Alternatives · 15 models compared · checked 17 Aug 2026
Gemma 2 27B alternatives: 15 models in or near grid D1
The closest model to Gemma 2 27B on the atlas is GPT-3.5 Turbo, in the same square, at $0.50 per 1M input tokens against Gemma 2 27B’s . 12 of the 15 nearest models are cheaper on input; the cheapest is Phi 4 at $0.07. We rank by position on the atlas, not by capability, because we hold no capability data.
$0.65
observed We measured
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- Our catalogue
- Retrieved
- 17 Aug 2026
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ModelsAtlas. “Gemma 2 27B alternatives: 15 models in or near grid D1”. Retrieved 17 Aug 2026. https://modelsatlas.com/models/google/gemma-2-27b-it/alternatives
Where the alternatives sit
Each square is a price band (A–H) × a context band (1–6). How the grid works
Same squareGRIDD11 modelGPT-3.5 Turbo
Gemma 2 27BIts 15 nearest modelsOther modelsOpen weights
View the map as a table (5 squares)
| Square | Price band | Context band | Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRIDB1 | <$0.10 | <32K | Phi 4 |
| GRIDC2 | $0.10–0.30 | 32–128K | Qwen2.5 7B Instruct, Voxtral Small 24B 2507, Qwen3 14B, Qwen3 30B A3B, Command R (08-2024) |
| GRIDD1 | $0.30–1 | <32K | Gemma 2 27B, GPT-3.5 Turbo |
| GRIDD2 | $0.30–1 | 32–128K | MiniMax M2-her, Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image), Mistral Small 3.1 24B, Qwen2.5 72B Instruct, WizardLM-2 8x22B, Qwen2.5 Coder 32B Instruct, Qwen2.5 VL 72B Instruct |
| GRIDE1 | $1–3 | <32K | GPT-3.5 Turbo Instruct |
Top 15 alternatives
Ranked by steps away on the atlas, then cheaper before pricier, then input price
| # | Model | Grid | Why it fits | Input / 1M | vs Gemma 2 27B | Output / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Gemma 2 27BGoogle · the model you’re replacing | GRIDD1 | Baseline | $0.65 | — | $0.65 | 8K | |
| 1 | GPT-3.5 TurboOpenAI | GRIDD1 | Same square, 23% cheaper input, 2× the context | $0.50 | −23% | $1.50 | 16K | Compare → |
| 2 | MiniMax M2-herMiniMax | GRIDD2 | Neighbouring square D2, 54% cheaper input, 8× the context | $0.30 | −54% | $1.20 | 66K | |
| 3 | Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)Google | GRIDD2 | Same maker, neighbouring square D2, 54% cheaper input, 4× the context | $0.30 | −54% | $2.50 | 33K | |
| 4 | Mistral Small 3.1 24BMistral AI | GRIDD2 | Neighbouring square D2, 46% cheaper input, 15.6× the context | $0.35 | −46% | $0.56 | 128K | Compare → |
| 5 | Qwen2.5 72B InstructQwen (Alibaba) | GRIDD2 | Neighbouring square D2, 45% cheaper input, 4× the context | $0.36 | −45% | $0.40 | 33K | Compare → |
| 6 | WizardLM-2 8x22BMicrosoft | GRIDD2 | Neighbouring square D2, 5% cheaper input, 8× the context | $0.62 | −5% | $0.62 | 66K | Compare → |
| 7 | Qwen2.5 Coder 32B InstructQwen (Alibaba) | GRIDD2 | Neighbouring square D2, 2% pricier input, 4× the context | $0.66 | +2% | $1.00 | 33K | Compare → |
| 8 | Qwen2.5 VL 72B InstructQwen (Alibaba) | GRIDD2 | Neighbouring square D2, 23% pricier input, 15.6× the context | $0.80 | +23% | $1.00 | 128K | Compare → |
| 9 | GPT-3.5 Turbo InstructOpenAI | GRIDE1 | Neighbouring square E1, 131% pricier input | $1.50 | +131% | $2.00 | 4K | |
| 10 | Phi 4Microsoft | GRIDB1 | 2 squares away (B1), 89% cheaper input, 2× the context | $0.07 | −89% | $0.14 | 16K | |
| 11 | Qwen2.5 7B InstructQwen (Alibaba) · open weights | GRIDC2 | 2 squares away (C2), 85% cheaper input, 4× the context, open weights | $0.10 | −85% | $0.20 | 33K | |
| 12 | Voxtral Small 24B 2507Mistral AI | GRIDC2 | 2 squares away (C2), 85% cheaper input, 4× the context | $0.10 | −85% | $0.30 | 33K | |
| 13 | Qwen3 14BQwen (Alibaba) · open weights | GRIDC2 | 2 squares away (C2), 82% cheaper input, 5× the context, open weights | $0.12 | −82% | $0.24 | 41K | |
| 14 | Qwen3 30B A3BQwen (Alibaba) | GRIDC2 | 2 squares away (C2), 82% cheaper input, 5× the context | $0.12 | −82% | $0.50 | 41K | |
| 15 | Command R (08-2024)Cohere | GRIDC2 | 2 squares away (C2), 77% cheaper input, 15.6× the context | $0.15 | −77% | $0.60 | 128K |
What switching saves
3,000 input + 800 output tokens × 1,000 requests a day
Σ Derived from standard-tier prices; excludes caching and batch discounts. Use your own numbers →
Larger-context alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-3.5 TurboOpenAI | $0.50 | 16K | Compare |
| MiniMax M2-herMiniMax | $0.30 | 66K | |
| Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)Google | $0.30 | 33K | |
| Mistral Small 3.1 24BMistral AI | $0.35 | 128K | Compare |
| Qwen2.5 72B InstructQwen (Alibaba) | $0.36 | 33K | Compare |
Free alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyria 3 Clip PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M | |
| Lyria 3 Pro PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M |
Compare Gemma 2 27B head to head
Questions
What is the best alternative to Gemma 2 27B?
GPT-3.5 Turbo ranks first: same square, 23% cheaper input, 2× the context. Input is $0.50 per 1M tokens against $0.65 for Gemma 2 27B. Ranking is by position on the atlas, not by quality.
What is the cheapest alternative to Gemma 2 27B?
Phi 4 at $0.07 per 1M input tokens, 89% less than Gemma 2 27B, among the 15 closest.
Is there an open-weight alternative to Gemma 2 27B?
Yes, 2 of the 15: Qwen2.5 7B Instruct and Qwen3 14B.
Which alternative has a larger context window?
Mistral Small 3.1 24B, Qwen2.5 VL 72B Instruct, Command R (08-2024), MiniMax M2-her and 10 more hold more than Gemma 2 27B's 8K; the largest is Mistral Small 3.1 24B at 128K.
How are alternatives ranked?
By distance on the atlas grid from Gemma 2 27B's square D1: the same square first, then neighbouring squares. Within the same distance, cheaper models come before pricier ones, then the lowest input price wins. We hold no capability data, so we do not claim a model can do what Gemma 2 27B does, only that it costs and holds about the same. No vendor pays for position.
More alternatives
Keep going in your AI
Opens with this page as the source. We add nothing else to the prompt.
- What is the best alternative to Gemma 2 27B?
- What is the cheapest alternative to Gemma 2 27B?
- Is there an open-weight alternative to Gemma 2 27B?