Model Comparison

DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs Gemma 3 4BWhich is better in 2026?

DeepSeek-R1-0528 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemma 3 4B is 36.5x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs Gemma 3 4B — which is better?

DeepSeek-R1-0528 (by DeepSeek) and Gemma 3 4B (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.

DeepSeek-R1-0528 outperforms in 4 benchmarks (GPQA, LiveCodeBench, MMLU-Pro, SimpleQA), while Gemma 3 4B is better at 0 benchmarks. DeepSeek-R1-0528 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Gemma 3 4B is roughly 36.5x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Choose DeepSeek-R1-0528 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 4 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped May 2025

Choose Gemma 3 4B if…

  • cost matters — it's about 36.5x cheaper per token

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

DeepSeek-R1-0528 outperforms in 4 benchmarks (GPQA, LiveCodeBench, MMLU-Pro, SimpleQA), while Gemma 3 4B is better at 0 benchmarks.

DeepSeek-R1-0528 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Wed Jul 15 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Gemma 3 4B costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-R1-0528 ($0.50/1M tokens) is 25.0x more expensive than Gemma 3 4B ($0.02/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-R1-0528 ($2.15/1M tokens) is 53.8x more expensive than Gemma 3 4B ($0.04/1M tokens).

In conclusion, DeepSeek-R1-0528 is more expensive than Gemma 3 4B.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Wed Jul 15 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1-0528
Input tokens$0.50
Output tokens$2.15
Best providerDeepinfra
Google
Gemma 3 4B
Input tokens$0.02
Output tokens$0.04
Best providerDeepinfra
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

667.0B diff

DeepSeek-R1-0528 has 667.0B more parameters than Gemma 3 4B, making it 16675.0% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1-0528
671.0Bparameters
Google
Gemma 3 4B
4.0Bparameters
671.0B
DeepSeek-R1-0528
4.0B
Gemma 3 4B

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Both models have the same input context window of 131,072 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 131,072 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1-0528
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Google
Gemma 3 4B
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Wed Jul 15 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Gemma 3 4B supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-R1-0528 does not.

Gemma 3 4B can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

DeepSeek-R1-0528

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Gemma 3 4B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-R1-0528 is licensed under MIT, while Gemma 3 4B uses Gemma.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

DeepSeek-R1-0528

MIT

Open weights

Gemma 3 4B

Gemma

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-R1-0528 was released on 2025-05-28, while Gemma 3 4B was released on 2025-03-12.

DeepSeek-R1-0528 is 3 months newer than Gemma 3 4B.

DeepSeek-R1-0528

May 28, 2025

1.1 years ago

2mo newer
Gemma 3 4B

Mar 12, 2025

1.3 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemma 3 4B has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-08-01, while DeepSeek-R1-0528's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Gemma 3 4B's training data extends to 2024-08-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-R1-0528's cutoff date.

DeepSeek-R1-0528

—

Gemma 3 4B

Aug 2024

Provider Availability

DeepSeek-R1-0528 is available from DeepInfra, DeepSeek, Novita. Gemma 3 4B is available from DeepInfra.

DeepSeek-R1-0528

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.15/1M
deepseek logo
DeepSeek
Input Price:Input: $0.55/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.19/1M
novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.70/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.50/1M

Gemma 3 4B

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.02/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.04/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Higher GPQA score (81.0% vs 30.8%)
Higher LiveCodeBench score (73.3% vs 12.6%)
Higher MMLU-Pro score (85.0% vs 43.6%)
Higher SimpleQA score (92.3% vs 4.0%)
Google
Supports multimodal inputs
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-R1-0528 and Gemma 3 4B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-R1-0528
✓ Preferred
Gemma 3 4B
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-R1-0528
Google
Gemma 3 4B

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-R1-0528 vs Gemma 3 4B.

Which is better, DeepSeek-R1-0528 or Gemma 3 4B?

DeepSeek-R1-0528 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-R1-0528 is made by DeepSeek and Gemma 3 4B is made by Google. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek-R1-0528 compare to Gemma 3 4B in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-R1-0528 scores MMLU-Redux: 93.4%, SimpleQA: 92.3%, AIME 2024: 91.4%, AIME 2025: 87.5%, MMLU-Pro: 85.0%. Gemma 3 4B scores IFEval: 90.2%, GSM8k: 89.2%, DocVQA: 75.8%, MATH: 75.6%, AI2D: 74.8%.

Is DeepSeek-R1-0528 cheaper than Gemma 3 4B?

Gemma 3 4B is 25.0x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-R1-0528 costs $0.50/M input and $2.15/M output via deepinfra. Gemma 3 4B costs $0.02/M input and $0.04/M output via deepinfra.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-R1-0528 and Gemma 3 4B?

DeepSeek-R1-0528 supports 131K tokens and Gemma 3 4B supports 131K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek-R1-0528 and Gemma 3 4B?

Key differences include input pricing ($0.50 vs $0.02/M), multimodal support (no vs yes), licensing (MIT vs Gemma). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-R1-0528 and Gemma 3 4B?

DeepSeek-R1-0528 is developed by DeepSeek and Gemma 3 4B is developed by Google.

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