Model Comparison
Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs GPT-5.6 LunaWhich is better in 2026?
GPT-5.6 Luna shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. Gemma 4 26B-A4B is 11.4x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs GPT-5.6 Luna — which is better?
Gemma 4 26B-A4B (by Google) and GPT-5.6 Luna (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 1 benchmarks (MRCR v2 (8-needle)), while GPT-5.6 Luna is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMMU-Pro). GPT-5.6 Luna shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, Gemma 4 26B-A4B is roughly 11.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5.6 Luna 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 11.4x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose GPT-5.6 Luna if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 3 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,050,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemma 4 26B-A4B outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MRCR v2 (8-needle)), while GPT-5.6 Luna is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMMU-Pro).
GPT-5.6 Luna shows notably better performance in the majority of 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 GPT-5.6 Luna ($1.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemma 4 26B-A4B ($0.40/1M tokens) is 15.0x cheaper than GPT-5.6 Luna ($6.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.6 Luna 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-5.6 Luna 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-5.6 Luna is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Gemma 4 26B-A4B and GPT-5.6 Luna support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
GPT-5.6 Luna
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemma 4 26B-A4B is licensed under Apache 2.0, while GPT-5.6 Luna 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-5.6 Luna was released on 2026-07-09.
GPT-5.6 Luna is 3 months newer than Gemma 4 26B-A4B.
Apr 2, 2026
3 months ago
Jul 9, 2026
1 weeks ago
3mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemma 4 26B-A4B has a knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-01, while GPT-5.6 Luna has a cutoff of 2026-02-16.
GPT-5.6 Luna has more recent training data (up to 2026-02-16), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Gemma 4 26B-A4B (2025-01-01).
Jan 2025
Feb 2026
1.1 yr newerProvider Availability
Gemma 4 26B-A4B is available from Novita. GPT-5.6 Luna is available from OpenAI.
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
GPT-5.6 Luna
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-5.6 Luna
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemma 4 26B-A4B and GPT-5.6 Luna side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs GPT-5.6 Luna.