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Head-to-head comparison

Gemma 3 4B vs Gemma 4 26B A4B

Gemma 3 4B (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 22 September 2026

As of 22 September 2026, Gemma 4 26B A4B holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#38 vs #187); Gemma 3 4B is 3× cheaper per output token ($0.10/1M vs $0.30/1M); Gemma 4 26B A4B offers the longer context window (262K vs 131K tokens); and Gemma 4 26B A4B ships open weights.

Which should you choose?

Choose Gemma 3 4B if…

  • API cost matters — $0.10/1M output tokens against $0.30/1M, about 3× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.05/1M against $0.09/1M.

Choose Gemma 4 26B A4B if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #38 against #187 (70.2 vs 24.1 points).
  • you need the longer context window — 262K tokens against 131K.
  • you want to self-host: Gemma 4 26B A4B ships open weights while Gemma 3 4B is gated access.
  • you want provider choice — 12 listed API providers against 1.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1481 against 1274.
  • you want the more recently listed model — Gemma 4 26B A4B was listed 3 April 2026, Gemma 3 4B 13 March 2025.

Gemma 3 4B vs Gemma 4 26B A4B: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of Gemma 3 4B and Gemma 4 26B A4B
FieldGemma 3 4BGoogleGemma 4 26B A4BGoogle
ModelCap Index position#187#38
Index score24.170.2
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$0.05$0.09
Output price / 1M tokens$0.10$0.30
Context window131K tokens262K tokens
Max output tokens16K236K
API providers listed112
Weight accessGated accessOpen weights
Input modalitiesText, ImageImage, Text, Video
First listed13 March 20253 April 2026
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 4B vs Gemma 4 26B A4B

Public benchmark boards where Gemma 3 4B or Gemma 4 26B A4B has a published result
BoardGemma 3 4BGemma 4 26B A4BLeads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)12741250–129714811466–1496Gemma 4 26B A4B
BFCL V4UC Berkeley (Gorilla)19.6Prompt—Only one result
AA τ²-Bench TelecomArtificial Analysis—40.4%tau2:telecom:dual-control:pass-at-1:3-repeats:source-model="Gemma 4 26B A4B (Non-reasoning)":reasoning=falseOnly one result
AA Humanity's Last ExamArtificial Analysis—11.5%hle:may-2025:text-only-2158:no-tools:pass-at-1:source-model="Gemma 4 26B A4B (Non-reasoning)":reasoning=falseOnly 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.

Gemma 3 4B vs Gemma 4 26B A4B: common questions

Is Gemma 3 4B better than Gemma 4 26B A4B?

Gemma 4 26B A4B ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 22 September 2026: #38 against #187. 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 4B cheaper than Gemma 4 26B A4B?

Gemma 3 4B is cheaper on output tokens: $0.10/1M against $0.30/1M. Input tokens are $0.05/1M for Gemma 3 4B and $0.09/1M 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 $0.15 for Gemma 3 4B versus $0.33 for Gemma 4 26B A4B. Gemma 3 4B costs 54.5% 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 4B or Gemma 4 26B A4B?

Gemma 4 26B A4B has the larger context window: 262K tokens against 131K.

Which is better for coding, Gemma 3 4B or Gemma 4 26B A4B?

Arena coding: Gemma 3 4B 1274, Gemma 4 26B A4B 1481 — Gemma 4 26B A4B leads.

Are Gemma 3 4B and Gemma 4 26B A4B open-weight models?

Gemma 3 4B: Gated access. Gemma 4 26B A4B: Open weights. 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 4B and Gemma 4 26B A4B?

ModelCap currently lists 1 API provider for Gemma 3 4B and 12 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 Gemma 3 4B vs Gemma 4 26B A4B 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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