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Head-to-head comparison

Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite vs Gemma 4 26B A4B

Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite (Google) and Gemma 4 26B A4B (Google) compared on the ModelCap Index, API price, context window, provider availability, weight access and every public benchmark board they share. Figures are the same ones shown on the live rankings; nothing here is a hidden score.

Snapshot as of 6 November 2026

As of 6 November 2026, Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#34 vs #56); Gemma 4 26B A4B is 11.1× cheaper per output token ($0.225/1M vs $2.50/1M); Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite offers the longer context window (1M vs 262K tokens); and Gemma 4 26B A4B ships open weights.

Which should you choose?

Choose Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #34 against #56 (72.8 vs 66.8 points).
  • you need the longer context window — 1M tokens against 262K.
  • Arena text is your yardstick — 1456 against 1438.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1502 against 1482.
  • you want the more recently listed model — Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite was listed 21 July 2026, Gemma 4 26B A4B 3 April 2026.

Choose Gemma 4 26B A4B if…

  • API cost matters — $0.225/1M output tokens against $2.50/1M, about 11.1× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.068/1M against $0.30/1M.
  • you want to self-host: Gemma 4 26B A4B ships open weights while Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite is no linked weights.
  • you want provider choice — 15 listed API providers against 2.

Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite vs Gemma 4 26B A4B: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite and Gemma 4 26B A4B
FieldGemini 3.5 Flash LiteGoogleGemma 4 26B A4BGoogle
ModelCap Index position#34#56
Index score72.866.8
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$0.30$0.068
Output price / 1M tokens$2.50$0.225
Context window1M tokens262K tokens
Declared route output cap66K236K
API providers listed215
Weight accessNo linked weightsOpen weights
Input modalitiesText, Image, Video, File, AudioImage, Text, Video
First listed21 July 20263 April 2026
PublisherGoogleGoogle

Evidence: 3 public benchmark observations across 3 boards · 2 public benchmark observations across 2 boards. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite vs Gemma 4 26B A4B

Public benchmark boards where Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite or Gemma 4 26B A4B has a published result
BoardGemini 3.5 Flash LiteGemma 4 26B A4BLeads
Arena textArena (LMArena)14561451–1460Not reported14381430–1445Not reportedGemini 3.5 Flash Lite
Arena codingArena (LMArena)15021495–150914821468–1497Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite
ARC-AGI-2ARC Prize Foundation10.3%High—Only one result
AA Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis11.7Reasoning—Only one result

Scores are the sources' own published figures for each model's best evaluated configuration; ModelCap never re-runs a benchmark.

Want a different pairing? Open the interactive comparison tool to swap either model for any current ranked language model.

Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite vs Gemma 4 26B A4B: common questions

Is Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite better than Gemma 4 26B A4B?

Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 6 November 2026: #34 against #56. That is a capability ranking built from public benchmark evidence with published uncertainty; whether it is "better" for you also depends on price, context and where you can run it. Their published uncertainty intervals overlap, so the rank difference alone does not establish a reliable capability advantage for your workload.

Is Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite cheaper than Gemma 4 26B A4B?

Gemma 4 26B A4B is cheaper on output tokens: $0.225/1M against $2.50/1M. Input tokens are $0.30/1M for Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite and $0.068/1M for Gemma 4 26B A4B. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens. For 1,000 requests with 2,000 input and 500 output tokens each (2M input + 0.5M output), the listed-rate estimate is $1.85 for Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite versus $0.25 for Gemma 4 26B A4B. Gemma 4 26B A4B costs 86.6% less in this scenario. This excludes caching, batch discounts, prompt-length tiers, tool charges and retries; verify the selected endpoint before budgeting.

Which has the bigger context window, Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite or Gemma 4 26B A4B?

Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite has the larger context window: 1M tokens against 262K. OpenRouter catalogue or provider-endpoint declaration. Limits can vary by provider and prompt length; a model-wide maximum has not been independently verified.

Which is better for coding, Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite or Gemma 4 26B A4B?

Arena coding: Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite 1502, Gemma 4 26B A4B 1482 — Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite leads.

Are Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite and Gemma 4 26B A4B open-weight models?

Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite: No linked weights. Gemma 4 26B A4B: Open weights. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence. A missing weight link does not identify every API or chat product that offers a model.

Where can I run Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite and Gemma 4 26B A4B?

ModelCap currently lists 2 API providers for Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite and 15 for Gemma 4 26B A4B, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite vs Gemma 4 26B A4B comparison?

Every figure and ModelCap Index position comes from the same published snapshot dated 6 November 2026. Publication and page updates happen separately; use the snapshot date shown on the page.

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