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Head-to-head comparison

Gemma 3 4B vs Granite 4.2 8B

Gemma 3 4B (Google) and Granite 4.2 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 9 September 2026

As of 9 September 2026, Gemma 3 4B holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#146 vs #147); Gemma 3 4B is 2.5× cheaper per output token ($0.10/1M vs $0.25/1M); and Granite 4.2 8B ships open weights.

Which should you choose?

Choose Gemma 3 4B if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #146 against #147 (19.3 vs 18.7 points).
  • API cost matters — $0.10/1M output tokens against $0.25/1M, about 2.5× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.05/1M against $0.06/1M.

Choose Granite 4.2 8B if…

  • you want to self-host: Granite 4.2 8B ships open weights while Gemma 3 4B is gated access.
  • you want provider choice — 2 listed API providers against 1.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1364 against 1274.
  • AA Terminal-Bench 2.1 is your yardstick — 18.4% against 0.4%.
  • AA Humanity's Last Exam is your yardstick — 9.7% against 5.3%.
  • you want the more recently listed model — Granite 4.2 8B was listed 31 August 2026, Gemma 3 4B 13 March 2025.

Gemma 3 4B vs Granite 4.2 8B: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of Gemma 3 4B and Granite 4.2 8B
FieldGemma 3 4BGoogleGranite 4.2 8BIBM Granite
ModelCap Index position#146#147
Index score19.318.7
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$0.05$0.06
Output price / 1M tokens$0.10$0.25
Context window131K tokens131K tokens
Max output tokens16K118K
API providers listed12
Weight accessGated accessOpen weights
Input modalitiesText, ImageText
First listed13 March 202531 August 2026
PublisherGoogleIBM Granite

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 Granite 4.2 8B

Public benchmark boards where Gemma 3 4B or Granite 4.2 8B has a published result
BoardGemma 3 4BGranite 4.2 8BLeads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)12741250–129813641342–1386Granite 4.2 8B
BFCL V4UC Berkeley (Gorilla)19.6Prompt—Only one result
AA Terminal-Bench 2.1Artificial Analysis0.4%terminal-bench:2.1:terminus-2:e2b:pass-at-1:3-repeats:source-model="Gemma 3 4B":reasoning=false18.4%terminal-bench:2.1:terminus-2:e2b:pass-at-1:3-repeats:source-model="Granite 4.2 8B":reasoning=trueGranite 4.2 8B
AA τ²-Bench TelecomArtificial Analysis5.0%tau2:telecom:dual-control:pass-at-1:3-repeats:source-model="Gemma 3 4B":reasoning=false—Only one result
AA Humanity's Last ExamArtificial Analysis5.3%hle:may-2025:text-only-2158:no-tools:pass-at-1:source-model="Gemma 3 4B":reasoning=false9.7%hle:may-2025:text-only-2158:no-tools:pass-at-1:source-model="Granite 4.2 8B":reasoning=trueGranite 4.2 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 4.2 8B: common questions

Is Gemma 3 4B better than Granite 4.2 8B?

Gemma 3 4B ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 9 September 2026: #146 against #147. 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 Gemma 3 4B cheaper than Granite 4.2 8B?

Gemma 3 4B is cheaper on output tokens: $0.10/1M against $0.25/1M. Input tokens are $0.05/1M for Gemma 3 4B and $0.06/1M for Granite 4.2 8B. 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 $0.24 for Granite 4.2 8B. Gemma 3 4B costs 38.8% 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 Granite 4.2 8B?

Both publish a 131K-token context window.

Which is better for coding, Gemma 3 4B or Granite 4.2 8B?

Arena coding: Gemma 3 4B 1274, Granite 4.2 8B 1364 — Granite 4.2 8B leads. AA Terminal-Bench 2.1: Gemma 3 4B 0.4%, Granite 4.2 8B 18.4% — Granite 4.2 8B leads.

Are Gemma 3 4B and Granite 4.2 8B open-weight models?

Gemma 3 4B: Gated access. Granite 4.2 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 4.2 8B?

ModelCap currently lists 1 API provider for Gemma 3 4B and 2 for Granite 4.2 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 4.2 8B comparison?

Every figure comes from the sealed ModelCap dataset published 9 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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