Model Comparison
Gemma 3 4B vs Llama 3.2 11B InstructWhich is better in 2026?
Llama 3.2 11B Instruct significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemma 3 4B is 2.0x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Gemma 3 4B vs Llama 3.2 11B Instruct — which is better?
Gemma 3 4B (by Google) and Llama 3.2 11B Instruct (by Meta) 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.
Gemma 3 4B outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MATH), while Llama 3.2 11B Instruct is better at 4 benchmarks (AI2D, ChartQA, DocVQA, GPQA). Llama 3.2 11B Instruct significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Gemma 3 4B is roughly 2.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Gemma 3 4B also accepts a larger context window (131,072 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Gemma 3 4B if…
- cost matters — it's about 2.0x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 131,072 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Mar 2025
Choose Llama 3.2 11B Instruct if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 5 shared benchmarks
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemma 3 4B outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MATH), while Llama 3.2 11B Instruct is better at 4 benchmarks (AI2D, ChartQA, DocVQA, GPQA).
Llama 3.2 11B Instruct significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemma 3 4B ($0.02/1M tokens) is 2.5x cheaper than Llama 3.2 11B Instruct ($0.05/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemma 3 4B ($0.04/1M tokens) is 1.3x cheaper than Llama 3.2 11B Instruct ($0.05/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Llama 3.2 11B Instruct is more expensive than Gemma 3 4B.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Llama 3.2 11B Instruct has 6.6B more parameters than Gemma 3 4B, making it 165.0% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemma 3 4B accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Llama 3.2 11B Instruct's 128,000 tokens. Gemma 3 4B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Llama 3.2 11B Instruct is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Gemma 3 4B and Llama 3.2 11B Instruct support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemma 3 4B
Llama 3.2 11B Instruct
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemma 3 4B is licensed under Gemma, while Llama 3.2 11B Instruct uses Llama 3.2 Community License.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Gemma
Open weights
Llama 3.2 Community License
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemma 3 4B was released on 2025-03-12, while Llama 3.2 11B Instruct was released on 2024-09-25.
Gemma 3 4B is 6 months newer than Llama 3.2 11B Instruct.
Mar 12, 2025
1.4 years ago
5mo newerSep 25, 2024
1.8 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemma 3 4B has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-08-01, while Llama 3.2 11B Instruct has a cutoff of 2023-12-31.
Gemma 3 4B has more recent training data (up to 2024-08-01), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Llama 3.2 11B Instruct (2023-12-31).
Aug 2024
8 mo newerDec 2023
Provider Availability
Gemma 3 4B is available from DeepInfra. Llama 3.2 11B Instruct is available from DeepInfra, Sambanova, Bedrock, Groq, Together, Fireworks.
Gemma 3 4B
Llama 3.2 11B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Gemma 3 4B
View detailsDetailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemma 3 4B and Llama 3.2 11B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about Gemma 3 4B vs Llama 3.2 11B Instruct.