Model Comparison

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs Gemma 3 4BWhich is better in 2026?

Comparing Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and Gemma 3 4B across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs Gemma 3 4B — which is better?

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite (by Google) 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.

On price, Gemma 3 4B is roughly 34.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Choose Gemma 3 4B if…

  • cost matters — it's about 34.0x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and Gemma 3 4Bdon't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Gemma 3 4B costs less

For input processing, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite ($0.30/1M tokens) is 15.0x more expensive than Gemma 3 4B ($0.02/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite ($2.50/1M tokens) is 62.5x more expensive than Gemma 3 4B ($0.04/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is more expensive than Gemma 3 4B.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jul 25 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Input tokens$0.30
Output tokens$2.50
Best providerGoogle
Google
Gemma 3 4B
Input tokens$0.02
Output tokens$0.04
Best providerDeepinfra
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Gemma 3 4B's 131,072 tokens. Gemma 3 4B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is limited to 65,536 tokens.

Google
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Google
Gemma 3 4B
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Sat Jul 25 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and Gemma 3 4B support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Gemma 3 4B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is licensed under a proprietary license, while Gemma 3 4B uses Gemma.

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

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

Proprietary

Closed source

Gemma 3 4B

Gemma

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite was released on 2026-07-21, while Gemma 3 4B was released on 2025-03-12.

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is 17 months newer than Gemma 3 4B.

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

Jul 21, 2026

3 days ago

1.4yr newer
Gemma 3 4B

Mar 12, 2025

1.4 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite has a knowledge cutoff of 2026-03-31, while Gemma 3 4B has a cutoff of 2024-08-01.

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite has more recent training data (up to 2026-03-31), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Gemma 3 4B (2024-08-01).

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

Mar 2026

1.6 yr newer
Gemma 3 4B

Aug 2024

Provider Availability

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is available from Google. Gemma 3 4B is available from DeepInfra.

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite

google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $0.30/1MOutput 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

Google
Larger context window (1,048,576 tokens)
Google
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and Gemma 3 4B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
✓ Preferred
Gemma 3 4B
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Google
Gemma 3 4B

FAQ

Common questions about Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs Gemma 3 4B.

Which is better, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite or Gemma 3 4B?

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite (Google) and Gemma 3 4B (Google) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite compare to Gemma 3 4B in benchmarks?

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite scores CharXiv-R: 76.5%, OSWorld-Verified: 74.0%, SWE-Bench Pro: 54.2%, Terminal-Bench 2.1: 54.0%, MLE-Bench: 39.2%. Gemma 3 4B scores IFEval: 90.2%, GSM8k: 89.2%, DocVQA: 75.8%, MATH: 75.6%, AI2D: 74.8%.

Is Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite cheaper than Gemma 3 4B?

Gemma 3 4B is 15.0x cheaper for input tokens. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite costs $0.30/M input and $2.50/M output via google. Gemma 3 4B costs $0.02/M input and $0.04/M output via deepinfra.

What are the context window sizes for Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and Gemma 3 4B?

Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite supports 1.0M 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 Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and Gemma 3 4B?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 131K), input pricing ($0.30 vs $0.02/M), licensing (Proprietary vs Gemma). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

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