Gemini 1.5 Flash vs Gemma 3n E4B Instructed
Gemini 1.5 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemini 1.5 Flash is 95.2x cheaper per token.
Google · Google · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Gemini 1.5 Flash outperforms in 5 benchmarks (GPQA, HiddenMath, MGSM, MMLU, MMLU-Pro), while Gemma 3n E4B Instructed is better at 1 benchmark (HumanEval). Gemini 1.5 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Gemini 1.5 Flash is roughly 95.2x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Gemini 1.5 Flash also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current benchmark, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Gemini 1.5 Flash
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 5 of 6 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 95.2x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
Choose Gemma 3n E4B Instructed
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jun 2025
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemini 1.5 Flash outperforms in 5 benchmarks (GPQA, HiddenMath, MGSM, MMLU, MMLU-Pro), while Gemma 3n E4B Instructed is better at 1 benchmark (HumanEval).
Gemini 1.5 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Playground indexes and blind preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemini 1.5 Flash ($0.15/1M tokens) is 133.3x cheaper than Gemma 3n E4B Instructed ($20.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemini 1.5 Flash ($0.60/1M tokens) is 66.7x cheaper than Gemma 3n E4B Instructed ($40.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Gemma 3n E4B Instructed is more expensive than Gemini 1.5 Flash.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemini 1.5 Flash accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Gemma 3n E4B Instructed's 32,000 tokens. Gemma 3n E4B Instructed can generate longer responses up to 32,000 tokens, while Gemini 1.5 Flash is limited to 8,192 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Gemini 1.5 Flash and Gemma 3n E4B Instructed support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemini 1.5 Flash
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
Gemini 1.5 Flash was released on 2024-05-01, while Gemma 3n E4B Instructed was released on 2025-06-26.
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed is 14 months newer than Gemini 1.5 Flash.
May 1, 2024
2.3 years ago
Jun 26, 2025
1.2 years ago
1.2yr newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 1.5 Flash has a knowledge cutoff of 2023-11-01, while Gemma 3n E4B Instructed has a cutoff of 2024-06-01.
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed has more recent training data (up to 2024-06-01), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Gemini 1.5 Flash (2023-11-01).
Nov 2023
Jun 2024
7 mo newerProvider Availability
Gemini 1.5 Flash is available from Google. Gemma 3n E4B Instructed is available from Together.
Gemini 1.5 Flash
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemini 1.5 Flash and Gemma 3n E4B Instructed side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Gemini 1.5 Flash vs Gemma 3n E4B Instructed.