Model Comparison
Gemma 3 27B vs GPT-5 nanoWhich is better in 2026?
GPT-5 nano significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemma 3 27B is 1.1x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Gemma 3 27B vs GPT-5 nano — which is better?
Gemma 3 27B (by Google) and GPT-5 nano (by OpenAI) 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 3 27B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-5 nano is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA). GPT-5 nano significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Gemma 3 27B is roughly 1.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5 nano also accepts a larger context window (400,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Gemma 3 27B if…
- cost matters — it's about 1.1x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose GPT-5 nano if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2025
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemma 3 27B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-5 nano is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).
GPT-5 nano significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemma 3 27B ($0.10/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than GPT-5 nano ($0.05/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemma 3 27B ($0.20/1M tokens) is 2.0x cheaper than GPT-5 nano ($0.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5 nano 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
GPT-5 nano accepts 400,000 input tokens compared to Gemma 3 27B's 131,072 tokens. Gemma 3 27B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GPT-5 nano is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Gemma 3 27B and GPT-5 nano support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemma 3 27B
GPT-5 nano
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemma 3 27B is licensed under Gemma, while GPT-5 nano uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Gemma
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemma 3 27B was released on 2025-03-12, while GPT-5 nano was released on 2025-08-07.
GPT-5 nano is 5 months newer than Gemma 3 27B.
Mar 12, 2025
1.4 years ago
Aug 7, 2025
11 months ago
4mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-5 nano has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-30, while Gemma 3 27B's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-5 nano's training data extends to 2024-05-30, but cannot make a direct comparison without Gemma 3 27B's cutoff date.
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May 2024
Provider Availability
Gemma 3 27B is available from DeepInfra, Novita. GPT-5 nano is available from OpenAI.
Gemma 3 27B
GPT-5 nano
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Gemma 3 27B
View detailsGPT-5 nano
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemma 3 27B and GPT-5 nano side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about Gemma 3 27B vs GPT-5 nano.