Best for
- Multi-step research that separates facts, inferences, and unknowns
- Multi-file code changes, reviews, and root-cause debugging
- Comparisons that weigh several criteria against real constraints
Reach for it when
- The answer depends on careful reasoning, not just recall.
- A mistake is expensive and you want the model to slow down.
- You need structured output (decision tables, comparison matrices).
Consider another tier when
- The task is short and well-scoped — Flash is faster and cheaper.
- You are doing high-volume, low-stakes drafting.
Prompts that pair well
- Turn a broad question into a cited decision brief
- Ship a feature without losing the existing architecture
- Get a code review that ranks issues by severity
This page describes general guidance on when to use each tier, not official specifications. For current context windows, pricing, and capabilities, see Google’s official model documentation. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Google. Gemini is a trademark of Google LLC.