Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max vs Gemma 4 26B-A4BWhich is better in 2026?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is 1.6x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max vs Gemma 4 26B-A4B — which is better?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max (by DeepSeek) and Gemma 4 26B-A4B (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-V4-Flash-Max outperforms in 3 benchmarks (GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, MMLU-Pro), while Gemma 4 26B-A4B is better at 0 benchmarks. DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is roughly 1.6x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
  • cost matters — it's about 1.6x cheaper per token
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2026

Choose Gemma 4 26B-A4B if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $0.13/M input and $0.40/M output

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

3 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max outperforms in 3 benchmarks (GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, MMLU-Pro), while Gemma 4 26B-A4B is better at 0 benchmarks.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Fri Jul 17 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max ($0.10/1M tokens) is 1.3x cheaper than Gemma 4 26B-A4B ($0.13/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max ($0.20/1M tokens) is 2.0x cheaper than Gemma 4 26B-A4B ($0.40/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Gemma 4 26B-A4B is more expensive than DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Fri Jul 17 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max
Input tokens$0.10
Output tokens$0.20
Best providerDeepinfra
Google
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
Input tokens$0.13
Output tokens$0.40
Best providerNovita
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

258.8B diff

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max has 258.8B more parameters than Gemma 4 26B-A4B, making it 1027.0% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max
284.0Bparameters
Google
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
25.2Bparameters
284.0B
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max
25.2B
Gemma 4 26B-A4B

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Gemma 4 26B-A4B's 262,144 tokens. Gemma 4 26B-A4B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is limited to 65,536 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Google
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
Input262,144 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Fri Jul 17 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Gemma 4 26B-A4B supports multimodal inputs, whereas DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max does not.

Gemma 4 26B-A4B can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Gemma 4 26B-A4B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is licensed under MIT, while Gemma 4 26B-A4B uses Apache 2.0.

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

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max

MIT

Open weights

Gemma 4 26B-A4B

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max was released on 2026-04-23, while Gemma 4 26B-A4B was released on 2026-04-02.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is 1 month newer than Gemma 4 26B-A4B.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max

Apr 23, 2026

2 months ago

3w newer
Gemma 4 26B-A4B

Apr 2, 2026

3 months ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemma 4 26B-A4B has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-01, while DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Gemma 4 26B-A4B's training data extends to 2025-01-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max's cutoff date.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max

—

Gemma 4 26B-A4B

Jan 2025

Provider Availability

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is available from DeepInfra, DeepSeek, Fireworks, Novita. Gemma 4 26B-A4B is available from Novita.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.20/1M
deepseek logo
DeepSeek
Input Price:Input: $0.14/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.28/1M
fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $0.14/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.28/1M
novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.14/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.28/1M

Gemma 4 26B-A4B

novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.13/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.40/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Larger context window (1,048,576 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Higher GPQA score (88.1% vs 82.3%)
Higher Humanity's Last Exam score (45.1% vs 17.2%)
Higher MMLU-Pro score (86.2% vs 82.6%)
Google
Supports multimodal inputs

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max and Gemma 4 26B-A4B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max
✓ Preferred
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max
Google
Gemma 4 26B-A4B

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max vs Gemma 4 26B-A4B.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max or Gemma 4 26B-A4B?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is made by DeepSeek and Gemma 4 26B-A4B is made by Google. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max compare to Gemma 4 26B-A4B in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max scores CodeForces: 100.0%, HMMT Feb 26: 94.8%, LiveCodeBench: 91.6%, IMO-AnswerBench: 88.4%, GPQA: 88.1%. Gemma 4 26B-A4B scores AIME 2026: 88.3%, MMMLU: 86.3%, t2-bench: 85.5%, MMLU-Pro: 82.6%, MathVision: 82.4%.

Is DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max cheaper than Gemma 4 26B-A4B?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is 1.3x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max costs $0.10/M input and $0.20/M output via deepinfra. Gemma 4 26B-A4B costs $0.13/M input and $0.40/M output via novita.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max and Gemma 4 26B-A4B?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max supports 1.0M tokens and Gemma 4 26B-A4B supports 262K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max and Gemma 4 26B-A4B?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 262K), input pricing ($0.10 vs $0.13/M), multimodal support (no vs yes), licensing (MIT vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max and Gemma 4 26B-A4B?

DeepSeek-V4-Flash-Max is developed by DeepSeek and Gemma 4 26B-A4B is developed by Google.

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