Gemma 3n 2B (free) vs Gemma 4 12B IT
Gemma 3n 2B (free) (2025) and Gemma 4 12B IT (2026) are frontier reasoning models from Google DeepMind. Gemma 3n 2B (free) ships a 8k-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.
Gemma 4 12B IT fits 32x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and Gemma 3n 2B (free) for tighter calls.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Gemma 3n 2B (free) | Gemma 4 12B IT |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | general production evaluation | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents |
| Decision fit | General | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 8k | 256k |
| Cheapest output | - | - |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 2 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Use Gemma 3n 2B (free) when your own prompt tests beat the comparison signals; the local data does not show a decisive standalone advantage yet.
- Gemma 4 12B IT has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Gemma 4 12B IT has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- 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 3n 2B (free)
Unavailable
No complete token price in local provider data
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 3n 2B (free) 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 3n 2B (free); plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-04-03 | 2026-06-03 |
| Context window | 8k | 256k |
| Parameters | 5B (2B effective active) | 11.9B |
| Architecture | decoder only | encoder free unified multimodal |
| License | Proprietary | Apache 2.0 |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-06 | 2025-01 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Gemma 3n 2B (free) | Gemma 4 12B IT |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | - | - |
| Output price | - | - |
| Providers |
Pricing not yet sourced for either model.
Capabilities
| Capability | Gemma 3n 2B (free) | Gemma 4 12B IT |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | No | 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, tool use: Gemma 4 12B IT, and structured outputs: Gemma 4 12B IT. 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.
Pricing coverage is uneven: Gemma 3n 2B (free) has no token price sourced yet and Gemma 4 12B IT has no token price sourced yet. Provider availability is 1 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 3n 2B (free) when provider fit are central to the workload. Choose Gemma 4 12B IT when reasoning depth, larger context windows, 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 3n 2B (free) or Gemma 4 12B IT?
Gemma 4 12B IT supports 256k tokens, while Gemma 3n 2B (free) supports 8k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Is Gemma 3n 2B (free) or Gemma 4 12B IT open source?
Gemma 3n 2B (free) 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 3n 2B (free) 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 3n 2B (free) 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 3n 2B (free) 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 3n 2B (free) and Gemma 4 12B IT?
Gemma 3n 2B (free) is available on NVIDIA NIM. 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.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-06-03. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.