Model Comparison

Gemma 2 9B vs Grok-1.5Which is better in 2026?

Grok-1.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Verdict: Gemma 2 9B vs Grok-1.5 — which is better?

Gemma 2 9B (by Google) and Grok-1.5 (by xAI) 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.

Gemma 2 9B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok-1.5 is better at 4 benchmarks (GSM8k, HumanEval, MATH, MMLU). Grok-1.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Choose Gemma 2 9B if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jun 2024
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose Grok-1.5 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 4 shared benchmarks

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

Gemma 2 9B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok-1.5 is better at 4 benchmarks (GSM8k, HumanEval, MATH, MMLU).

Grok-1.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sun Jul 12 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemma 2 9B is licensed under Gemma, while Grok-1.5 uses a proprietary license.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

Gemma 2 9B

Gemma

Open weights

Grok-1.5

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemma 2 9B was released on 2024-06-27, while Grok-1.5 was released on 2024-03-28.

Gemma 2 9B is 3 months newer than Grok-1.5.

Gemma 2 9B

Jun 27, 2024

2.0 years ago

3mo newer
Grok-1.5

Mar 28, 2024

2.3 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Google
Has open weights
xAI
Higher GSM8k score (90.0% vs 68.6%)
Higher HumanEval score (74.1% vs 40.2%)
Higher MATH score (50.6% vs 36.6%)
Higher MMLU score (81.3% vs 71.3%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Gemma 2 9B and Grok-1.5 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Gemma 2 9B
✓ Preferred
Grok-1.5
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemma 2 9B
xAI
Grok-1.5

FAQ

Common questions about Gemma 2 9B vs Grok-1.5.

Which is better, Gemma 2 9B or Grok-1.5?

Grok-1.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemma 2 9B is made by Google and Grok-1.5 is made by xAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Gemma 2 9B compare to Grok-1.5 in benchmarks?

Gemma 2 9B scores ARC-E: 88.0%, BoolQ: 84.2%, HellaSwag: 81.9%, PIQA: 81.7%, Winogrande: 80.6%. Grok-1.5 scores GSM8k: 90.0%, DocVQA: 85.6%, MMLU: 81.3%, HumanEval: 74.1%, MMMU: 53.6%.

What are the main differences between Gemma 2 9B and Grok-1.5?

Key differences include licensing (Gemma vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemma 2 9B and Grok-1.5?

Gemma 2 9B is developed by Google and Grok-1.5 is developed by xAI.

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