DeepSeek R1 Zero vs Gemma 3 4B
DeepSeek R1 Zero leads the LLM Stats Score 16.0 to -1.9.
DeepSeek · Google · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
DeepSeek R1 Zero leads the overall LLM Stats Score 16.0 to -1.9, ranking #225 overall.
In the 2 individual benchmarks reported for both models, DeepSeek R1 Zero wins 2; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose DeepSeek R1 Zero
- overall performance matters — it scores 16.0 and ranks #225 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 2 of 2 exact shared results
Choose Gemma 3 4B
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Mar 2025
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
4 reported for DeepSeek R1 Zero · 26 for Gemma 3 4B
DeepSeek R1 Zero outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, LiveCodeBench), while Gemma 3 4B is better at 0 benchmarks.
DeepSeek R1 Zero significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
DeepSeek R1 Zero has 667.0B more parameters than Gemma 3 4B, making it 16675.0% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Only Gemma 3 4B specifies input context (131,072 tokens). Only Gemma 3 4B specifies output context (131,072 tokens).
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Gemma 3 4B supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek R1 Zero does not.
Gemma 3 4B can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
DeepSeek R1 Zero
Gemma 3 4B
License
Usage and distribution terms
DeepSeek R1 Zero 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.
MIT
Open weights
Gemma
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek R1 Zero was released on 2025-01-20, while Gemma 3 4B was released on 2025-03-12.
Gemma 3 4B is 2 months newer than DeepSeek R1 Zero.
Jan 20, 2025
1.6 years ago
Mar 12, 2025
1.5 years ago
1mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemma 3 4B has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-08-01, while DeepSeek R1 Zero'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 Zero's cutoff date.
—
Aug 2024
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek R1 Zero and Gemma 3 4B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek R1 Zero vs Gemma 3 4B.