Skip to content

Gemma 3 vs Gemma 4

Gemma 3 and Gemma 4 side by side: model sizes, the VRAM you need, context window, abilities, licence and which one to pick.

Side by side

Gemma 3Gemma 4
TypeModel in the Gemma familyModel in the Gemma family
DeveloperGoogle DeepMindGoogle DeepMind
ReleasedMar 2025Mar 2026
Parameters270M–27BE2B–31B (26B MoE, 4B active)
Sizes270M · 1B · 4B · 12B · 27BE2B · E4B · 12B · 26B · 31B
Smallest VRAM (4-bit)~1 GB~6 GB
Context window128K tokens256K tokens
AbilitiesImage inputTool callingReasoning modeImage inputAudio input
LicenceGemma Terms of UseApache 2.0
Run itollama run gemma3:270mollama run gemma4:e2b

Which one should you pick?

  • Gemma 3 runs on smaller hardware: from ~1 GB of GPU memory, against ~6 GB.
  • Gemma 4 reads longer inputs: a 256K-token context window.
  • Only Gemma 4 has a reasoning mode.
  • Only Gemma 4 has audio input.
  • Only Gemma 4 has tool calling.
  • Gemma 4 has the simpler licence for commercial use (Apache 2.0 or MIT).

Pick Gemma 3 if…

  • you have less GPU memory (it starts at 1 GB)
  • your tools or fine-tunes already target it (released Mar 2025, so support is mature)

Best for: Single-GPU multimodal model, 128K context

Pick Gemma 4 if…

  • you need longer inputs (256K tokens)
  • you need audio input
  • you need a reasoning mode
  • you need tool calling
  • you want a permissive licence (Apache 2.0)
  • you want the newer model (Mar 2026)

Best for: Multimodal (image + audio), reasoning, 256K context

VRAM and download size

Ollama's default 4-bit builds with an 8K context. Read GB as system RAM on a CPU-only machine or a Mac.

Gemma 3

ModelDownloadVRAM
270M292 MB~1 GB
1B806 MB~1.5 GB
4B3.4 GB~4.5 GB
12B8.2 GB~10 GB
27B17 GB~19.5 GB

Gemma 4

ModelDownloadVRAM
E2B4.6 GB~6 GB
E4B6.6 GB~8 GB
12B8 GB~9.5 GB
26B19 GB~21.5 GB
31B20 GB~22.5 GB

Frequently asked questions

Is Gemma 3 better than Gemma 4?

It depends on the job and your hardware. Gemma 3 runs on smaller hardware: from ~1 GB of GPU memory, against ~6 GB. Gemma 4 reads longer inputs: a 256K-token context window. Only Gemma 4 has a reasoning mode. For quality, test both on your own prompts: benchmark rankings change with every release.

Which needs less VRAM, Gemma 3 or Gemma 4?

Gemma 3 starts at ~1 GB (292 MB download). Gemma 4 starts at ~6 GB (4.6 GB download).

Can I use Gemma 3 and Gemma 4 commercially?

Gemma 3: Gemma Terms of Use. Gemma 4: Apache 2.0. Check the exact licence of the model you deploy; custom licences can limit very large companies or certain uses.

More comparisons

← All AI models

Back to top