Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS vs Gemini 3.8 Flash Lite TTS
Google announced both tiers on 23 September 2026: Flash TTS for directed, creative work and Flash Lite TTS for dubbing, read-aloud and agents. Both read the same four scripts on fal on 22 October with the Kore voice and no style instructions.
Anvisha Pai, Co-founder & CEO, Voyager
Which to use
Lite is two thirds of the price, $0.03 per thousand characters against $0.045 on fal, read on 22 October 2026, and on the Gemini API $6 per million audio tokens against $9. On fal both take the same request, voices and controls. Lite returned three of the four readings faster, in four to six seconds against seven to nine, though its first request took ten. Its readings ran longer on three scripts, by up to two and a half seconds. Google lists 101 languages for Lite and more than 130 for Flash. We have not judged either voice by ear; press play on each pair below. Start with Lite for volume and switch to Flash where the delivery has to carry the piece.
Side by side, measured
| Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS | Gemini 3.8 Flash Lite TTS | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Google DeepMind | Google DeepMind |
| Released | 2026-09-23 | 2026-09-23 |
| Price | $0.045 per 1,000 characters via fal | $0.03 per 1,000 characters via fal |
| Seconds per reading | 7 to 9 | 4 to 10 |
| 4 readings cost | $0.0439 | $0.0292 |
| Voices | Thirty prebuilt voices on fal, Kore by default, which we used; Google's own API adds a library of more than 2,000 and voice replication | Thirty prebuilt voices on fal, Kore by default, which we used; Google's API adds its voice library and replication |
Seconds and cost are from our own runs of the same 4 scripts through each model.
The same 4 scripts, Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS against Gemini 3.8 Flash Lite TTS
One try each, nothing re-rolled or retouched, generated by us. Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS is on the left, Gemini 3.8 Flash Lite TTS on the right.
Ad read
15.1 seconds from Flash, 15.3 from Lite; Lite took 10.3 seconds to return it, its slowest of the run.
›What we asked for
Meet the Ember mug. It keeps your coffee at exactly the temperature you choose, for up to ninety minutes, and it tells your phone when it's ready. Warm from the first sip to the last. Ember. Coffee, on your terms.
Explainer paragraph
Flash read the paragraph in 22.6 seconds, Lite in 25.1.
›What we asked for
A pour-over works in four steps. First, rinse the paper filter with hot water so it doesn't taste of paper. Second, add the grounds and pour just enough water to wet them, then wait thirty seconds while they bloom. Third, pour the rest of the water in slow circles. Fourth, wait about three minutes for it to drip through. That's it: a cup that tastes like the coffee, not the machine.
Emotional line
The one script Lite read shorter: 16.0 seconds against 16.3. Lite returned it in 3.9 seconds.
›What we asked for
We did it! We actually did it! I can't believe it's finally over. Okay. Okay, deep breath. Let's not tell anyone until Monday, alright? Just... let me have this one quiet night.
Names, dates and prices
22.6 seconds from Flash against 24.6 from Lite.
›What we asked for
Your order ships on the 24th of September 2026 and arrives by 9:15 a.m. The total is $1,249.99, including VAT. Questions? Ask for Siobhan Nguyen or Ravi Parikh on 0800 555 0199, or email help@moda.app.
Other versions compared
Frequently asked questions
How much cheaper is Flash Lite?
A third less: $0.03 against $0.045 per thousand characters on fal, and $6 against $9 per million audio tokens on the Gemini API through 31 December 2026.
Do they take the same settings?
On fal, yes: 30 voices, style instructions, inline vocal events and two-speaker dialogue on both.
Voyager
Run any of these inside Voyager
Voyager is an agent for creative work that runs every model on this page. Brief it, and it picks the model for the job, makes the thing and hands back something you can edit. Create an account to get started.