Model Comparison
Gemma 3 4B vs Phi-4-multimodal-instructWhich is better in 2026?
Phi-4-multimodal-instruct significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemma 3 4B is 2.5x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Gemma 3 4B vs Phi-4-multimodal-instruct — which is better?
Gemma 3 4B (by Google) and Phi-4-multimodal-instruct (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 0 benchmarks, while Phi-4-multimodal-instruct is better at 5 benchmarks (AI2D, ChartQA, DocVQA, InfoVQA, TextVQA). Phi-4-multimodal-instruct significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Gemma 3 4B is roughly 2.5x 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 2.5x 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-multimodal-instruct if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 5 of 5 shared benchmarks
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemma 3 4B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Phi-4-multimodal-instruct is better at 5 benchmarks (AI2D, ChartQA, DocVQA, InfoVQA, TextVQA).
Phi-4-multimodal-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 Phi-4-multimodal-instruct ($0.05/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemma 3 4B ($0.04/1M tokens) is 2.5x cheaper than Phi-4-multimodal-instruct ($0.10/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Phi-4-multimodal-instruct is more expensive than Gemma 3 4B.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Phi-4-multimodal-instruct has 1.6B more parameters than Gemma 3 4B, making it 40.0% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemma 3 4B accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Phi-4-multimodal-instruct's 128,000 tokens. Gemma 3 4B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Phi-4-multimodal-instruct is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Gemma 3 4B and Phi-4-multimodal-instruct support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemma 3 4B
Phi-4-multimodal-instruct
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemma 3 4B is licensed under Gemma, while Phi-4-multimodal-instruct uses MIT.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Gemma
Open weights
MIT
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemma 3 4B was released on 2025-03-12, while Phi-4-multimodal-instruct was released on 2025-02-01.
Gemma 3 4B is 1 month newer than Phi-4-multimodal-instruct.
Mar 12, 2025
1.3 years ago
1mo newerFeb 1, 2025
1.4 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemma 3 4B has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-08-01, while Phi-4-multimodal-instruct 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-multimodal-instruct (2024-06-01).
Aug 2024
2 mo newerJun 2024
Provider Availability
Gemma 3 4B is available from DeepInfra. Phi-4-multimodal-instruct is available from DeepInfra.
Gemma 3 4B
Phi-4-multimodal-instruct
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Gemma 3 4B
View detailsDetailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about Gemma 3 4B vs Phi-4-multimodal-instruct.