Nanoparticles provide potentials in augmenting the performance of convective heat transfer. In view of this, the present investigation provides comparative analytical and numerical studies on alumina and gamma-alumina nanoparticles with different base fluids over a stretching sheet. Ethylene glycol and water are considered as base fluids. Boundary layer flow of gamma-alumina nanofluid over a stretching sheet is considered first time in this article. The viscosity and thermal conductivity models which are derived from experimental data (Maiga et al., 2004, 2005) used for gamma-alumina nanofluids and Brinkman viscosity and Maxwell's thermal conductivity models are used for alumina nanofluids. Governing boundary layer equations are solved both analytically and numerically using confluent hypergeometric function and fourth order Runge-Kutta method with shooting technique respectively. The results obtained for the velocity profile, temperature profile, skin friction coefficient and reduced Nusselt number are presented through plots. It is predicted that the same nanoparticles have different behavior on temperature profile with water and ethylene glycol. (C) 2016 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. and The Society of Powder Technology Japan. All rights reserved.