Gemma 3 vs Gemma 4
Gemma 3 is the earlier multimodal branch under Gemma terms; Gemma 4 moves the family to Apache-2.0 licensing, audio input support, and a newer on-device…
This comparison covers pricing, capabilities, and the best-fit use cases for each tool — so you can shortlist faster.
At a glance
Gemma 3
Multimodal Gemma family with 128K context and broad local deployment options under Gemma terms.
Gemma 3 is the March 2025 branch that brought image understanding and long context to the Gemma family across multiple local-friendly sizes. It remains relevant for workstation and laptop inference, but it is no longer the newest Gemma branch now that Google has released Gemma 3n and Gemma 4.
Gemma 4
Newest Gemma family with Apache-2.0 licensing, multimodal input, 256K context, and sparse on-device variants.
Gemma 4 is now the leading branch in Google's open Gemma family. It shifts the line to Apache-2.0 licensing, adds multimodal audio and vision support, and uses sparse on-device-friendly variants that make it more attractive than earlier Gemma branches for new local assistant builds.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Gemma 3 | Gemma 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Price range | Free (open weights) | Free (open weights) |
| API cost | No required vendor API cost for local/self-hosted use. | No required vendor API cost for local/self-hosted use. |
| Subscription cost | No mandatory subscription for base model access. | No mandatory subscription for base model access. |
| Pros | • Multiple model sizes support broad hardware profiles • Long-context support for substantial document tasks • Multimodal variants expand local workflow options • Strong ecosystem support and deployment pathways | • Apache-2.0 licensing is simpler for commercial use than earlier Gemma branches • 256K context is strong for larger document and app workflows • One family handles audio, image, video, and text inputs • Sparse architecture improves the quality-to-runtime tradeoff |
| Cons | • No longer the newest Gemma branch for fresh evaluations • Custom license terms increase compliance workload • Redistribution requires carrying forward restrictions • Commercial policy review is heavier than Apache/MIT options | • 31B still needs serious local hardware compared with smaller VLM options • Fresh releases can have uneven runtime support at first • Multimodal QA is still necessary for production-critical outputs |
| Best for | • Local assistants with manageable compliance processes • Multimodal summarization and extraction • Product prototypes that avoid hosted-chat data exposure | • Multimodal local assistant workflows • Multimodal document understanding • Builders experimenting with vision-language tasks |
Key difference
Gemma 3's perspective: Gemma 3 is the earlier multimodal branch under Gemma terms; Gemma 4 moves the family to Apache-2.0 licensing, audio input support, and a newer on-device MoE design.
When to pick each
Pick Gemma 3 when
- Local assistants with manageable compliance processes
- Multimodal summarization and extraction
- Product prototypes that avoid hosted-chat data exposure
Pick Gemma 4 when
- Multimodal local assistant workflows
- Multimodal document understanding
- Builders experimenting with vision-language tasks