12 /M outputManaged API (no infra to run)
TypeProprietary
Context window1M tokens
MultimodalYes
Self-hostNo
Choose LFM2.5-2.6B (free) if you want to self-host, keep your data private and skip per-token fees — it's open-weight and runs on your own hardware. Choose Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview if you want frontier capability through a managed API with zero infrastructure to run.

LFM2.5-2.6B (free) vs Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview specs

SpecLFM2.5-2.6B (free)Gemini 3.1 Pro PreviewWinner
MakerLiquidGoogle–
TypeOpen-weightProprietaryLFM2.5-2.6B (free)
Context window66K tokens1M tokensGemini 3.1 Pro Preview
Input priceFree/M · free self-host$2/MLFM2.5-2.6B (free)
Output priceFree/M · free self-host$12/MLFM2.5-2.6B (free)
Vision / multimodalNoYesGemini 3.1 Pro Preview
Tool / function callingYesYes= Tie
Self-hostableYesNo (API only)LFM2.5-2.6B (free)
LicenseOpen weightsProprietaryLFM2.5-2.6B (free)

Price gap & when to choose each

Choose LFM2.5-2.6B (free) if…
  • You want to self-host or run on your cloud
  • You prioritize data privacy & control
  • You want the lowest operating costs
  • You are building open or reproducible AI
Choose Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview if…
  • You want frontier performance through a managed API
  • You need the longer 1M context window
  • You value reliability & ecosystem
  • You don't want to manage infrastructure

Feature comparison

CapabilityLFM2.5-2.6B (free)Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview
Open weights (downloadable)✓✗
Self-hostable✓✗
Runs fully offline✓✗
Vision / multimodal✗✓
Tool / function calling✓✓
1M+ context window✗✓

Benchmarks: LFM2.5-2.6B (free) vs Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview

Independent benchmark scores measured by Artificial Analysis. Higher is better (except latency).

LFM2.5-2.6B (free)
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview
Intelligence index
8.4
30.4
Coding index
7.7
68.8
GPQA
55.8%
94.1%
Humanity's Last Exam
6.2%
47%
Long Context Reasoning
5.7%
82%
SciCode
14.4%
58.7%
τ-Bench Banking
7.2%
21.4%
Terminal-Bench
4.5%
73.8%
IFBench
–
77.1%
τ²-Bench
–
95.6%
Terminal-Bench Hard
–
53.8%
Speed
204.6 tok/s
125.2 tok/s
Latency
2.9s
24.48s
Intelligence per $
–
6.8

Benchmark data by Artificial Analysis.

How LFM2.5-2.6B (free) and Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview score

🏆 Best value & openness: LFM2.5-2.6B (free) (4.3 vs 3.2 / 5)
CriterionLFM2.5-2.6B (free)Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview
Cost-efficiency5.03.5
Context window3.05.0
Openness5.01.5
Self-hosting5.01.0
Multimodality3.55.0

Scores come from live data — output price (cost), context length, open vs closed weights (openness & self-hosting) and vision/tool support (multimodality). Raw task quality isn't scored here; it depends on your benchmark — see the verdict.

What each model is

LFM2.5-2.6B (free) Open

Liquid · Open-weight

LFM2.5-2.6B is a compact reasoning model from Liquid AI. It is suited for agent workflows, data extraction, RAG, and long-context processing. Liquid advises against using it for agentic coding or...

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Paid

Google · Proprietary

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview is Google’s frontier reasoning model, delivering enhanced software engineering performance, improved agentic reliability, and more efficient token usage across complex workflows. Building on the multimodal foundation.

Other models in these families

These variants are tracked but not compared here — one page per family keeps the comparison readable.

Other variants tracked
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview (batch)Gemini 2.5 ProGemini 2.5 Pro (batch)Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom ToolsNano Banana Pro (Gemini 3 Pro Image Preview)

Frequently asked questions

Is LFM2.5-2.6B (free) as good as Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview?

LFM2.5-2.6B (free) is open-weight and competitive on many tasks, but Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview may still lead on the hardest reasoning and agentic work. The gap keeps narrowing — benchmark both on your actual use case before deciding.

Can I run LFM2.5-2.6B (free) locally?

Yes. LFM2.5-2.6B (free) has open weights, so you can self-host it on your own GPUs or run it via a low-cost API. Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview is API-only and cannot be self-hosted.

LFM2.5-2.6B (free) vs Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview — which should I pick in 2026?

Choose LFM2.5-2.6B (free) if you want to self-host, keep your data private and skip per-token fees — it's open-weight and runs on your own hardware. Choose Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview if you want frontier capability through a managed API with zero infrastructure to run.

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