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Head-to-head comparison

granite 4.2 30b vs granite 4.2 3b

granite 4.2 30b (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 3 September 2026

As of 3 September 2026, granite 4.2 30b holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#86 vs #178).

Which should you choose?

Choose granite 4.2 30b if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #86 against #178 (30.4 vs 18.5 points).
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1396 against 1380.
  • AA Intelligence Index is your yardstick — 23.7 against 14.3.
  • AA Terminal-Bench 2.1 is your yardstick — 26.6% against 13.9%.
  • AA Humanity's Last Exam is your yardstick — 11.2% against 6.6%.
  • you want the more recently listed model — granite 4.2 30b was listed 7 August 2026, granite 4.2 3b 7 August 2026.

Choose granite 4.2 3b if…

  • ModelCap publishes no field on which granite 4.2 3b leads granite 4.2 30b for this pair.

granite 4.2 30b vs granite 4.2 3b: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of granite 4.2 30b and granite 4.2 3b
Fieldgranite 4.2 30bIBM Granitegranite 4.2 3bIBM Granite
ModelCap Index position#86#178
Index score30.418.5
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokensUnlistedUnlisted
Output price / 1M tokensUnlistedUnlisted
Context window131K tokens131K tokens
Max output tokens——
API providers listed00
Weight accessOpen weightsOpen weights
Input modalitiesTextText
First listed7 August 20267 August 2026
PublisherIBM GraniteIBM 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: granite 4.2 30b vs granite 4.2 3b

Public benchmark boards where granite 4.2 30b or granite 4.2 3b has a published result
Boardgranite 4.2 30bgranite 4.2 3bLeads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)13961374–141713801357–1402granite 4.2 30b
AA Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis23.7intelligence-index14.3intelligence-indexgranite 4.2 30b
AA Terminal-Bench 2.1Artificial Analysis26.6%terminal-bench-2.113.9%terminal-bench-2.1granite 4.2 30b
AA Humanity's Last ExamArtificial Analysis11.2%humanitys-last-exam6.6%humanitys-last-examgranite 4.2 30b

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 4.2 30b vs granite 4.2 3b: common questions

Is granite 4.2 30b better than granite 4.2 3b?

granite 4.2 30b ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 3 September 2026: #86 against #178. 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 granite 4.2 30b 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 4.2 30b or granite 4.2 3b?

Both publish a 131K-token context window.

Which is better for coding, granite 4.2 30b or granite 4.2 3b?

Arena coding: granite 4.2 30b 1396, granite 4.2 3b 1380 — granite 4.2 30b leads. AA Terminal-Bench 2.1: granite 4.2 30b 26.6%, granite 4.2 3b 13.9% — granite 4.2 30b leads.

Are granite 4.2 30b and granite 4.2 3b open-weight models?

granite 4.2 30b: Open weights. granite 4.2 3b: 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 granite 4.2 30b and granite 4.2 3b?

ModelCap currently lists 0 API providers for granite 4.2 30b 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 4.2 30b vs granite 4.2 3b comparison?

Every figure comes from the sealed ModelCap dataset published 3 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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