Model Comparison
Claude Opus 4.6 vs Gemma 3n E4B InstructedWhich is better in 2026?
Claude Opus 4.6 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Claude Opus 4.6 is 2.5x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Claude Opus 4.6 vs Gemma 3n E4B Instructed — which is better?
Claude Opus 4.6 (by Anthropic) and Gemma 3n E4B Instructed (by Google) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.
Claude Opus 4.6 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA), while Gemma 3n E4B Instructed is better at 0 benchmarks. Claude Opus 4.6 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Claude Opus 4.6 is roughly 2.5x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Claude Opus 4.6 also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Claude Opus 4.6 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 2.5x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2026
Choose Gemma 3n E4B Instructed if…
- you want predictable pricing at $20.00/M input and $40.00/M output
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Claude Opus 4.6 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA), while Gemma 3n E4B Instructed is better at 0 benchmarks.
Claude Opus 4.6 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Claude Opus 4.6 ($5.00/1M tokens) is 4.0x cheaper than Gemma 3n E4B Instructed ($20.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, Claude Opus 4.6 ($25.00/1M tokens) is 1.6x cheaper than Gemma 3n E4B Instructed ($40.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Gemma 3n E4B Instructed is more expensive than Claude Opus 4.6.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Claude Opus 4.6 accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to Gemma 3n E4B Instructed's 32,000 tokens. Claude Opus 4.6 can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Gemma 3n E4B Instructed is limited to 32,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Claude Opus 4.6 and Gemma 3n E4B Instructed support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Claude Opus 4.6
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Claude Opus 4.6 was released on 2026-02-05, while Gemma 3n E4B Instructed was released on 2025-06-26.
Claude Opus 4.6 is 7 months newer than Gemma 3n E4B Instructed.
Feb 5, 2026
4 months ago
7mo newerJun 26, 2025
11 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-06-01, while Claude Opus 4.6's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Gemma 3n E4B Instructed's training data extends to 2024-06-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without Claude Opus 4.6's cutoff date.
—
Jun 2024
Provider Availability
Claude Opus 4.6 is available from Anthropic. Gemma 3n E4B Instructed is available from Together.
Claude Opus 4.6
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Claude Opus 4.6
View detailsAnthropic
No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.
Detailed Comparison
| Feature |
|---|
FAQ
Common questions about Claude Opus 4.6 vs Gemma 3n E4B Instructed.