Model Comparison

Gemma 3 4B vs Phi 4Which is better in 2026?

Phi 4 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. Gemma 3 4B is 3.5x cheaper per token.

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

Gemma 3 4B (by Google) and Phi 4 (by Microsoft) 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 2 benchmarks (IFEval, SimpleQA), while Phi 4 is better at 4 benchmarks (GPQA, HumanEval, MATH, MMLU-Pro). Phi 4 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

On price, Gemma 3 4B is roughly 3.5x 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 3.5x 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 Phi 4 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 6 shared benchmarks
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

6 benchmarks

Gemma 3 4B outperforms in 2 benchmarks (IFEval, SimpleQA), while Phi 4 is better at 4 benchmarks (GPQA, HumanEval, MATH, MMLU-Pro).

Phi 4 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Mon Jun 15 2026 • llm-stats.com

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 3.5x cheaper than Phi 4 ($0.07/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemma 3 4B ($0.04/1M tokens) is 3.5x cheaper than Phi 4 ($0.14/1M tokens).

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

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Mon Jun 15 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemma 3 4B
Input tokens$0.02
Output tokens$0.04
Best providerDeepinfra
Microsoft
Phi 4
Input tokens$0.07
Output tokens$0.14
Best providerDeepinfra
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

10.7B diff

Phi 4 has 10.7B more parameters than Gemma 3 4B, making it 267.5% larger.

Google
Gemma 3 4B
4.0Bparameters
Microsoft
Phi 4
14.7Bparameters
4.0B
Gemma 3 4B
14.7B
Phi 4

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Gemma 3 4B accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Phi 4's 16,000 tokens. Gemma 3 4B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Phi 4 is limited to 16,000 tokens.

Google
Gemma 3 4B
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Microsoft
Phi 4
Input16,000 tokens
Output16,000 tokens
Mon Jun 15 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Gemma 3 4B supports multimodal inputs, whereas Phi 4 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

Phi 4

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemma 3 4B is licensed under Gemma, while Phi 4 uses MIT.

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

Gemma 3 4B

Gemma

Open weights

Phi 4

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemma 3 4B was released on 2025-03-12, while Phi 4 was released on 2024-12-12.

Gemma 3 4B is 3 months newer than Phi 4.

Gemma 3 4B

Mar 12, 2025

1.3 years ago

3mo newer
Phi 4

Dec 12, 2024

1.5 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemma 3 4B has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-08-01, while Phi 4 has a cutoff of 2024-06-01.

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 Phi 4 (2024-06-01).

Gemma 3 4B

Aug 2024

2 mo newer
Phi 4

Jun 2024

Provider Availability

Gemma 3 4B is available from DeepInfra. Phi 4 is available from DeepInfra.

Gemma 3 4B

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

Phi 4

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.07/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.14/1M
* 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
Higher IFEval score (90.2% vs 63.0%)
Higher SimpleQA score (4.0% vs 3.0%)
Microsoft
Higher GPQA score (56.1% vs 30.8%)
Higher HumanEval score (82.6% vs 71.3%)
Higher MATH score (80.4% vs 75.6%)
Higher MMLU-Pro score (70.4% vs 43.6%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemma 3 4B
Microsoft
Phi 4

FAQ

Common questions about Gemma 3 4B vs Phi 4.

Which is better, Gemma 3 4B or Phi 4?

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

How does Gemma 3 4B compare to Phi 4 in benchmarks?

Gemma 3 4B scores IFEval: 90.2%, GSM8k: 89.2%, DocVQA: 75.8%, MATH: 75.6%, AI2D: 74.8%. Phi 4 scores MMLU: 84.8%, HumanEval+: 82.8%, HumanEval: 82.6%, MGSM: 80.6%, MATH: 80.4%.

Is Gemma 3 4B cheaper than Phi 4?

Gemma 3 4B is 3.5x cheaper for input tokens. Gemma 3 4B costs $0.02/M input and $0.04/M output via deepinfra. Phi 4 costs $0.07/M input and $0.14/M output via deepinfra.

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

Gemma 3 4B supports 131K tokens and Phi 4 supports 16K 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 Phi 4?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 16K), input pricing ($0.02 vs $0.07/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Gemma vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemma 3 4B and Phi 4?

Gemma 3 4B is developed by Google and Phi 4 is developed by Microsoft.

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