Gemma 3 12B vs Gemma 4 12B IT
Gemma 3 12B (2026) and Gemma 4 12B IT (2026) are frontier reasoning models from Google DeepMind. Gemma 3 12B ships a 33k-token context window, while Gemma 4 12B IT ships a 256k-token context window. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing. The goal is to make the tradeoff clear before deeper testing.
Gemma 4 12B IT fits 8x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and Gemma 3 12B for tighter calls.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Gemma 3 12B | Gemma 4 12B IT |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | provider-routed production | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents |
| Decision fit | Classification and JSON / Tool use | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 33k | 256k |
| Cheapest output | $0.13/1M tokens | - |
| Provider routes | 4 tracked | 2 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Gemma 3 12B has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Gemma 3 12B for Classification and JSON / Tool use.
- Gemma 4 12B IT has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Gemma 4 12B IT uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Gemma 4 12B IT for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Gemma 3 12B
$64.50
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Gemma 4 12B IT
Unavailable
No complete token price in local provider data
Cost delta unavailable until both models have sourced input and output token prices.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Gemma 3 12B and Gemma 4 12B IT; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Gemma 4 12B IT adds Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Gemma 4 12B IT and Gemma 3 12B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-01-01 | 2026-06-03 |
| Context window | 33k | 256k |
| Parameters | 12B | 11.9B |
| Architecture | decoder only | encoder free unified multimodal |
| License | Proprietary | Apache 2.0 |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-08 | 2025-01 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Gemma 3 12B | Gemma 4 12B IT |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.04/1M tokens | - |
| Output price | $0.13/1M tokens | - |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Gemma 3 12B | Gemma 4 12B IT |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| 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: Gemma 4 12B IT, multimodal input: Gemma 4 12B IT, reasoning mode: Gemma 4 12B IT, function calling: Gemma 4 12B IT, and tool use: Gemma 4 12B IT. 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.
Pricing coverage is uneven: Gemma 3 12B has $0.04/1M input tokens and Gemma 4 12B IT has no token price sourced yet. Provider availability is 4 tracked routes versus 2. Treat unknown pricing as an integration gap, then verify the route you will actually call before estimating production spend.
Choose Gemma 3 12B when provider fit and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Gemma 4 12B IT when reasoning depth 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.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Gemma 3 12B or Gemma 4 12B IT?
Gemma 4 12B IT supports 256k tokens, while Gemma 3 12B supports 33k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Is Gemma 3 12B or Gemma 4 12B IT open source?
Gemma 3 12B is listed under Proprietary. Gemma 4 12B IT 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 3 12B or Gemma 4 12B IT?
Gemma 4 12B IT 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.
Which is better for multimodal input, Gemma 3 12B or Gemma 4 12B IT?
Gemma 4 12B IT 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.
Which is better for reasoning mode, Gemma 3 12B or Gemma 4 12B IT?
Gemma 4 12B IT has the clearer documented reasoning mode signal in this comparison. If reasoning mode is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Gemma 3 12B and Gemma 4 12B IT?
Gemma 3 12B is available on AWS Bedrock, OpenRouter, GCP Vertex AI, and Novita AI. Gemma 4 12B IT is available on Hugging Face Inference Endpoints and Kaggle Models. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-03. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.