Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs Gemma 3 27B

Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs Gemma 3 27B at a glance

Gemma 4 26B-A4B and Gemma 3 27B are both Google models in the Text Generation category, available through the EmpirioLabs API.

Key differences

• Gemma 4 26B-A4B is the newer release (Mar 31, 2026); Gemma 3 27B was released on Mar 10, 2025.
• Gemma 4 26B-A4B has the larger context window: 256K tokens, against 128K for Gemma 3 27B.
• Gemma 4 26B-A4B returns up to 32,768 output tokens per response, Gemma 3 27B up to 16,384.
• Input types only Gemma 4 26B-A4B accepts: Video.
• Capabilities listed only for Gemma 4 26B-A4B: reasoning, video, function calling, cache, multimodal, json mode.
• Both models list the same rate for Web Search (Linkup) (per call when invoked).

Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs Gemma 3 27B: specs

Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs Gemma 3 27B: API pricing

Live rates from the EmpirioLabs catalog for both models. Each rate card always matches what the API charges.

Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs Gemma 3 27B: API parameters

Request parameters each model lists on EmpirioLabs, with the allowed values or range where one applies. A dash marks a parameter the model does not list.

Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs Gemma 3 27B: limits and notes

Gemma 4 26B-A4B

Supports text, image, and video input, streaming, function tools, structured JSON output, seed control, and thinking mode on by default. Use reasoning_effort or thinking_budget for bounded thinking, or enable_thinking=false for direct answers. Automatic cache reads are billed at the cached-input rate when reported by the model service. Explicit cache controls are not supported.

How to call Gemma 4 26B-A4B and Gemma 3 27B

Gemma 4 26B-A4B serves the OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions API. Point any OpenAI SDK at https://api.empiriolabs.ai/v1 with your EmpirioLabs API key and use the model id gemma-4-26b-a4b. Both models are called through the same endpoint. Set model to gemma-4-26b-a4b or gemma-3-27b. Get an API key from the EmpirioLabs dashboard.

curl https://api.empiriolabs.ai/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $EMPIRIOLABS_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "gemma-4-26b-a4b",
    "messages": [
      {"role": "user", "content": "Write a haiku about the ocean."}
    ]
  }'

Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs Gemma 3 27B: common questions

What is the difference between Gemma 4 26B-A4B and Gemma 3 27B?

Gemma 4 26B-A4B is the newer release (Mar 31, 2026); Gemma 3 27B was released on Mar 10, 2025. Gemma 4 26B-A4B has the larger context window: 256K tokens, against 128K for Gemma 3 27B. Gemma 4 26B-A4B returns up to 32,768 output tokens per response, Gemma 3 27B up to 16,384. The specs, rate cards, and parameters on this page come from the live EmpirioLabs catalog.

Which is newer, Gemma 4 26B-A4B or Gemma 3 27B?

Gemma 4 26B-A4B is the newer release (Mar 31, 2026); Gemma 3 27B was released on Mar 10, 2025.

Which has the lower rate, Gemma 4 26B-A4B or Gemma 3 27B?

Both models list the same rate for Web Search (Linkup) (per call when invoked). Both live rate cards are on this page and always match what the API charges.

Can I switch between Gemma 4 26B-A4B and Gemma 3 27B without rebuilding my integration?

Yes. Both models use POST /v1/chat/completions with the same EmpirioLabs API key, so most integrations switch by changing the model value. Check the parameters table on this page first if you rely on a model-specific parameter.

Can I try Gemma 4 26B-A4B and Gemma 3 27B in the browser before integrating?

Yes. Open each model in the EmpirioLabs playground and run the same prompt on both, with the parameters the API exposes.