Skip to content
ModelCap

Head-to-head comparison

Gemma 3 4B vs Phi 4

Gemma 3 4B (Google) and Phi 4 (Microsoft) 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 17 August 2026

As of 17 August 2026, Gemma 3 4B holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#195 vs #197); Gemma 3 4B is 1.4× cheaper per output token ($0.10/1M vs $0.14/1M); Gemma 3 4B offers the longer context window (131K vs 16K tokens); and Phi 4 ships open weights.

Which should you choose?

Choose Gemma 3 4B if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #195 against #197 (10.9 vs 9.0 points).
  • API cost matters — $0.10/1M output tokens against $0.14/1M, about 1.4× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.05/1M against $0.07/1M.
  • you need the longer context window — 131K tokens against 16K.
  • you want the more recently listed model — Gemma 3 4B was listed 13 March 2025, Phi 4 10 January 2025.

Choose Phi 4 if…

  • you want to self-host: Phi 4 ships open weights while Gemma 3 4B is gated access.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1306 against 1274.
  • BFCL V4 is your yardstick — 28.8 against 19.6.
  • Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index is your yardstick — 4.6 against 1.0.

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

Specification comparison of Gemma 3 4B and Phi 4
FieldGemma 3 4BGooglePhi 4Microsoft
ModelCap Index position#195#197
Index score10.99.0
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$0.05$0.07
Output price / 1M tokens$0.10$0.14
Context window131K tokens16K tokens
Max output tokens16K16K
API providers listed11
Weight accessGated accessOpen weights
Input modalitiesText, ImageText
First listed13 March 202510 January 2025
PublisherGoogleMicrosoft

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 Phi 4

Public benchmark boards where Gemma 3 4B or Phi 4 has a published result
BoardGemma 3 4BPhi 4Leads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)12741250–129813061296–1316Phi 4
BFCL V4UC Berkeley (Gorilla)19.6Prompt28.8PromptPhi 4
Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis1.0intelligence-index4.6intelligence-indexPhi 4

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 Phi 4: common questions

Is Gemma 3 4B better than Phi 4?

Gemma 3 4B ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 17 August 2026: #195 against #197. 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 Phi 4?

Gemma 3 4B is cheaper on output tokens: $0.10/1M against $0.14/1M. Input tokens are $0.05/1M for Gemma 3 4B and $0.07/1M for Phi 4. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens.

Which has the bigger context window, Gemma 3 4B or Phi 4?

Gemma 3 4B has the larger context window: 131K tokens against 16K.

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

Arena coding: Gemma 3 4B 1274, Phi 4 1306 — Phi 4 leads.

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

Gemma 3 4B: Gated access. Phi 4: 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 Phi 4?

ModelCap currently lists 1 API provider for Gemma 3 4B and 1 for Phi 4, 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 Phi 4 comparison?

Every figure comes from the sealed ModelCap dataset published 17 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.

Explore further