Model Comparison
Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs Claude Haiku 4.5Which is better in 2026?
Gemma 4 26B-A4B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemma 4 26B-A4B is 10.1x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs Claude Haiku 4.5 — which is better?
Gemma 4 26B-A4B (by Google) and Claude Haiku 4.5 (by Anthropic) 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 4 26B-A4B outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMMLU), while Claude Haiku 4.5 is better at 0 benchmarks. Gemma 4 26B-A4B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Gemma 4 26B-A4B is roughly 10.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Gemma 4 26B-A4B also accepts a larger context window (262,144 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Gemma 4 26B-A4B if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 10.1x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 262,144 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2026
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Claude Haiku 4.5 if…
- you want predictable pricing at $1.00/M input and $5.00/M output
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemma 4 26B-A4B outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMMLU), while Claude Haiku 4.5 is better at 0 benchmarks.
Gemma 4 26B-A4B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemma 4 26B-A4B ($0.13/1M tokens) is 7.7x cheaper than Claude Haiku 4.5 ($1.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemma 4 26B-A4B ($0.40/1M tokens) is 12.5x cheaper than Claude Haiku 4.5 ($5.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Claude Haiku 4.5 is more expensive than Gemma 4 26B-A4B.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemma 4 26B-A4B accepts 262,144 input tokens compared to Claude Haiku 4.5's 200,000 tokens. Gemma 4 26B-A4B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Claude Haiku 4.5 is limited to 64,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Gemma 4 26B-A4B and Claude Haiku 4.5 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
Claude Haiku 4.5
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemma 4 26B-A4B is licensed under Apache 2.0, while Claude Haiku 4.5 uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemma 4 26B-A4B was released on 2026-04-02, while Claude Haiku 4.5 was released on 2025-10-15.
Gemma 4 26B-A4B is 6 months newer than Claude Haiku 4.5.
Apr 2, 2026
3 months ago
5mo newerOct 15, 2025
9 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemma 4 26B-A4B has a knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-01, while Claude Haiku 4.5 has a cutoff of 2025-02-01.
Claude Haiku 4.5 has more recent training data (up to 2025-02-01), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Gemma 4 26B-A4B (2025-01-01).
Jan 2025
Feb 2025
1 mo newerProvider Availability
Gemma 4 26B-A4B is available from Novita. Claude Haiku 4.5 is available from Anthropic, Vertex AI.
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
Claude Haiku 4.5
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Claude Haiku 4.5
View detailsAnthropic
No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemma 4 26B-A4B and Claude Haiku 4.5 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
| Feature | | |
|---|
FAQ
Common questions about Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs Claude Haiku 4.5.