Model Comparison
Gemma 3 4B vs o3Which is better in 2026?
o3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemma 3 4B is 140.0x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Gemma 3 4B vs o3 — which is better?
Gemma 3 4B (by Google) and o3 (by OpenAI) 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 0 benchmarks, while o3 is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA). o3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Gemma 3 4B is roughly 140.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
o3 also accepts a larger context window (200,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Gemma 3 4B if…
- cost matters — it's about 140.0x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose o3 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 200,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2025
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemma 3 4B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while o3 is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).
o3 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 100.0x cheaper than o3 ($2.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemma 3 4B ($0.04/1M tokens) is 200.0x cheaper than o3 ($8.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, o3 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
o3 accepts 200,000 input tokens compared to Gemma 3 4B's 131,072 tokens. Gemma 3 4B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while o3 is limited to 100,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Gemma 3 4B and o3 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemma 3 4B
o3
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemma 3 4B is licensed under Gemma, while o3 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 o3 was released on 2025-04-16.
o3 is 1 month newer than Gemma 3 4B.
Mar 12, 2025
1.3 years ago
Apr 16, 2025
1.2 years ago
1mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemma 3 4B has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-08-01, while o3 has a cutoff of 2024-05-31.
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 o3 (2024-05-31).
Aug 2024
3 mo newerMay 2024
Provider Availability
Gemma 3 4B is available from DeepInfra. o3 is available from OpenAI.
Gemma 3 4B
o3
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Gemma 3 4B
View detailso3
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about Gemma 3 4B vs o3.