AI Model Watch
Deprecations / Migrate

Migrate off Gemini 2.5 Flash

Deprecated

Gemini 2.5 Flash is deprecated and shuts down on 16 Oct 2026. Google's official replacement is Gemini 3.6 Flash. The cheapest comparable model we track is Llama 4 Scout (17B-16E Instruct) (Meta) at $0.15 per 1M tokens blended.

Last verified: 13 Aug 2026 · sourced from official provider documentation

StatusDeprecatedGoogle
Shutdown date16 Oct 2026plan ahead
Official replacementGemini 3.6 Flash$3 /M blendedCheapest alternativeLlama 4 Scout (17B-16E Instruct)$0.15 /M blended
What changes

Gemini 2.5 Flash → Gemini 3.6 Flash

Moving to Gemini 3.6 Flash means 3.5× more expensive ($0.85 → $3 /1M blended).

SpecGemini 2.5 FlashGemini 3.6 Flash
StatusDeprecatedGA
Blended price /1M$0.85$3
Input / output /1M$0.3 / $2.50$1.50 / $7.50
Context window1.0M1.0M
Max output65.53665.536
Modalitytext, image, video, audiotext, image, video, audio, pdf
Knowledge cutoffJan 2025—

API string was gemini-2.5-flash → switch to gemini-3.6-flash. See Gemini 3.6 Flash's full spec sheet →

Cheapest alternatives

Budget-friendly replacements for Gemini 2.5 Flash

Generally-available models that match Gemini 2.5 Flash's capabilities (and at least half its 1.0M context), ranked by blended price. Every number is computed from official catalog prices.

ModelBlended /1MInput / outputContext
Llama 4 Scout (17B-16E Instruct)
Meta
$0.15$0.1 / $0.310M
Qwen3.5-Flash
Alibaba
$0.175$0.1 / $0.41M
Llama 4 Maverick (17B-128E Instruct)
Meta
$0.262$0.15 / $0.61M
FAQ

Migrating off Gemini 2.5 Flash

What replaces Gemini 2.5 Flash?

Google's recommended migration for Gemini 2.5 Flash is Gemini 3.6 Flash. The cheapest comparable model in our catalog is Llama 4 Scout (17B-16E Instruct) (Meta) at $0.15/1M blended.

When is Gemini 2.5 Flash shut down?

Gemini 2.5 Flash is deprecated and scheduled to shut down on 16 Oct 2026. Migrate before that date to avoid a 404.

What is the cheapest alternative to Gemini 2.5 Flash?

Llama 4 Scout (17B-16E Instruct) (Meta) is the cheapest generally-available alternative we track that matches Gemini 2.5 Flash's capabilities, at $0.1 per 1M input and $0.3 per 1M output tokens ($0.15/1M blended).

Browse the full deprecation watch → or see Gemini 2.5 Flash's full spec sheet →