Gemma 3n 4B (free) vs Qwen3.5-9B
Gemma 3n 4B (free) (2025) and Qwen3.5-9B (2026) are compact production models from Google DeepMind and Alibaba. Gemma 3n 4B (free) ships a 8K-token context window, while Qwen3.5-9B ships a 262K-token context window. On pricing, Gemma 3n 4B (free) costs $0.02/1M input tokens versus $0.10/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
Gemma 3n 4B (free) is ~400% cheaper at $0.02/1M; pay for Qwen3.5-9B only for long-context analysis.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Gemma 3n 4B (free) | Qwen3.5-9B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | provider-routed production | multimodal apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Classification and JSON / Tool use | RAG, Agents, and Long context |
| Context window | 8K | 262K |
| Cheapest output | $0.04/1M tokens | $0.15/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 3 tracked | 3 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Gemma 3n 4B (free) has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.04/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Gemma 3n 4B (free) for Classification and JSON / Tool use.
- Qwen3.5-9B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Qwen3.5-9B uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Qwen3.5-9B for RAG, Agents, and Long context.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Gemma 3n 4B (free)
$26.00
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Together AI
Qwen3.5-9B
$118
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Together AI
Estimated monthly gap: $91.50. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on Together AI and OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Qwen3.5-9B is $0.11/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Qwen3.5-9B adds Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on Together AI and OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Gemma 3n 4B (free) is $0.11/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-04-03 | 2026-03-02 |
| Context window | 8K | 262K |
| Parameters | 8B (4B effective active) | 9B |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | Proprietary | Apache 2.0 |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-06 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Gemma 3n 4B (free) | Qwen3.5-9B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.02/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.04/1M tokens | $0.15/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Gemma 3n 4B (free) | Qwen3.5-9B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on vision: Qwen3.5-9B, multimodal input: Qwen3.5-9B, function calling: Qwen3.5-9B, and tool use: Qwen3.5-9B. Both models share structured outputs, 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 3n 4B (free) lists $0.02/1M input and $0.04/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Qwen3.5-9B lists $0.10/1M input and $0.15/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Gemma 3n 4B (free) lower by about $0.09 per million blended tokens. Availability is 3 providers versus 3, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Gemma 3n 4B (free) when provider fit and lower input-token cost are central to the workload. Choose Qwen3.5-9B when long-context analysis and larger context windows are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Gemma 3n 4B (free) or Qwen3.5-9B?
Qwen3.5-9B supports 262K tokens, while Gemma 3n 4B (free) supports 8K 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 3n 4B (free) or Qwen3.5-9B?
Gemma 3n 4B (free) is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Gemma 3n 4B (free) costs $0.02/1M input and $0.04/1M output tokens. Qwen3.5-9B costs $0.10/1M input and $0.15/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Gemma 3n 4B (free) or Qwen3.5-9B open source?
Gemma 3n 4B (free) is listed under Proprietary. Qwen3.5-9B is listed under Apache 2.0. 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 vision, Gemma 3n 4B (free) or Qwen3.5-9B?
Qwen3.5-9B has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for multimodal input, Gemma 3n 4B (free) or Qwen3.5-9B?
Qwen3.5-9B has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Gemma 3n 4B (free) and Qwen3.5-9B?
Gemma 3n 4B (free) is available on NVIDIA NIM, Together AI, and OpenRouter. Qwen3.5-9B is available on Together AI, OpenRouter, and Alibaba Cloud PAI-EAS. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-22. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.