Model Comparison
Claude Opus 4.6 vs Gemma 3 27BWhich is better in 2026?
Claude Opus 4.6 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemma 3 27B is 80.0x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Claude Opus 4.6 vs Gemma 3 27B — which is better?
Claude Opus 4.6 (by Anthropic) and Gemma 3 27B (by Google) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.
Claude Opus 4.6 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Gemma 3 27B is better at 0 benchmarks. Claude Opus 4.6 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Gemma 3 27B is roughly 80.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Claude Opus 4.6 also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Claude Opus 4.6 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2026
Choose Gemma 3 27B if…
- cost matters — it's about 80.0x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Claude Opus 4.6 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Gemma 3 27B is better at 0 benchmarks.
Claude Opus 4.6 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Claude Opus 4.6 ($5.00/1M tokens) is 50.0x more expensive than Gemma 3 27B ($0.10/1M tokens).
For output processing, Claude Opus 4.6 ($25.00/1M tokens) is 125.0x more expensive than Gemma 3 27B ($0.20/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Claude Opus 4.6 is more expensive than Gemma 3 27B.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Claude Opus 4.6 accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to Gemma 3 27B's 131,072 tokens. Gemma 3 27B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Claude Opus 4.6 is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Claude Opus 4.6 and Gemma 3 27B support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Claude Opus 4.6
Gemma 3 27B
License
Usage and distribution terms
Claude Opus 4.6 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Gemma 3 27B uses Gemma.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
Gemma
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Claude Opus 4.6 was released on 2026-02-05, while Gemma 3 27B was released on 2025-03-12.
Claude Opus 4.6 is 11 months newer than Gemma 3 27B.
Feb 5, 2026
4 months ago
11mo newerMar 12, 2025
1.2 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
Claude Opus 4.6 is available from Anthropic. Gemma 3 27B is available from DeepInfra, Novita.
Claude Opus 4.6
Gemma 3 27B
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Claude Opus 4.6
View detailsAnthropic
Gemma 3 27B
View detailsDetailed Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|
FAQ
Common questions about Claude Opus 4.6 vs Gemma 3 27B.