Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs Qwen3.5-9B
Gemma 4 26B-A4B leads the LLM Stats Score 29.6 to 24.7. Qwen3.5-9B is 1.2x cheaper per token.
Google · Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Gemma 4 26B-A4B leads the overall LLM Stats Score 29.6 to 24.7, ranking #132 overall.
In the 5 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Gemma 4 26B-A4B wins 5; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Qwen3.5-9B is roughly 1.2x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Gemma 4 26B-A4B
- overall performance matters — it scores 29.6 and ranks #132 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 5 of 5 exact shared results
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2026
Choose Qwen3.5-9B
- cost matters — it's about 1.2x cheaper per token
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
12 reported for Gemma 4 26B-A4B · 25 for Qwen3.5-9B
Gemma 4 26B-A4B outperforms in 5 benchmarks (GPQA, LiveCodeBench v6, MMLU-Pro, MMMLU, t2-bench), while Qwen3.5-9B is better at 0 benchmarks.
Gemma 4 26B-A4B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemma 4 26B-A4B ($0.07/1M tokens) is 1.4x cheaper than Qwen3.5-9B ($0.10/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemma 4 26B-A4B ($0.34/1M tokens) is 2.3x more expensive than Qwen3.5-9B ($0.15/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Gemma 4 26B-A4B is more expensive than Qwen3.5-9B.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Gemma 4 26B-A4B has 16.2B more parameters than Qwen3.5-9B, making it 180.0% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Both models have the same input context window of 262,144 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 262,144 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Gemma 4 26B-A4B and Qwen3.5-9B support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
Qwen3.5-9B
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under Apache 2.0.
Both models share the same licensing terms, providing consistent usage rights.
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemma 4 26B-A4B was released on 2026-04-02, while Qwen3.5-9B was released on 2026-03-02.
Gemma 4 26B-A4B is 1 month newer than Qwen3.5-9B.
Apr 2, 2026
5 months ago
1mo newerMar 2, 2026
6 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemma 4 26B-A4B has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-01, while Qwen3.5-9B's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Gemma 4 26B-A4B's training data extends to 2025-01-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without Qwen3.5-9B's cutoff date.
Jan 2025
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Provider Availability
Gemma 4 26B-A4B is available from DeepInfra, Novita. Qwen3.5-9B is available from DeepInfra.
Gemma 4 26B-A4B
Qwen3.5-9B
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemma 4 26B-A4B and Qwen3.5-9B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Gemma 4 26B-A4B vs Qwen3.5-9B.