Model Comparison

Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs U2Which is better in 2026?

Comparing Gemma 4 26B-A4B and U2 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs U2 — which is better?

Gemma 4 26B-A4B (by Google) and U2 (by Unisound) 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.

On price, U2 is roughly 1.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Choose Gemma 4 26B-A4B if…

  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose U2 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 1.1x cheaper per token
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jun 2026

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

Gemma 4 26B-A4B and U2don't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

U2 costs less

For input processing, Gemma 4 26B-A4B ($0.13/1M tokens) is 1.2x cheaper than U2 ($0.15/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemma 4 26B-A4B ($0.40/1M tokens) is 1.3x more expensive than U2 ($0.30/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Gemma 4 26B-A4B is more expensive than U2.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Fri Jul 17 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
Input tokens$0.13
Output tokens$0.40
Best providerNovita
Unisound
U2
Input tokens$0.15
Output tokens$0.30
Best providerUnisound
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

240.8B diff

U2 has 240.8B more parameters than Gemma 4 26B-A4B, making it 955.6% larger.

Google
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
25.2Bparameters
Unisound
U2
266.0Bparameters
25.2B
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
266.0B
U2

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only Gemma 4 26B-A4B specifies input context (262,144 tokens). Only Gemma 4 26B-A4B specifies output context (131,072 tokens).

Google
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
Input262,144 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Unisound
U2
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
Fri Jul 17 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Gemma 4 26B-A4B supports multimodal inputs, whereas U2 does not.

Gemma 4 26B-A4B can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

Gemma 4 26B-A4B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

U2

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemma 4 26B-A4B is licensed under Apache 2.0, while U2 uses a proprietary license.

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

Gemma 4 26B-A4B

Apache 2.0

Open weights

U2

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemma 4 26B-A4B was released on 2026-04-02, while U2 was released on 2026-06-05.

U2 is 2 months newer than Gemma 4 26B-A4B.

Gemma 4 26B-A4B

Apr 2, 2026

3 months ago

U2

Jun 5, 2026

1 months ago

2mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemma 4 26B-A4B has a knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-01, while U2 has a cutoff of 2026-01-31.

U2 has more recent training data (up to 2026-01-31), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Gemma 4 26B-A4B (2025-01-01).

Gemma 4 26B-A4B

Jan 2025

U2

Jan 2026

1 yr newer

Provider Availability

Gemma 4 26B-A4B is available from Novita. U2 is available from Unisound.

Gemma 4 26B-A4B

novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.13/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.40/1M

U2

unisound logo
Unisound
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.30/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion

Key Takeaways

Larger context window (262,144 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Less expensive input tokens
Has open weights
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Gemma 4 26B-A4B and U2 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Gemma 4 26B-A4B
✓ Preferred
U2
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
Unisound
U2

FAQ

Common questions about Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs U2.

Which is better, Gemma 4 26B-A4B or U2?

Gemma 4 26B-A4B (Google) and U2 (Unisound) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does Gemma 4 26B-A4B compare to U2 in benchmarks?

Gemma 4 26B-A4B scores AIME 2026: 88.3%, MMMLU: 86.3%, t2-bench: 85.5%, MMLU-Pro: 82.6%, MathVision: 82.4%.

Is Gemma 4 26B-A4B cheaper than U2?

Gemma 4 26B-A4B is 1.2x cheaper for input tokens. Gemma 4 26B-A4B costs $0.13/M input and $0.40/M output via novita. U2 costs $0.15/M input and $0.30/M output via unisound.

What are the context window sizes for Gemma 4 26B-A4B and U2?

Gemma 4 26B-A4B supports 262K tokens and U2 supports an unknown number of tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Gemma 4 26B-A4B and U2?

Key differences include input pricing ($0.13 vs $0.15/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Apache 2.0 vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemma 4 26B-A4B and U2?

Gemma 4 26B-A4B is developed by Google and U2 is developed by Unisound.