Gemma 4 26B vs 31B: Which Model Should You Run?

If you are searching for Gemma 4 26B vs 31B, you are already asking the right question. These are the two serious local-compute models in the Gemma 4 family, and the choice between them matters more than the choice between most nearby open models.

The short version is simple: Gemma 4 26B A4B is the better speed-per-memory choice, while Gemma 4 31B is the stronger pure-quality choice.

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Gemma 4 26B vs 31B: short answer

Pick Gemma 4 26B A4B if:

• you care about local speed
• you have a 24 GB class GPU or a tighter memory budget
• you want the best quality-per-VRAM tradeoff

Pick Gemma 4 31B if:

• you want the strongest model in the family
• you can afford more memory
• you prefer a dense model over MoE behavior

For most local users, Gemma 4 26B vs 31B ends with the 26B A4B winning on practicality.

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Official spec differences

From Google's official model card and Unsloth's mirrored Gemma 4 docs:

Property	Gemma 4 26B A4B	Gemma 4 31B
Architecture	MoE	Dense
Total parameters	25.2B	30.7B
Active parameters	3.8B	30.7B
Layers	30	60
Context window	256K	256K
Modalities	Text, Image	Text, Image
Audio support	No	No

The key phrase in Gemma 4 26B vs 31B is active parameters.

The 26B A4B is not a normal dense 26B model. It is a Mixture-of-Experts model that only activates about 3.8B parameters per token, which is why it runs much faster than its total size suggests.

The 31B is the opposite: full dense compute every token, every layer.

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Benchmark differences: how much better is 31B?

These official scores show the quality gap:

Benchmark	26B A4B	31B
MMLU Pro	82.6%	85.2%
AIME 2026 (no tools)	88.3%	89.2%
LiveCodeBench v6	77.1%	80.0%
GPQA Diamond	82.3%	84.3%
MMMU Pro	73.8%	76.9%
Codeforces ELO	1718	2150

The important read is:

• 31B is better
• but 26B A4B is much closer than the raw parameter gap suggests
• on many real local workflows, the speed and memory savings matter more than the last few benchmark points

If your question is "Will 31B crush 26B in everyday use?", the honest answer is usually no.

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VRAM and memory: where the real decision happens

Unsloth's April 2026 local-run guide recommends budgeting roughly:

Format	26B A4B	31B
4-bit	16-18 GB	17-20 GB
8-bit	28-30 GB	34-38 GB
BF16 / FP16	52 GB	62 GB

As of April 7, 2026, LM Studio lists minimum system memory of:

• 17 GB for Gemma 4 26B A4B
• 19 GB for Gemma 4 31B

And the official ggml-org GGUF pages list these approximate file sizes:

Format	26B A4B	31B
Q4_K_M	16.8 GB	18.7 GB
Q8_0	26.9 GB	32.6 GB
F16	50.5 GB	61.4 GB

This is why Gemma 4 26B vs 31B is so often a 24 GB GPU question:

• 26B A4B Q4 fits more cleanly
• 31B Q4 is possible, but with less breathing room
• 31B Q8 moves into much more expensive hardware territory

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Why 26B A4B is the local sweet spot

The 26B A4B wins if you care about:

• better speed than 31B
• lower memory pressure
• long-context work on consumer hardware
• strong enough quality without chasing the maximum possible model

Google's own docs make the positioning clear: the MoE design is intended to run much faster than the total parameter count suggests.

That makes Gemma 4 26B A4B especially attractive for:

• coding assistants
• agent loops
• document-heavy local workflows
• local APIs where throughput matters

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Why 31B still matters

The 31B wins if you care most about:

• the strongest benchmark performance in the family
• denser, simpler model behavior
• the highest ceiling for local inference quality
• a more straightforward base for advanced tuning

Unsloth's fine-tuning guide also makes an important practical point: if your goal is the highest quality and you have the memory, 31B is the model to use.

So the 31B is not a bad choice. It is just a more expensive choice.

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What should 24 GB GPU owners choose?

If you have a 24 GB GPU, the safer answer is still 26B A4B.

Why:

• it leaves more room for runtime overhead
• it gives you a better speed-per-VRAM outcome
• it stays closer to "comfortable local use" instead of "barely fits"

If you have 32 GB to 48 GB class hardware, the 31B becomes much easier to justify.

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FAQ

Is Gemma 4 31B better than 26B?

Yes, but not by a huge margin. The 31B is the stronger model. The 26B A4B is the better local tradeoff for many users.

Is 26B faster than 31B?

Yes. The 26B A4B is an MoE model with about 3.8B active parameters, which is why it is the faster local pick.

Should I pick 26B or 31B for a 24 GB GPU?

Most people should pick 26B A4B.

Should I pick 31B if I want the best Gemma 4 model?

Yes, if you can comfortably afford the memory and slower runtime.

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Official references

• Google Gemma 4 model card
• LM Studio: Gemma 4 26B A4B
• LM Studio: Gemma 4 31B
• ggml-org Gemma 4 26B A4B GGUF
• ggml-org Gemma 4 31B GGUF
• Unsloth Gemma 4 local guide

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Related guides

• Gemma 4 26B A4B VRAM requirements
• Gemma 4 31B VRAM requirements
• Does llama.cpp support Gemma 4?
• Gemma 4 VRAM calculator