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Head-to-head comparison

Gemma 3 4B vs Granite 4.1 8B

Gemma 3 4B (Google) and Granite 4.1 8B (IBM Granite) 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 18 August 2026

As of 18 August 2026, Granite 4.1 8B holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#187 vs #195); and Granite 4.1 8B ships open weights.

Which should you choose?

Choose Gemma 3 4B if…

  • ModelCap publishes no field on which Gemma 3 4B leads Granite 4.1 8B for this pair.

Choose Granite 4.1 8B if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #187 against #195 (15.1 vs 10.9 points).
  • you want to self-host: Granite 4.1 8B ships open weights while Gemma 3 4B is gated access.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1353 against 1274.
  • Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index is your yardstick — 6.4 against 1.0.
  • you want the more recently listed model — Granite 4.1 8B was listed 30 April 2026, Gemma 3 4B 13 March 2025.

Gemma 3 4B vs Granite 4.1 8B: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of Gemma 3 4B and Granite 4.1 8B
FieldGemma 3 4BGoogleGranite 4.1 8BIBM Granite
ModelCap Index position#195#187
Index score10.915.1
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$0.05$0.05
Output price / 1M tokens$0.10$0.10
Context window131K tokens131K tokens
Max output tokens16K131K
API providers listed11
Weight accessGated accessOpen weights
Input modalitiesText, ImageText
First listed13 March 202530 April 2026
PublisherGoogleIBM Granite

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

Benchmark scores: Gemma 3 4B vs Granite 4.1 8B

Public benchmark boards where Gemma 3 4B or Granite 4.1 8B has a published result
BoardGemma 3 4BGranite 4.1 8BLeads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)12741250–129813531333–1373Granite 4.1 8B
BFCL V4UC Berkeley (Gorilla)19.6Prompt—Only one result
Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis1.0intelligence-index6.4intelligence-indexGranite 4.1 8B

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 Granite 4.1 8B: common questions

Is Gemma 3 4B better than Granite 4.1 8B?

Granite 4.1 8B ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 18 August 2026: #187 against #195. 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.

Is Gemma 3 4B cheaper than Granite 4.1 8B?

Both list the same output price, $0.10/1M tokens, with input at $0.05/1M and $0.05/1M respectively.

Which has the bigger context window, Gemma 3 4B or Granite 4.1 8B?

Both publish a 131K-token context window.

Which is better for coding, Gemma 3 4B or Granite 4.1 8B?

Arena coding: Gemma 3 4B 1274, Granite 4.1 8B 1353 — Granite 4.1 8B leads.

Are Gemma 3 4B and Granite 4.1 8B open-weight models?

Gemma 3 4B: Gated access. Granite 4.1 8B: 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 Granite 4.1 8B?

ModelCap currently lists 1 API provider for Gemma 3 4B and 1 for Granite 4.1 8B, 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 Granite 4.1 8B comparison?

Every figure comes from the sealed ModelCap dataset published 18 August 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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