Gemma 4 26B A4B vs GPT-4.1

Treat this as a split decision. Gemma 4 26B A4B makes more sense if you want the cheaper token bill or you want the stronger reasoning-first profile; GPT-4.1 is the better fit if knowledge is the priority or you need the larger 1M context window.

Gemma 4 26B A4B and GPT-4.1 finish on the same provisional overall score, so this is less about a single winner and more about where the edge shows up. The provisional headline says tie; the benchmark table is where the real choice happens.

GPT-4.1 is also the more expensive model on tokens at $2.00 input / $8.00 output per 1M tokens, versus $0.00 input / $0.00 output per 1M tokens for Gemma 4 26B A4B. That is roughly Infinityx on output cost alone. Gemma 4 26B A4B is the reasoning model in the pair, while GPT-4.1 is not. That usually helps on harder chain-of-thought-heavy tests, but it can also mean more latency and more token spend in real use. GPT-4.1 gives you the larger context window at 1M, compared with 256K for Gemma 4 26B A4B.