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Gemma 3 1B vs IBM Granite 4.2 3B

IBM Granite 4.2 3B leads the LLM Stats Score 15.6 to -10.3.

Google · IBM · Updated for 2026

Which is better?

IBM Granite 4.2 3B leads the overall LLM Stats Score 15.6 to -10.3, ranking #213 overall.

In the 2 individual benchmarks reported for both models, IBM Granite 4.2 3B 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 Gemma 3 1B

  • you are already invested in the Google ecosystem

Choose IBM Granite 4.2 3B

  • overall performance matters — it scores 15.6 and ranks #213 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
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026

At a glance

The differences that matter most.

Gemma 3 1B
Google
IBM Granite 4.2 3B
IBM
Core performance indexes
LLM Stats Score
-10.3
#350
15.6
#213
Reasoning
-11.9
#344
12.0
#234
Coding
-10.1
#250
-6.7
#247
Cost, coverage & limits
Benchmark wins
0 of 2
2 of 2
Input price
— / M
— / M
Output price
— / M
— / M
Context window
—
—

Capability indexes

Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks

1 shared
Index
Gemma 3 1B
IBM Granite 4.2 3B
Math
-8.8#314
13.7#216
Conservative TrueSkill rating · higher is betterHow scores work

Individual benchmarks

18 reported for Gemma 3 1B · 13 for IBM Granite 4.2 3B

2 shared

Gemma 3 1B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while IBM Granite 4.2 3B is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMLU-Pro).

IBM Granite 4.2 3B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Tue Sep 01 2026 • llm-stats.com

Human preference

Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

2.0B diff

IBM Granite 4.2 3B has 2.0B more parameters than Gemma 3 1B, making it 200.0% larger.

Google
Gemma 3 1B
1.0Bparameters
IBM
IBM Granite 4.2 3B
3.0Bparameters
1.0B
Gemma 3 1B
3.0B
IBM Granite 4.2 3B

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemma 3 1B is licensed under Gemma, while IBM Granite 4.2 3B uses Apache 2.0.

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

Gemma 3 1B

Gemma

Open weights

IBM Granite 4.2 3B

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemma 3 1B was released on 2025-03-12, while IBM Granite 4.2 3B was released on 2026-08-25.

IBM Granite 4.2 3B is 18 months newer than Gemma 3 1B.

Gemma 3 1B

Mar 12, 2025

1.5 years ago

IBM Granite 4.2 3B

Aug 25, 2026

6 days ago

1.5yr newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Gemma 3 1B and IBM Granite 4.2 3B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Gemma 3 1B
✓ Preferred
IBM Granite 4.2 3B
Open in Playground

FAQ

Common questions about Gemma 3 1B vs IBM Granite 4.2 3B.

Which is better, Gemma 3 1B or IBM Granite 4.2 3B?

IBM Granite 4.2 3B leads the LLM Stats Score 15.6 to -10.3. Gemma 3 1B is made by Google and IBM Granite 4.2 3B is made by IBM. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their capability indexes, individual benchmarks, pricing, and limits above.

How does Gemma 3 1B compare to IBM Granite 4.2 3B in benchmarks?

Gemma 3 1B scores IFEval: 80.2%, GSM8k: 62.8%, Natural2Code: 56.0%, MATH: 48.0%, HumanEval: 41.5%. IBM Granite 4.2 3B scores AIME 2025: 78.3%, IFBench: 74.3%, LiveCodeBench v6: 69.7%, MMLU-Pro: 67.8%, RULER 64k: 67.5%.

What are the main differences between Gemma 3 1B and IBM Granite 4.2 3B?

Key differences include LLM Stats Score (-10.3 vs 15.6), licensing (Gemma vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemma 3 1B and IBM Granite 4.2 3B?

Gemma 3 1B is developed by Google and IBM Granite 4.2 3B is developed by IBM.

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