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Head-to-head comparison

granite 4.0 h small vs granite 4.2 3b

granite 4.0 h small (IBM Granite) and granite 4.2 3b (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 21 October 2026

As of 21 October 2026, granite 4.2 3b holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#247 vs #260).

Which should you choose?

Choose granite 4.0 h small if…

  • ModelCap publishes no field on which granite 4.0 h small leads granite 4.2 3b for this pair.

Choose granite 4.2 3b if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #247 against #260 (26.8 vs 25.0 points).
  • Arena text is your yardstick — 1291 against 1287.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1380 against 1330.
  • AA Humanity's Last Exam is your yardstick — 6.6% against 3.8%.
  • you want the more recently listed model — granite 4.2 3b was listed 7 August 2026, granite 4.0 h small 16 September 2025.

granite 4.0 h small vs granite 4.2 3b: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of granite 4.0 h small and granite 4.2 3b
Fieldgranite 4.0 h smallIBM Granitegranite 4.2 3bIBM Granite
ModelCap Index position#260#247
Index score25.026.8
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokensUnlistedUnlisted
Output price / 1M tokensUnlistedUnlisted
Context window— tokens131K tokens
Declared route output cap--
API providers listed00
Weight accessOpen weightsOpen weights
Input modalitiesTextText
First listed16 September 20257 August 2026
PublisherIBM GraniteIBM 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: granite 4.0 h small vs granite 4.2 3b

Public benchmark boards where granite 4.0 h small or granite 4.2 3b has a published result
Boardgranite 4.0 h smallgranite 4.2 3bLeads
Arena textArena (LMArena)12871279–1296Not reported12911279–1302Not reportedgranite 4.2 3b
Arena codingArena (LMArena)13301313–134713801358–1402granite 4.2 3b
AA Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis—9.1ReasoningOnly one result
AA Terminal-Bench 2.1Artificial Analysis—13.9%ReasoningOnly one result
AA τ²-Bench TelecomArtificial Analysis17.3%Non-reasoning—Only one result
AA Humanity's Last ExamArtificial Analysis3.8%Non-reasoning6.6%Reasoninggranite 4.2 3b

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.

granite 4.0 h small vs granite 4.2 3b: common questions

Is granite 4.0 h small better than granite 4.2 3b?

granite 4.2 3b ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 21 October 2026: #247 against #260. 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 granite 4.0 h small cheaper than granite 4.2 3b?

At least one of the two has no listed API price on ModelCap right now, so no price comparison is made.

Which has the bigger context window, granite 4.0 h small or granite 4.2 3b?

granite 4.0 h small: context unknown. granite 4.2 3b: 131K-token context. OpenRouter catalogue or provider-endpoint declaration. Limits can vary by provider and prompt length; a model-wide maximum has not been independently verified.

Which is better for coding, granite 4.0 h small or granite 4.2 3b?

Arena coding: granite 4.0 h small 1330, granite 4.2 3b 1380 — granite 4.2 3b leads.

Are granite 4.0 h small and granite 4.2 3b open-weight models?

granite 4.0 h small: Open weights. granite 4.2 3b: Open weights. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence. A missing weight link does not identify every API or chat product that offers a model.

Where can I run granite 4.0 h small and granite 4.2 3b?

ModelCap currently lists 0 API providers for granite 4.0 h small and 0 for granite 4.2 3b, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this granite 4.0 h small vs granite 4.2 3b comparison?

Every figure and ModelCap Index position comes from the same published snapshot dated 21 October 2026. Publication and page updates happen separately; use the snapshot date shown on the page.

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