Gemma 3 4B vs Grok-4.1 Thinking
Grok-4.1 Thinking leads the LLM Stats Score 15.9 to -1.8. Gemma 3 4B is 240.0x cheaper per token.
Google · xAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Grok-4.1 Thinking leads the overall LLM Stats Score 15.9 to -1.8, ranking #216 overall.
On price, Gemma 3 4B is roughly 240.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Grok-4.1 Thinking also accepts a larger context window (256,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Gemma 3 4B
- cost matters — it's about 240.0x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Grok-4.1 Thinking
- overall performance matters — it scores 15.9 and ranks #216 on LLM Stats
- you process long inputs — it offers a 256,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Nov 2025
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Individual benchmarks
26 reported for Gemma 3 4B · 11 for Grok-4.1 Thinking
Gemma 3 4B and Grok-4.1 Thinkingdon't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemma 3 4B ($0.02/1M tokens) is 150.0x cheaper than Grok-4.1 Thinking ($3.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemma 3 4B ($0.04/1M tokens) is 375.0x cheaper than Grok-4.1 Thinking ($15.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok-4.1 Thinking is more expensive than Gemma 3 4B.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Grok-4.1 Thinking accepts 256,000 input tokens compared to Gemma 3 4B's 131,072 tokens. Gemma 3 4B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Grok-4.1 Thinking is limited to 8,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Gemma 3 4B and Grok-4.1 Thinking support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemma 3 4B
Grok-4.1 Thinking
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemma 3 4B is licensed under Gemma, while Grok-4.1 Thinking uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Gemma
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemma 3 4B was released on 2025-03-12, while Grok-4.1 Thinking was released on 2025-11-17.
Grok-4.1 Thinking is 8 months newer than Gemma 3 4B.
Mar 12, 2025
1.5 years ago
Nov 17, 2025
9 months ago
8mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemma 3 4B has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-08-01, while Grok-4.1 Thinking'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 Grok-4.1 Thinking's cutoff date.
Aug 2024
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Provider Availability
Gemma 3 4B is available from DeepInfra. Grok-4.1 Thinking is available from xAI.
Gemma 3 4B
Grok-4.1 Thinking
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemma 3 4B and Grok-4.1 Thinking side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Gemma 3 4B vs Grok-4.1 Thinking.