Model Comparison

Gemma 3 4B vs Llama 3.2 3B InstructWhich is better in 2026?

Gemma 3 4B shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. Llama 3.2 3B Instruct is 2.0x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Gemma 3 4B vs Llama 3.2 3B Instruct — which is better?

Gemma 3 4B (by Google) and Llama 3.2 3B 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 3 benchmarks (GSM8k, IFEval, MATH), while Llama 3.2 3B Instruct is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA). Gemma 3 4B shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

On price, Llama 3.2 3B Instruct 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…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 4 shared benchmarks
  • 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 3B Instruct if…

  • cost matters — it's about 2.0x cheaper per token

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

Gemma 3 4B outperforms in 3 benchmarks (GSM8k, IFEval, MATH), while Llama 3.2 3B Instruct is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).

Gemma 3 4B shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Llama 3.2 3B Instruct costs less

For input processing, Gemma 3 4B ($0.02/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than Llama 3.2 3B Instruct ($0.01/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemma 3 4B ($0.04/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than Llama 3.2 3B Instruct ($0.02/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Gemma 3 4B is more expensive than Llama 3.2 3B Instruct.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemma 3 4B
Input tokens$0.02
Output tokens$0.04
Best providerDeepinfra
Meta
Llama 3.2 3B Instruct
Input tokens$0.01
Output tokens$0.02
Best providerDeepinfra
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

790.0M diff

Gemma 3 4B has 0.8B more parameters than Llama 3.2 3B Instruct, making it 24.6% larger.

Google
Gemma 3 4B
4.0Bparameters
Meta
Llama 3.2 3B Instruct
3.2Bparameters
4.0B
Gemma 3 4B
3.2B
Llama 3.2 3B Instruct

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Gemma 3 4B accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Llama 3.2 3B Instruct's 128,000 tokens. Gemma 3 4B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Llama 3.2 3B Instruct is limited to 128,000 tokens.

Google
Gemma 3 4B
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Meta
Llama 3.2 3B Instruct
Input128,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Gemma 3 4B supports multimodal inputs, whereas Llama 3.2 3B Instruct does not.

Gemma 3 4B can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

Gemma 3 4B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Llama 3.2 3B Instruct

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemma 3 4B is licensed under Gemma, while Llama 3.2 3B Instruct uses Llama 3.2 Community License.

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

Gemma 3 4B

Gemma

Open weights

Llama 3.2 3B Instruct

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 3B Instruct was released on 2024-09-25.

Gemma 3 4B is 6 months newer than Llama 3.2 3B Instruct.

Gemma 3 4B

Mar 12, 2025

1.4 years ago

5mo newer
Llama 3.2 3B Instruct

Sep 25, 2024

1.8 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemma 3 4B has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-08-01, while Llama 3.2 3B Instruct'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 Llama 3.2 3B Instruct's cutoff date.

Gemma 3 4B

Aug 2024

Llama 3.2 3B Instruct

—

Provider Availability

Gemma 3 4B is available from DeepInfra. Llama 3.2 3B Instruct is available from DeepInfra.

Gemma 3 4B

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.02/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.04/1M

Llama 3.2 3B Instruct

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.01/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.02/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Google
Larger context window (131,072 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher GSM8k score (89.2% vs 77.7%)
Higher IFEval score (90.2% vs 77.4%)
Higher MATH score (75.6% vs 48.0%)
Meta
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Higher GPQA score (32.8% vs 30.8%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Gemma 3 4B and Llama 3.2 3B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Gemma 3 4B
✓ Preferred
Llama 3.2 3B Instruct
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemma 3 4B
Meta
Llama 3.2 3B Instruct

FAQ

Common questions about Gemma 3 4B vs Llama 3.2 3B Instruct.

Which is better, Gemma 3 4B or Llama 3.2 3B Instruct?

Gemma 3 4B shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. Gemma 3 4B is made by Google and Llama 3.2 3B Instruct is made by Meta. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Gemma 3 4B compare to Llama 3.2 3B Instruct in benchmarks?

Gemma 3 4B scores IFEval: 90.2%, GSM8k: 89.2%, DocVQA: 75.8%, MATH: 75.6%, AI2D: 74.8%. Llama 3.2 3B Instruct scores NIH/Multi-needle: 84.7%, ARC-C: 78.6%, GSM8k: 77.7%, IFEval: 77.4%, HellaSwag: 69.8%.

Is Gemma 3 4B cheaper than Llama 3.2 3B Instruct?

Llama 3.2 3B Instruct is 2.0x cheaper for input tokens. Gemma 3 4B costs $0.02/M input and $0.04/M output via deepinfra. Llama 3.2 3B Instruct costs $0.01/M input and $0.02/M output via deepinfra.

What are the context window sizes for Gemma 3 4B and Llama 3.2 3B Instruct?

Gemma 3 4B supports 131K tokens and Llama 3.2 3B Instruct supports 128K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Gemma 3 4B and Llama 3.2 3B Instruct?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 128K), input pricing ($0.02 vs $0.01/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Gemma vs Llama 3.2 Community License). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemma 3 4B and Llama 3.2 3B Instruct?

Gemma 3 4B is developed by Google and Llama 3.2 3B Instruct is developed by Meta.

Related comparisons