Gemma 3 27B Instruct vs Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview: Which AI Model Is Better?

Updated March 26, 2026· Based on independent benchmark data

Quick Verdict

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview leads in intelligence with a score of 57.2 vs 10.3. For speed, Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview wins at 113 tok/s vs 31 tok/s.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Metric	Gemma 3 27B Instruct	Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview
Intelligence Score	10.3	57.2
Coding Score	9.6	55.5
Math Score	20.7	N/A
Speed (tok/s)	31 tok/s	113 tok/s
Latency (TTFT)	2.21s	23.84s
Input Price / 1M tokens	Free	$2.00
Output Price / 1M tokens	Free	$12
Context Window	N/A	1.0M
Max Output Tokens	N/A	N/A
Input Modalities	Text	Audio + File + Image + Text + Video

Detailed Analysis

Intelligence & Quality

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview outperforms Gemma 3 27B Instruct on the intelligence index with a score of 57.2 compared to 10.3. For coding tasks, Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview has the edge with a coding score of 55.5 vs 9.6.

Speed & Latency

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview generates output significantly faster at 113 tok/s compared to Gemma 3 27B Instruct's 31 tok/s, making it 3.6x faster for streaming responses. Time to first token is 2.21s for Gemma 3 27B Instruct vs 23.84s for Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, which affects perceived responsiveness in interactive applications.

Pricing

Gemma 3 27B Instruct is completely free, while Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview costs $2.00/1M input tokens and $12/1M output tokens.

Best Use Cases

Choose Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview when you need higher intelligence (57.2), stronger coding performance (55.5), faster output (113 tok/s).

Choose Gemma 3 27B Instruct if:

✓You want lower latency (2.21s vs 23.84s TTFT)
✓You want zero cost (Free vs paid)

Choose Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview if:

✓You need higher intelligence (score: 57.2 vs 10.3)
✓You prioritize coding performance (score: 55.5 vs 9.6)
✓You need faster throughput (113 tok/s vs 31 tok/s)
✓You need image understanding (Supports image input)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Gemma 3 27B Instruct better than Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview for coding?

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview scores higher on coding benchmarks (55.5 vs 9.6), making it the better choice for programming tasks.

Is Gemma 3 27B Instruct faster than Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview?

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview is faster, producing output at 113 tok/s compared to Gemma 3 27B Instruct's 31 tok/s.

Can Gemma 3 27B Instruct process images?

No, Gemma 3 27B Instruct does not support image input. However, Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview does support images.

Should I use Gemma 3 27B Instruct or Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview?

It depends on your priorities. Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview scores higher on intelligence (57.2), but Gemma 3 27B Instruct may be better for specific use cases like cost savings or speed-critical applications.

Related Comparisons

gemma 3 27b instruct vs GPT-5.4 (xhigh)gemini 3 1 pro preview vs GPT-5.4 (xhigh)gemma 3 27b instruct vs GPT-5.3 Codex (xhigh)gemini 3 1 pro preview vs GPT-5.3 Codex (xhigh)gemini 3 1 pro preview vs Claude Opus 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort)gemini 3 1 pro preview vs Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort)

View Gemma 3 27B Instructdetails →View Gemini 3.1 Pro Previewdetails →Full pricing comparison →

Data last synced: March 26, 2026