Model Comparison

Gemma 2 9B vs Phi-3.5-vision-instructWhich is better in 2026?

Comparing Gemma 2 9B and Phi-3.5-vision-instruct across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: Gemma 2 9B vs Phi-3.5-vision-instruct — which is better?

Gemma 2 9B (by Google) and Phi-3.5-vision-instruct (by Microsoft) 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.

Choose Gemma 2 9B if…

  • you are already invested in the Google ecosystem

Choose Phi-3.5-vision-instruct if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2024

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

Gemma 2 9B and Phi-3.5-vision-instructdon't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

5.0B diff

Gemma 2 9B has 5.0B more parameters than Phi-3.5-vision-instruct, making it 120.0% larger.

Google
Gemma 2 9B
9.2Bparameters
Microsoft
Phi-3.5-vision-instruct
4.2Bparameters
9.2B
Gemma 2 9B
4.2B
Phi-3.5-vision-instruct

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct supports multimodal inputs, whereas Gemma 2 9B does not.

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

Gemma 2 9B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemma 2 9B is licensed under Gemma, while Phi-3.5-vision-instruct uses MIT.

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

Gemma 2 9B

Gemma

Open weights

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemma 2 9B was released on 2024-06-27, while Phi-3.5-vision-instruct was released on 2024-08-23.

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct is 2 months newer than Gemma 2 9B.

Gemma 2 9B

Jun 27, 2024

2.1 years ago

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct

Aug 23, 2024

1.9 years ago

1mo newer

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

No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.

Microsoft
Supports multimodal inputs

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Gemma 2 9B and Phi-3.5-vision-instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Gemma 2 9B
✓ Preferred
Phi-3.5-vision-instruct
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemma 2 9B
Microsoft
Phi-3.5-vision-instruct

FAQ

Common questions about Gemma 2 9B vs Phi-3.5-vision-instruct.

Which is better, Gemma 2 9B or Phi-3.5-vision-instruct?

Gemma 2 9B (Google) and Phi-3.5-vision-instruct (Microsoft) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does Gemma 2 9B compare to Phi-3.5-vision-instruct in benchmarks?

Gemma 2 9B scores ARC-E: 88.0%, BoolQ: 84.2%, HellaSwag: 81.9%, PIQA: 81.7%, Winogrande: 80.6%. Phi-3.5-vision-instruct scores ScienceQA: 91.3%, POPE: 86.1%, MMBench: 81.9%, ChartQA: 81.8%, AI2D: 78.1%.

What are the main differences between Gemma 2 9B and Phi-3.5-vision-instruct?

Key differences include multimodal support (no vs yes), licensing (Gemma vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemma 2 9B and Phi-3.5-vision-instruct?

Gemma 2 9B is developed by Google and Phi-3.5-vision-instruct is developed by Microsoft.

Related comparisons