Gemma 4 31B (free) is free for input tokens while Claude Sonnet 4 costs $3 per 1M tokens.
API cost decision in 10 seconds
Claude Sonnet 4 vs Gemma 4 31B (free)
Pick Gemma 4 31B (free) for lower cost; pick Claude Sonnet 4 only if the larger context window matters more.
Page updated:
Data confirmed:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick Gemma 4 31B (free) for lower cost; pick Claude Sonnet 4 only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemma 4 31B (free) is estimated at $0 vs $10.5 for Claude Sonnet 4, saving $10.5 (100% lower).
Cost-first pickGemma 4 31B (free)
Context-first pickClaude Sonnet 4
Sample savings$10.5100%
10x traffic gap$105
Claude Sonnet 4 has more context, but Gemma 4 31B (free) saves $10.5 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $105. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Gemma 4 31B (free) stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Claude Sonnet 4 | Gemma 4 31B (free) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Gemma 4 31B (free) | $22.5 | $0 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Gemma 4 31B (free) | $18 | $0 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Gemma 4 31B (free) | $78 | $0 |
Gemma 4 31B (free) is free for output tokens while Claude Sonnet 4 costs $15 per 1M tokens.
Claude Sonnet 4 has 737.86K more context (3.81x larger).
Gemma 4 31B (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $10.5.
Estimate your workload cost
Your Workload Cost
This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.
Quick Decision
Gemma 4 31B (free) has the lower input price; Gemma 4 31B (free) has the lower output price; Claude Sonnet 4 offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Gemma 4 31B (free) is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $10.5 for Claude Sonnet 4 and $0 for Gemma 4 31B (free).
Choose Claude Sonnet 4 when you care most about larger context window.
Choose Gemma 4 31B (free) when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemma 4 31B (free) is estimated at $0 vs $10.5 for Claude Sonnet 4, saving $10.5 (100% lower).
- Gemma 4 31B (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $10.5.
- Gemma 4 31B (free) is free for input tokens while Claude Sonnet 4 costs $3 per 1M tokens.
- Gemma 4 31B (free) is free for output tokens while Claude Sonnet 4 costs $15 per 1M tokens.
- Claude Sonnet 4 has 737.86K more context (3.81x larger).
| Feature | Claude Sonnet 4 (Anthropic) | Gemma 4 31B (free) (Google) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $3 | $0 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $15 | $0 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $10.5 | $0 |
| Context Window | 1M | 262.14K |
| Release Date | ||
| Popularity | #60 | #105 |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Gemma 4 31B (free) | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemma 4 31B (free) is estimated at $0 vs $10.5 for Claude Sonnet 4, saving $10.5 (100% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Gemma 4 31B (free) | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Gemma 4 31B (free) | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Claude Sonnet 4 | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Claude 3 Haiku can replace Claude Sonnet 4 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.88.
- Claude 3.5 Haiku can replace Claude Sonnet 4 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $2.8.
- Anthropic Claude Haiku Latest can replace Claude Sonnet 4 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $3.5.
- Claude Haiku 4.5 can replace Claude Sonnet 4 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $3.5.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
- Grok 4.20 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
- Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent offers 2M context with $5 sample workload cost.
- GPT-5.4 offers 1.05M context with $10 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash · DeepSeek · #1
- Hy3 preview · Tencent · #2
- Claude Opus 4.7 · Anthropic · #3
- Claude Sonnet 4.6 · Anthropic · #4
Cheaper alternatives
Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.
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