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Head-to-head comparison

Gemma 3 27B vs Gemma 3 4B

Gemma 3 27B (Google) and Gemma 3 4B (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 22 September 2026

As of 22 September 2026, Gemma 3 27B holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#127 vs #185); and Gemma 3 4B is 4.5× cheaper per output token ($0.10/1M vs $0.45/1M).

Which should you choose?

Choose Gemma 3 27B if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #127 against #185 (43.7 vs 24.1 points).
  • you want provider choice — 4 listed API providers against 1.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1358 against 1274.
  • BFCL V4 is your yardstick — 29.5 against 19.6.

Choose Gemma 3 4B if…

  • API cost matters — $0.10/1M output tokens against $0.45/1M, about 4.5× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.05/1M against $0.08/1M.
  • you want the more recently listed model — Gemma 3 4B was listed 13 March 2025, Gemma 3 27B 12 March 2025.

Gemma 3 27B vs Gemma 3 4B: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of Gemma 3 27B and Gemma 3 4B
FieldGemma 3 27BGoogleGemma 3 4BGoogle
ModelCap Index position#127#185
Index score43.724.1
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$0.08$0.05
Output price / 1M tokens$0.45$0.10
Context window131K tokens131K tokens
Max output tokens118K16K
API providers listed41
Weight accessGated accessGated access
Input modalitiesText, ImageText, Image
First listed12 March 202513 March 2025
PublisherGoogleGoogle

Evidence: 2 public benchmark observations across 2 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: Gemma 3 27B vs Gemma 3 4B

Public benchmark boards where Gemma 3 27B or Gemma 3 4B has a published result
BoardGemma 3 27BGemma 3 4BLeads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)13581351–136512741250–1297Gemma 3 27B
BFCL V4UC Berkeley (Gorilla)29.5Prompt19.6PromptGemma 3 27B

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.

Gemma 3 27B vs Gemma 3 4B: common questions

Is Gemma 3 27B better than Gemma 3 4B?

Gemma 3 27B ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 22 September 2026: #127 against #185. 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 do not overlap, but the aggregate Index does not predict performance on every task; compare the relevant benchmark configurations before choosing.

Is Gemma 3 27B cheaper than Gemma 3 4B?

Gemma 3 4B is cheaper on output tokens: $0.10/1M against $0.45/1M. Input tokens are $0.08/1M for Gemma 3 27B and $0.05/1M for Gemma 3 4B. 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 $0.39 for Gemma 3 27B versus $0.15 for Gemma 3 4B. Gemma 3 4B costs 61.0% 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, Gemma 3 27B or Gemma 3 4B?

Both publish a 131K-token context window.

Which is better for coding, Gemma 3 27B or Gemma 3 4B?

Arena coding: Gemma 3 27B 1358, Gemma 3 4B 1274 — Gemma 3 27B leads.

Are Gemma 3 27B and Gemma 3 4B open-weight models?

Gemma 3 27B: Gated access. Gemma 3 4B: Gated access. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence; API-only models are available solely through hosted endpoints.

Where can I run Gemma 3 27B and Gemma 3 4B?

ModelCap currently lists 4 API providers for Gemma 3 27B and 1 for Gemma 3 4B, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this Gemma 3 27B vs Gemma 3 4B comparison?

Every figure comes from the sealed ModelCap dataset published 22 September 2026; the page re-renders within a minute of each data refresh, and the ModelCap Index positions are the same ones shown on the live rankings.

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