Model Comparison
Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs GPT-5.5Which is better in 2026?
GPT-5.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemma 4 26B-A4B is 57.0x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs GPT-5.5 — which is better?
Gemma 4 26B-A4B (by Google) and GPT-5.5 (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 4 26B-A4B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-5.5 is better at 4 benchmarks (GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, MMMU-Pro, MRCR v2 (8-needle)). GPT-5.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Gemma 4 26B-A4B is roughly 57.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5.5 also accepts a larger context window (1,050,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Gemma 4 26B-A4B if…
- cost matters — it's about 57.0x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose GPT-5.5 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 4 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,050,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2026
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemma 4 26B-A4B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-5.5 is better at 4 benchmarks (GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, MMMU-Pro, MRCR v2 (8-needle)).
GPT-5.5 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 38.5x cheaper than GPT-5.5 ($5.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemma 4 26B-A4B ($0.40/1M tokens) is 75.0x cheaper than GPT-5.5 ($30.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.5 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
GPT-5.5 accepts 1,050,000 input tokens compared to Gemma 4 26B-A4B's 262,144 tokens. Gemma 4 26B-A4B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GPT-5.5 is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Gemma 4 26B-A4B and GPT-5.5 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
GPT-5.5
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemma 4 26B-A4B is licensed under Apache 2.0, while GPT-5.5 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 GPT-5.5 was released on 2026-04-23.
GPT-5.5 is 1 month newer than Gemma 4 26B-A4B.
Apr 2, 2026
3 months ago
Apr 23, 2026
2 months ago
3w newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemma 4 26B-A4B has a knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-01, while GPT-5.5 has a cutoff of 2025-12-01.
GPT-5.5 has more recent training data (up to 2025-12-01), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Gemma 4 26B-A4B (2025-01-01).
Jan 2025
Dec 2025
11 mo newerProvider Availability
Gemma 4 26B-A4B is available from Novita. GPT-5.5 is available from OpenAI.
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
GPT-5.5
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-5.5
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemma 4 26B-A4B and GPT-5.5 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs GPT-5.5.