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Gemma 2 27BvsGemini 1.5 Pro

Google DeepMind vs Google DeepMind — Side-by-side model comparison

Gemini 1.5 Pro leads 4/5 categories

Head-to-Head Comparison

MetricGemma 2 27BGemini 1.5 Pro
Provider
Arena Rank
#18
#4
Context Window
8K
1M
Input Pricing
Free (open)/1M tokens
$3.50/1M tokens
Output Pricing
Free (open)/1M tokens
$10.50/1M tokens
Parameters
27B
Undisclosed
Open Source
Yes
No
Best For
Research, fine-tuning, on-premise deployment
Long documents, multimodal analysis, coding
Release Date
Jun 27, 2024
May 14, 2024

Gemma 2 27B

Gemma 2 27B is Google DeepMind's largest open-weight model in the Gemma 2 family, delivering performance that rivals much larger proprietary models. Built using research and technology from the Gemini models, it features an efficient architecture that runs well on standard hardware. Gemma 2 27B is freely available for both research and commercial use, making it one of the strongest open models available for fine-tuning and on-premise deployment scenarios.

View Google DeepMind profile →

Gemini 1.5 Pro

Gemini 1.5 Pro is Google DeepMind's flagship multimodal model featuring an industry-leading 1 million token context window, capable of processing entire codebases, books, or hours of video in a single prompt. It demonstrates exceptional performance on long-context reasoning tasks, multimodal understanding across text, images, audio, and video, and complex coding challenges. The massive context window opens entirely new use cases that were previously impossible with shorter-context models.

View Google DeepMind profile →

Key Differences: Gemma 2 27B vs Gemini 1.5 Pro

1

Gemini 1.5 Pro ranks higher in arena benchmarks (#4) indicating stronger overall performance.

2

Gemini 1.5 Pro supports a larger context window (1M), allowing it to process longer documents in a single request.

3

Gemma 2 27B is open-source (free to self-host and fine-tune) while Gemini 1.5 Pro is proprietary (API-only access).

G

When to use Gemma 2 27B

  • +You need to self-host or fine-tune the model
  • +Your use case involves research, fine-tuning, on-premise deployment
View full Gemma 2 27B specs →
G

When to use Gemini 1.5 Pro

  • +You need the highest quality output based on arena rankings
  • +You need to process long documents (1M context)
  • +You prefer a managed API without infrastructure overhead
  • +Your use case involves long documents, multimodal analysis, coding
View full Gemini 1.5 Pro specs →

The Verdict

Gemini 1.5 Pro wins our head-to-head comparison with 4 out of 5 category wins. It's the stronger choice for long documents, multimodal analysis, coding, though Gemma 2 27B holds an edge in research, fine-tuning, on-premise deployment.

Last compared: March 2026 · Data sourced from public benchmarks and official pricing pages

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Gemma 2 27B or Gemini 1.5 Pro?
In our head-to-head comparison, Gemini 1.5 Pro leads in 4 out of 5 categories (arena rank, context window, input pricing, output pricing, and parameters). Gemini 1.5 Pro excels at long documents, multimodal analysis, coding, while Gemma 2 27B is better suited for research, fine-tuning, on-premise deployment. The best choice depends on your specific requirements, budget, and use case.
How does Gemma 2 27B pricing compare to Gemini 1.5 Pro?
Gemma 2 27B charges Free (open) per 1M input tokens and Free (open) per 1M output tokens. Gemini 1.5 Pro charges $3.50 per 1M input tokens and $10.50 per 1M output tokens. For high-volume production workloads, the pricing difference can significantly impact total cost of ownership.
What is the context window difference between Gemma 2 27B and Gemini 1.5 Pro?
Gemma 2 27B supports a 8K token context window, while Gemini 1.5 Pro supports 1M tokens. Gemini 1.5 Pro can process longer documents, codebases, and conversations in a single request. Context window size matters most for tasks involving long documents, large codebases, or extended conversations.
Can I use Gemma 2 27B or Gemini 1.5 Pro for free?
Gemma 2 27B is a paid API model starting at Free (open) per 1M input tokens. Gemini 1.5 Pro is a paid API model starting at $3.50 per 1M input tokens. Open-source models can be self-hosted for free but require your own GPU infrastructure.
Which model has better benchmarks, Gemma 2 27B or Gemini 1.5 Pro?
Gemma 2 27B holds arena rank #18, while Gemini 1.5 Pro holds rank #4. Gemini 1.5 Pro performs better in overall arena benchmarks, which aggregate human preference ratings across coding, reasoning, and general tasks. Note that benchmarks don't capture every use case — we recommend testing both models on your specific tasks.
Is Gemma 2 27B or Gemini 1.5 Pro better for coding?
Gemma 2 27B's primary strength is research, fine-tuning, on-premise deployment. Gemini 1.5 Pro is specifically optimized for coding tasks. For coding specifically, arena rank and code-specific benchmarks are the best indicators of performance.