Gemma 3 27B vs IBM Granite 4.2 30B
IBM Granite 4.2 30B leads the LLM Stats Score 24.0 to 8.5.
Google · IBM · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
IBM Granite 4.2 30B leads the overall LLM Stats Score 24.0 to 8.5, ranking #156 overall.
In the 3 individual benchmarks reported for both models, IBM Granite 4.2 30B wins 2; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Gemma 3 27B
- you want predictable pricing at $0.10/M input and $0.20/M output
Choose IBM Granite 4.2 30B
- overall performance matters — it scores 24.0 and ranks #156 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 2 of 3 exact shared results
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
27 reported for Gemma 3 27B · 18 for IBM Granite 4.2 30B
Gemma 3 27B outperforms in 1 benchmarks (Bird-SQL (dev)), while IBM Granite 4.2 30B is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMLU-Pro).
IBM Granite 4.2 30B shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
IBM Granite 4.2 30B has 3.0B more parameters than Gemma 3 27B, making it 11.1% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Only Gemma 3 27B specifies input context (131,072 tokens). Only Gemma 3 27B specifies output context (131,072 tokens).
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Gemma 3 27B supports multimodal inputs, whereas IBM Granite 4.2 30B does not.
Gemma 3 27B can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
Gemma 3 27B
IBM Granite 4.2 30B
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemma 3 27B is licensed under Gemma, while IBM Granite 4.2 30B uses Apache 2.0.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Gemma
Open weights
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemma 3 27B was released on 2025-03-12, while IBM Granite 4.2 30B was released on 2026-08-25.
IBM Granite 4.2 30B is 18 months newer than Gemma 3 27B.
Mar 12, 2025
1.5 years ago
Aug 25, 2026
6 days ago
1.5yr newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemma 3 27B and IBM Granite 4.2 30B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Gemma 3 27B vs IBM Granite 4.2 30B.