Gemma 2 9B vs Phi-3 Mini 4k
Gemma 2 9B (2024) and Phi-3 Mini 4k (2024) are compact production models from Google DeepMind and Microsoft Research. Gemma 2 9B ships a 8K-token context window, while Phi-3 Mini 4k ships a 4K-token context window. On MMLU PRO, Gemma 2 9B leads by 6.4 pts. On pricing, Phi-3 Mini 4k costs $0.05/1M input tokens versus $0.06/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
Pick Gemma 2 9B for general evaluation; Phi-3 Mini 4k is better when provider fit matters more.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Gemma 2 9B | Phi-3 Mini 4k |
|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | Coding, Classification, and JSON / Tool use | Coding and Classification |
| Context window | 8K | 4K |
| Cheapest output | $0.18/1M tokens | $0.25/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 3 tracked | 4 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | MMLU PRO leader | 3 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Gemma 2 9B leads the largest shared benchmark signal on MMLU PRO by 6.4 points.
- Gemma 2 9B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Gemma 2 9B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.18/1M tokens.
- Gemma 2 9B uniquely exposes Structured outputs in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Gemma 2 9B for Coding, Classification, and JSON / Tool use.
- Phi-3 Mini 4k leads the largest shared benchmark signal on HumanEval by 1.4 points.
- Phi-3 Mini 4k has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Phi-3 Mini 4k for Coding and Classification.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output prices on this page.
Gemma 2 9B
$93.00
Cheapest tracked route: GCP Vertex AI
Phi-3 Mini 4k
$103
Cheapest tracked route: Replicate API
Estimated monthly gap: $9.50. Batch, cache, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Gemma 2 9B and Phi-3 Mini 4k; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Phi-3 Mini 4k is $0.07/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Structured outputs before moving production traffic.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Phi-3 Mini 4k and Gemma 2 9B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Gemma 2 9B is $0.07/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Gemma 2 9B adds Structured outputs in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024-06-27 | 2024-04-23 |
| Context window | 8K | 4K |
| Parameters | 9B | 3.8B |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | Open Source | Open Source |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Gemma 2 9B | Phi-3 Mini 4k |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.06/1M tokens | $0.05/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.18/1M tokens | $0.25/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Gemma 2 9B | Phi-3 Mini 4k |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | No |
| Code execution | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Gemma 2 9B | Phi-3 Mini 4k |
|---|---|---|
| MMLU PRO | 52.1 | 45.7 |
| HumanEval | 58.4 | 59.8 |
| Massive Multitask Language Understanding | 71.5 | 68.2 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, MMLU PRO has Gemma 2 9B at 52.1 and Phi-3 Mini 4k at 45.7, with Gemma 2 9B ahead by 6.4 points; HumanEval has Gemma 2 9B at 58.4 and Phi-3 Mini 4k at 59.8, with Phi-3 Mini 4k ahead by 1.4 points; Massive Multitask Language Understanding has Gemma 2 9B at 71.5 and Phi-3 Mini 4k at 68.2, with Gemma 2 9B ahead by 3.3 points. The largest visible gap is 6.4 points on MMLU PRO, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint differs most on structured outputs: Gemma 2 9B. Both models share the core language-model surface, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, Gemma 2 9B lists $0.06/1M input and $0.18/1M output tokens, while Phi-3 Mini 4k lists $0.05/1M input and $0.25/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Gemma 2 9B lower by about $0.01 per million blended tokens. Availability is 3 providers versus 4, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Gemma 2 9B when long-context analysis and larger context windows are central to the workload. Choose Phi-3 Mini 4k when provider fit, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Gemma 2 9B or Phi-3 Mini 4k?
Gemma 2 9B supports 8K tokens, while Phi-3 Mini 4k supports 4K tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, Gemma 2 9B or Phi-3 Mini 4k?
Phi-3 Mini 4k is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Gemma 2 9B costs $0.06/1M input and $0.18/1M output tokens. Phi-3 Mini 4k costs $0.05/1M input and $0.25/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Gemma 2 9B or Phi-3 Mini 4k open source?
Gemma 2 9B is listed under Open Source. Phi-3 Mini 4k is listed under Open Source. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for structured outputs, Gemma 2 9B or Phi-3 Mini 4k?
Gemma 2 9B has the clearer documented structured outputs signal in this comparison. If structured outputs is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Gemma 2 9B and Phi-3 Mini 4k?
Gemma 2 9B is available on GCP Vertex AI, Fireworks AI, and Bitdeer AI. Phi-3 Mini 4k is available on Microsoft Foundry, NVIDIA NIM, Baseten API, and Replicate API. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
When should I pick Gemma 2 9B over Phi-3 Mini 4k?
Pick Gemma 2 9B for general evaluation; Phi-3 Mini 4k is better when provider fit matters more. If your workload also depends on long-context analysis, start with Gemma 2 9B; if it depends on provider fit, run the same evaluation with Phi-3 Mini 4k.
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Last reviewed: 2026-05-16. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.