Model Comparison
MedGemma 4B IT vs Qwen3.5-27BWhich is better in 2026?
Qwen3.5-27B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Verdict: MedGemma 4B IT vs Qwen3.5-27B — which is better?
MedGemma 4B IT (by Google) and Qwen3.5-27B (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.
MedGemma 4B IT outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Qwen3.5-27B is better at 2 benchmarks (MedXpertQA, SlakeVQA). Qwen3.5-27B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Choose MedGemma 4B IT if…
- you are already invested in the Google ecosystem
Choose Qwen3.5-27B if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2026
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
MedGemma 4B IT outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Qwen3.5-27B is better at 2 benchmarks (MedXpertQA, SlakeVQA).
Qwen3.5-27B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Qwen3.5-27B has 22.7B more parameters than MedGemma 4B IT, making it 527.9% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Only Qwen3.5-27B specifies input context (262,144 tokens). Only Qwen3.5-27B specifies output context (65,536 tokens).
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both MedGemma 4B IT and Qwen3.5-27B support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
MedGemma 4B IT
Qwen3.5-27B
License
Usage and distribution terms
MedGemma 4B IT is licensed under Health AI Developer Foundations terms of use, while Qwen3.5-27B uses Apache 2.0.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Health AI Developer Foundations terms of use
Open weights
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
MedGemma 4B IT was released on 2025-05-20, while Qwen3.5-27B was released on 2026-02-24.
Qwen3.5-27B is 9 months newer than MedGemma 4B IT.
May 20, 2025
1.2 years ago
Feb 24, 2026
5 months ago
9mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.
Qwen3.5-27B
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against MedGemma 4B IT and Qwen3.5-27B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about MedGemma 4B IT vs Qwen3.5-27B.