Model Comparison

Gemma 3 4B vs Mistral SmallWhich is better in 2026?

Comparing Gemma 3 4B and Mistral Small across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: Gemma 3 4B vs Mistral Small — which is better?

Gemma 3 4B (by Google) and Mistral Small (by Mistral AI) 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 12.0x 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 12.0x 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 Mistral Small if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $0.20/M input and $0.60/M output

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

Gemma 3 4B and Mistral Smalldon'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, Gemma 3 4B ($0.02/1M tokens) is 10.0x cheaper than Mistral Small ($0.20/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemma 3 4B ($0.04/1M tokens) is 15.0x cheaper than Mistral Small ($0.60/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Mistral Small is more expensive than Gemma 3 4B.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Mon Jul 27 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemma 3 4B
Input tokens$0.02
Output tokens$0.04
Best providerDeepinfra
Mistral AI
Mistral Small
Input tokens$0.20
Output tokens$0.60
Best providerMistral
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

18.0B diff

Mistral Small has 18.0B more parameters than Gemma 3 4B, making it 450.0% larger.

Google
Gemma 3 4B
4.0Bparameters
Mistral AI
Mistral Small
22.0Bparameters
4.0B
Gemma 3 4B
22.0B
Mistral Small

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Gemma 3 4B accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Mistral Small's 32,768 tokens. Gemma 3 4B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Mistral Small is limited to 32,768 tokens.

Google
Gemma 3 4B
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Mistral AI
Mistral Small
Input32,768 tokens
Output32,768 tokens
Mon Jul 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Gemma 3 4B supports multimodal inputs, whereas Mistral Small 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

Mistral Small

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemma 3 4B is licensed under Gemma, while Mistral Small uses Mistral Research License.

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

Gemma 3 4B

Gemma

Open weights

Mistral Small

Mistral Research License

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemma 3 4B was released on 2025-03-12, while Mistral Small was released on 2024-09-17.

Gemma 3 4B is 6 months newer than Mistral Small.

Gemma 3 4B

Mar 12, 2025

1.4 years ago

5mo newer
Mistral Small

Sep 17, 2024

1.9 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

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

Gemma 3 4B

Aug 2024

Mistral Small

—

Provider Availability

Gemma 3 4B is available from DeepInfra. Mistral Small is available from Mistral AI.

Gemma 3 4B

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

Mistral Small

mistral logo
Mistral
Input Price:Input: $0.20/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.60/1M
* 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
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Mistral AI

No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

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

Gemma 3 4B
✓ Preferred
Mistral Small
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemma 3 4B
Mistral AI
Mistral Small

FAQ

Common questions about Gemma 3 4B vs Mistral Small.

Which is better, Gemma 3 4B or Mistral Small?

Gemma 3 4B (Google) and Mistral Small (Mistral AI) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does Gemma 3 4B compare to Mistral Small in benchmarks?

Gemma 3 4B scores IFEval: 90.2%, GSM8k: 89.2%, DocVQA: 75.8%, MATH: 75.6%, AI2D: 74.8%.

Is Gemma 3 4B cheaper than Mistral Small?

Gemma 3 4B is 10.0x cheaper for input tokens. Gemma 3 4B costs $0.02/M input and $0.04/M output via deepinfra. Mistral Small costs $0.20/M input and $0.60/M output via mistral.

What are the context window sizes for Gemma 3 4B and Mistral Small?

Gemma 3 4B supports 131K tokens and Mistral Small supports 33K 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 Mistral Small?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 33K), input pricing ($0.02 vs $0.20/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Gemma vs Mistral Research License). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemma 3 4B and Mistral Small?

Gemma 3 4B is developed by Google and Mistral Small is developed by Mistral AI.

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