API cost decision in 10 seconds

Gemma 4 26B A4B vs NewCoBuddy (free)

Pick CoBuddy (free) for lower cost; pick Gemma 4 26B A4B 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 CoBuddy (free) for lower cost; pick Gemma 4 26B A4B only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, CoBuddy (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.23 for Gemma 4 26B A4B, saving $0.23 (100% lower).

Cost-first pickCoBuddy (free)
Context-first pickGemma 4 26B A4B
Sample savings$0.23100%
10x traffic gap$2.25

Gemma 4 26B A4B has more context, but CoBuddy (free) saves $0.23 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $2.25. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

CoBuddy (free) stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickGemma 4 26B A4BCoBuddy (free)
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputCoBuddy (free)$0.46$0
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputCoBuddy (free)$0.39$0
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputCoBuddy (free)$1.71$0
Cheaper input CoBuddy (free) $0.06 vs $0 / 1M

CoBuddy (free) is free for input tokens while Gemma 4 26B A4B costs $0.06 per 1M tokens.

Cheaper output CoBuddy (free) $0.33 vs $0 / 1M

CoBuddy (free) is free for output tokens while Gemma 4 26B A4B costs $0.33 per 1M tokens.

Larger context Gemma 4 26B A4B 262.14K vs 131.07K

Gemma 4 26B A4B has 131.07K more context (2x larger).

Sample workload CoBuddy (free) $0.23 vs $0

CoBuddy (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.23.

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
Gemma 4 26B A4B Calculating… Estimated API cost
CoBuddy (free) Calculating… Estimated API cost
Cheaper for this workload Calculating… Difference: calculating…

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

Verdict

CoBuddy (free) has the lower input price; CoBuddy (free) has the lower output price; Gemma 4 26B A4B offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, CoBuddy (free) is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.23 for Gemma 4 26B A4B and $0 for CoBuddy (free).

Best Fit

Choose Gemma 4 26B A4B when you care most about larger context window.

Choose CoBuddy (free) when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, CoBuddy (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.23 for Gemma 4 26B A4B, saving $0.23 (100% lower).
  • CoBuddy (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.23.
  • CoBuddy (free) is free for input tokens while Gemma 4 26B A4B costs $0.06 per 1M tokens.
  • CoBuddy (free) is free for output tokens while Gemma 4 26B A4B costs $0.33 per 1M tokens.
  • Gemma 4 26B A4B has 131.07K more context (2x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureGemma 4 26B A4B
(Google)
NewCoBuddy (free)
(Baidu Qianfan)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M
$0.06$0
Completion Price
per 1M tokens
$0.33$0
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output
$0.23$0
Context Window262.14K131.07K
Release Date
Popularity#30#83

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionCoBuddy (free)On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, CoBuddy (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.23 for Gemma 4 26B A4B, saving $0.23 (100% lower).
High-volume input processingCoBuddy (free)Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsCoBuddy (free)Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workGemma 4 26B A4BA larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps
Larger context near this budget
  • Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
  • Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.2 sample workload cost.
  • MiMo-V2.5 offers 1.05M context with $0.28 sample workload cost.

Cheaper alternatives

Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.

Open cheapest models

Larger context alternatives

Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.

Open largest context models

Provider catalogs

Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.

Open provider hubs

Google catalog

Review all tracked Google models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.

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Baidu Qianfan catalog

Check other Baidu Qianfan models with comparable pricing, context, or release timing.

Open Baidu Qianfan models
Gemma 4 26B A4B

Gemma 4 26B A4B IT is an instruction-tuned Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) model from Google DeepMind. Despite 25.2B total parameters, only 3.8B activate per token during inference — delivering near-31B quality at...

CoBuddy (free)

CoBuddy is a code generation model from Baidu, optimized for coding tasks and AI Agent workflows. It features high inference throughput and low end-to-end latency, with native support for tool...