Model Comparison

Gemma 3n E4B vs Granite 3.3 8B BaseWhich is better in 2026?

Granite 3.3 8B Base shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Verdict: Gemma 3n E4B vs Granite 3.3 8B Base — which is better?

Gemma 3n E4B (by Google) and Granite 3.3 8B Base (by IBM) 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 3n E4B outperforms in 2 benchmarks (ARC-C, DROP), while Granite 3.3 8B Base is better at 4 benchmarks (BIG-Bench Hard, HellaSwag, TriviaQA, Winogrande). Granite 3.3 8B Base shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Choose Gemma 3n E4B if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jun 2025

Choose Granite 3.3 8B Base if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 6 shared benchmarks
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

6 benchmarks

Gemma 3n E4B outperforms in 2 benchmarks (ARC-C, DROP), while Granite 3.3 8B Base is better at 4 benchmarks (BIG-Bench Hard, HellaSwag, TriviaQA, Winogrande).

Granite 3.3 8B Base shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Sat Jul 25 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

170.0M diff

Granite 3.3 8B Base has 0.2B more parameters than Gemma 3n E4B, making it 2.1% larger.

Google
Gemma 3n E4B
8.0Bparameters
IBM
Granite 3.3 8B Base
8.2Bparameters
8.0B
Gemma 3n E4B
8.2B
Granite 3.3 8B Base

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Gemma 3n E4B and Granite 3.3 8B Base support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

Gemma 3n E4B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Granite 3.3 8B Base

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemma 3n E4B is licensed under a proprietary license, while Granite 3.3 8B Base uses Apache 2.0.

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

Gemma 3n E4B

Proprietary

Closed source

Granite 3.3 8B Base

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemma 3n E4B was released on 2025-06-26, while Granite 3.3 8B Base was released on 2025-04-16.

Gemma 3n E4B is 2 months newer than Granite 3.3 8B Base.

Gemma 3n E4B

Jun 26, 2025

1.1 years ago

2mo newer
Granite 3.3 8B Base

Apr 16, 2025

1.3 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemma 3n E4B has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-06-01, while Granite 3.3 8B Base has a cutoff of 2024-04-01.

Gemma 3n E4B has more recent training data (up to 2024-06-01), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Granite 3.3 8B Base (2024-04-01).

Gemma 3n E4B

Jun 2024

2 mo newer
Granite 3.3 8B Base

Apr 2024

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

Google
Higher ARC-C score (61.6% vs 50.8%)
Higher DROP score (60.8% vs 36.1%)
IBM
Has open weights
Higher BIG-Bench Hard score (69.1% vs 52.9%)
Higher HellaSwag score (80.1% vs 78.6%)
Higher TriviaQA score (78.2% vs 70.2%)
Higher Winogrande score (74.4% vs 71.7%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Gemma 3n E4B and Granite 3.3 8B Base side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Gemma 3n E4B
✓ Preferred
Granite 3.3 8B Base
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemma 3n E4B
IBM
Granite 3.3 8B Base

FAQ

Common questions about Gemma 3n E4B vs Granite 3.3 8B Base.

Which is better, Gemma 3n E4B or Granite 3.3 8B Base?

Granite 3.3 8B Base shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. Gemma 3n E4B is made by Google and Granite 3.3 8B Base is made by IBM. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Gemma 3n E4B compare to Granite 3.3 8B Base in benchmarks?

Gemma 3n E4B scores ARC-E: 81.6%, BoolQ: 81.6%, PIQA: 81.0%, HellaSwag: 78.6%, Winogrande: 71.7%. Granite 3.3 8B Base scores HumanEval: 89.7%, AttaQ: 88.5%, HumanEval+: 86.1%, AIME 2024: 81.2%, HellaSwag: 80.1%.

What are the main differences between Gemma 3n E4B and Granite 3.3 8B Base?

Key differences include licensing (Proprietary vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemma 3n E4B and Granite 3.3 8B Base?

Gemma 3n E4B is developed by Google and Granite 3.3 8B Base is developed by IBM.

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