| Signal | Gemma 4 26B A4B | Delta | Step 3.5 Flash |
|---|---|---|---|
Capabilities | 83 | +17 | |
Benchmarks | 72 | +6 | |
Pricing | 100 | -- | |
Context window size | 86 | -- | |
Recency | 100 | -- | |
Output Capacity | 20 | -60 | |
| Overall Result | 2 wins | of 6 | 1 wins |
Score History
73
current score
Gemma 4 26B A4B
right now
66.8
current score
StepFun
Gemma 4 26B A4B saves you $2.50/month
That's $30.00/year compared to Step 3.5 Flash at your current usage level of 100K calls/month.
| Metric | Gemma 4 26B A4B | Step 3.5 Flash | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 73 | 67 | Gemma 4 26B A4B |
| Rank | #75 | #118 | Gemma 4 26B A4B |
| Quality Rank | #75 | #118 | Gemma 4 26B A4B |
| Adoption Rank | #75 | #118 | Gemma 4 26B A4B |
| Parameters | 26B | -- | -- |
| Context Window | 262K | 262K | -- |
| Pricing | $0.06/$0.33/M | $0.10/$0.30/M | -- |
| Signal Scores | |||
| Capabilities | 83 | 67 | Gemma 4 26B A4B |
| Benchmarks | 72 | 66 | Gemma 4 26B A4B |
| Pricing | 100 | 100 | Gemma 4 26B A4B |
| Context window size | 86 | 86 | Gemma 4 26B A4B |
| Recency | 100 | 100 | Gemma 4 26B A4B |
| Output Capacity | 20 | 80 | Step 3.5 Flash |
Our score (0-100) is driven by benchmark performance (90%) from Arena Elo ratings, MMLU, GPQA, HumanEval, SWE-bench, and 15+ standardized evaluations. Capabilities and context window serve as tiebreakers (10%). Learn more about our methodology.
Scores 73/100 (rank #75), placing it in the top 74% of all 290 models tracked.
Scores 67/100 (rank #118), placing it in the top 60% of all 290 models tracked.
Gemma 4 26B A4B has a 6-point advantage, which typically translates to noticeably better performance on complex reasoning, code generation, and multi-step tasks.
Both models are priced similarly, so the decision comes down to quality and features rather than cost.
Both models have comparable response speeds. For most applications, the latency difference is negligible.
When latency matters most: Interactive chatbots, IDE code completion, real-time translation, and user-facing applications where response time directly impacts experience. For batch processing, background summarization, or offline analysis, latency is less critical.
Code generation & review
Based on overall model capabilities and architecture for coding tasks like generating functions, debugging, and refactoring
Customer support chatbot
Suitable for user-facing chat with competitive response times. Step 3.5 Flash also offers lower per-token costs for high-volume support
Long document analysis
Larger context window (262K tokens) can process longer documents, contracts, and research papers in a single pass
Batch data extraction
Lower output pricing ($0.30/M) reduces costs when processing thousands of records daily
Creative writing & content
Higher overall composite score (73/100) correlates with better nuance, coherence, and style in long-form content
Image understanding & OCR
Supports vision input - can analyze screenshots, diagrams, photos, and scanned documents directly
Gemma 4 26B A4B has a moderate advantage with a 6.200000000000003-point lead in composite score. It wins on more signal dimensions, but Step 3.5 Flash has specific strengths that could make it the better choice for certain workflows.
Best for Quality
Gemma 4 26B A4B
Marginally better benchmark scores; both are excellent
Best for Cost
Gemma 4 26B A4B
2% lower pricing; better value at scale
Best for Reliability
Gemma 4 26B A4B
Higher uptime and faster response speeds
Best for Prototyping
Gemma 4 26B A4B
Stronger community support and better developer experience
Best for Production
Gemma 4 26B A4B
Wider enterprise adoption and proven at scale
by Google
| Capability | Gemma 4 26B A4B | Step 3.5 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Vision (Image Input)differs | ||
| Function Calling | ||
| Streaming | ||
| JSON Mode | ||
| Reasoning | ||
| Web Search | ||
| Image Output |
StepFun
Gemma 4 26B A4B saves you $0.0360/month
That's 7% cheaper than Step 3.5 Flash at 1,000 tokens/request and 100 requests/day.
Assumes 60% input / 40% output token ratio per request. Actual costs may vary based on your usage pattern.
| Parameter | Gemma 4 26B A4B | Step 3.5 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Context Window | 262K | 262K |
| Max Output Tokens | -- | 65,536 |
| Open Source | Yes | Yes |
| Created | Apr 3, 2026 | Jan 29, 2026 |