// alternatives · October 2026
Gemma 4 31B alternatives
Cheaper models that come close, budget substitutes, and the cheapest step up — chosen on published LiveBench scores and live list price, never on our opinion. Every model here supports tool calling and image input, as Gemma 4 31B does.
The closest cheaper alternative to Gemma 4 31B is Claude Haiku 5.5 — 31.1 points higher overall, 20% cheaper on LiveBench and list price.
Gemma 4 31B: 38.7 overall on LiveBench, $0.250 per 1M blended tokens, about $184.00/mo for a RAG assistant.
Cheaper, close in quality
Lower list price and within 5 points of Gemma 4 31B on LiveBench overall — the switches least likely to be noticed by users. Strongest first.
| Model | Overall | vs Gemma 4 31B | Blended / 1M | RAG assistant | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 5.5anthropic 31.1 points higher overall, 20% cheaper. Head to head → | 69.8 | +31.1 | $0.200−20% | $74.00/mo | 1M |
| GPT-6 Lunaopenai 25.9 points higher overall, 20% cheaper. Head to head → | 64.6 | +25.9 | $0.200−20% | $74.00/mo | 1.1M |
| GLM 5.3 Flashz-ai 23.3 points higher overall, 5% cheaper. Head to head → | 62.1 | +23.3 | $0.237−5% | $102.00/mo | 1.0M |
| Nemotron 3.5 Super VLnvidia 11.5 points higher overall, 5% cheaper. Head to head → | 50.2 | +11.5 | $0.237−5% | $98.00/mo | 1.0M |
Match it on one task for less
For each LiveBench category, the cheapest model that scores at least as well as Gemma 4 31B there. Useful when your workload is mostly one kind of task.
| Category | Cheapest match | Score | Blended / 1M |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-horizon agentic | Claude Haiku 5.5 | 40.0 vs 10.7 | $0.200−20% |
| Coding | Claude Haiku 5.5 | 91.4 vs 49.0 | $0.200−20% |
| Reasoning | Claude Haiku 5.5 | 82.4 vs 68.3 | $0.200−20% |
| Browser | Claude Haiku 5.5 | 69.5 vs 0.0 | $0.200−20% |
| Data analysis | GPT-6 Luna | 73.4 vs 53.3 | $0.200−20% |
| Research | Claude Haiku 5.5 | 81.9 vs 44.4 | $0.200−20% |
| Documents & design | Claude Haiku 5.5 | 83.1 vs 58.4 | $0.200−20% |
Stronger options, cheapest first
Models that beat Gemma 4 31B on LiveBench overall, ordered by what the upgrade costs.
| Model | Overall | vs Gemma 4 31B | Blended / 1M | RAG assistant | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 5.5anthropic 31.1 points higher overall, 20% cheaper. Head to head → | 69.8 | +31.1 | $0.200−20% | $74.00/mo | 1M |
| GPT-6 Lunaopenai 25.9 points higher overall, 20% cheaper. Head to head → | 64.6 | +25.9 | $0.200−20% | $74.00/mo | 1.1M |
| Nemotron 3.5 Super VLnvidia 11.5 points higher overall, 5% cheaper. Head to head → | 50.2 | +11.5 | $0.237−5% | $98.00/mo | 1.0M |
| GLM 5.3 Flashz-ai 23.3 points higher overall, 5% cheaper. Head to head → | 62.1 | +23.3 | $0.237−5% | $102.00/mo | 1.0M |
| MiniMax M3.1 Flashminimax 28.2 points higher overall, 5% more expensive. Head to head → | 66.9 | +28.2 | $0.262 | $102.00/mo | 1.0M |
Gemma 4 31B alternatives FAQ
What is the best alternative to Gemma 4 31B?
Claude Haiku 5.5. 31.1 points higher overall, 20% cheaper. Every suggestion supports tool calling and image input, like Gemma 4 31B.
What is the cheapest alternative to Gemma 4 31B?
Claude Haiku 5.5 at $0.200 per 1M blended tokens, scoring 69.8 overall against Gemma 4 31B's 38.7. On a RAG assistant at 100K requests a month that is $74.00 instead of $184.00.
Which model is better than Gemma 4 31B?
The cheapest model that scores higher overall on LiveBench is Claude Haiku 5.5 — 31.1 points higher overall, 20% cheaper.
Is there a cheaper model that matches Gemma 4 31B on specific tasks?
Yes, in 7 of the seven LiveBench categories. For example, long-horizon agentic: Claude Haiku 5.5 (40.0 vs 10.7); coding: Claude Haiku 5.5 (91.4 vs 49.0); reasoning: Claude Haiku 5.5 (82.4 vs 68.3).
How alternatives are chosen
- Scores — LiveBench release 2026-10-25. Only models with a published run are suggested on quality; a missing model means “not evaluated”, not “worse”.
- Prices — live list prices from OpenRouter, blended 3:1 input:output. Monthly figures price a RAG assistant with the published cached-input rate where there is one.
- Same job — suggestions must support every capability Gemma 4 31B has among tool calling and image input. Other listings of the same model (free or batch tiers) are variants, not alternatives, and are left out.
A few points on a public benchmark can hide large differences on your own tasks. Shortlist here, then decide with an eval — how to build one.