Model Comparison

Gemma 2 9B vs Qwen2 7B InstructWhich is better in 2026?

Qwen2 7B Instruct significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Verdict: Gemma 2 9B vs Qwen2 7B Instruct — which is better?

Gemma 2 9B (by Google) and Qwen2 7B Instruct (by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team) 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 1 benchmarks (MMLU), while Qwen2 7B Instruct is better at 4 benchmarks (GSM8k, HumanEval, MATH, MBPP). Qwen2 7B Instruct significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Choose Gemma 2 9B if…

  • you are already invested in the Google ecosystem

Choose Qwen2 7B Instruct if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 5 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2024
Want to compare interactively?Try the playground

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

5 benchmarks

Gemma 2 9B outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MMLU), while Qwen2 7B Instruct is better at 4 benchmarks (GSM8k, HumanEval, MATH, MBPP).

Qwen2 7B Instruct significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sat Jun 06 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

1.6B diff

Gemma 2 9B has 1.6B more parameters than Qwen2 7B Instruct, making it 21.3% larger.

Google
Gemma 2 9B
9.2Bparameters
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen2 7B Instruct
7.6Bparameters
9.2B
Gemma 2 9B
7.6B
Qwen2 7B Instruct

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemma 2 9B is licensed under Gemma, while Qwen2 7B Instruct uses Apache 2.0.

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

Gemma 2 9B

Gemma

Open weights

Qwen2 7B Instruct

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemma 2 9B was released on 2024-06-27, while Qwen2 7B Instruct was released on 2024-07-23.

Qwen2 7B Instruct is 1 month newer than Gemma 2 9B.

Gemma 2 9B

Jun 27, 2024

1.9 years ago

Qwen2 7B Instruct

Jul 23, 2024

1.9 years ago

3w 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
Higher MMLU score (71.3% vs 70.5%)
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team

Qwen2 7B Instruct

View details

Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team

Higher GSM8k score (82.3% vs 68.6%)
Higher HumanEval score (79.9% vs 40.2%)
Higher MATH score (49.6% vs 36.6%)
Higher MBPP score (67.2% vs 52.4%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemma 2 9B
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen2 7B Instruct

FAQ

Common questions about Gemma 2 9B vs Qwen2 7B Instruct.

Which is better, Gemma 2 9B or Qwen2 7B Instruct?

Qwen2 7B Instruct significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemma 2 9B is made by Google and Qwen2 7B Instruct is made by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Gemma 2 9B compare to Qwen2 7B Instruct in benchmarks?

Gemma 2 9B scores ARC-E: 88.0%, BoolQ: 84.2%, HellaSwag: 81.9%, PIQA: 81.7%, Winogrande: 80.6%. Qwen2 7B Instruct scores MT-Bench: 84.1%, GSM8k: 82.3%, HumanEval: 79.9%, C-Eval: 77.2%, AlignBench: 72.1%.

What are the main differences between Gemma 2 9B and Qwen2 7B Instruct?

Key differences include licensing (Gemma vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemma 2 9B and Qwen2 7B Instruct?

Gemma 2 9B is developed by Google and Qwen2 7B Instruct is developed by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team.

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