Gemma 4 12B IT vs Gemma 4 26B A4B IT
Gemma 4 12B IT (2026) and Gemma 4 26B A4B IT (2026) are frontier reasoning models from Google DeepMind. Gemma 4 12B IT ships a 256k-token context window, while Gemma 4 26B A4B IT ships a 256k-token context window. On MMLU PRO, Gemma 4 26B A4B IT leads by 5.4 pts. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Gemma 4 12B IT is safer overall; choose Gemma 4 26B A4B IT when vision-heavy evaluation matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Gemma 4 12B IT | Gemma 4 26B A4B IT |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents | multimodal apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 256k | 256k |
| Cheapest output | - | $0.33/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 2 tracked | 9 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 4 shared | MMLU PRO leader |
Decision tradeoffs
- Gemma 4 12B IT uniquely exposes Reasoning and Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Gemma 4 12B IT for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Gemma 4 26B A4B IT holds a shared-benchmark lead on MMLU PRO, ahead by 5.4 points.
- Gemma 4 26B A4B IT has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Gemma 4 26B A4B 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 4 12B IT
Unavailable
No complete token price in local provider data
Gemma 4 26B A4B IT
$131
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Cost delta unavailable until both models have sourced input and output token prices.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Gemma 4 12B IT and Gemma 4 26B A4B IT; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning and Tool use before moving production traffic.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Gemma 4 26B A4B IT and Gemma 4 12B IT; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Gemma 4 12B IT adds Reasoning and Tool use in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-06-03 | 2026-03-31 |
| Context window | 256k | 256k |
| Parameters | 12B | 26B |
| Architecture | Decoder Only | - |
| License | Apache 2.0OSI-approved | Apache 2.0OSI-approved |
| Openness | Open source | Open source |
| Weights | Available | Available |
| Code | Unknown | Unknown |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: permitted | Commercial use: permitted |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-01 | 2025-01 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Gemma 4 12B IT | Gemma 4 26B A4B IT |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | - | $0.06/1M tokens |
| Output price | - | $0.33/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Gemma 4 12B IT | Gemma 4 26B A4B IT |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | Yes | Yes |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Gemma 4 12B IT | Gemma 4 26B A4B IT |
|---|---|---|
| MMLU PRO | 77.2 | 82.6 |
| Google-Proof Q&A | 78.8 | 79.2 |
| LiveCodeBench | 72.0 | 77.1 |
| AIME 2026 | 77.5 | 88.3 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, MMLU PRO has Gemma 4 12B IT at 77.2 and Gemma 4 26B A4B IT at 82.6, with Gemma 4 26B A4B IT ahead by 5.4 points; Google-Proof Q&A has Gemma 4 12B IT at 78.8 and Gemma 4 26B A4B IT at 79.2, with Gemma 4 26B A4B IT ahead by 0.4 points; LiveCodeBench has Gemma 4 12B IT at 72 and Gemma 4 26B A4B IT at 77.1, with Gemma 4 26B A4B IT ahead by 5.1 points. The largest visible gap is 5.4 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 reasoning mode: Gemma 4 12B IT and tool use: Gemma 4 12B IT. Both models share vision, multimodal input, function calling, and 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 4 12B IT has no token price sourced yet and Gemma 4 26B A4B IT has $0.06/1M input tokens. Provider availability is 2 tracked routes versus 9. Treat unknown pricing as an integration gap, then verify the route you will actually call before estimating production spend.
Choose Gemma 4 12B IT when reasoning depth are central to the workload. Choose Gemma 4 26B A4B IT when vision-heavy evaluation 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 4 12B IT or Gemma 4 26B A4B IT?
Gemma 4 12B IT supports 256k tokens, while Gemma 4 26B A4B IT supports 256k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Is Gemma 4 12B IT or Gemma 4 26B A4B IT open source?
Gemma 4 12B IT is listed under Apache 2.0. Gemma 4 26B A4B 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 4 12B IT or Gemma 4 26B A4B IT?
Both Gemma 4 12B IT and Gemma 4 26B A4B IT expose vision. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Which is better for multimodal input, Gemma 4 12B IT or Gemma 4 26B A4B IT?
Both Gemma 4 12B IT and Gemma 4 26B A4B IT expose multimodal input. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Which is better for reasoning mode, Gemma 4 12B IT or Gemma 4 26B A4B 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 4 12B IT and Gemma 4 26B A4B IT?
Gemma 4 12B IT is available on Hugging Face Inference Endpoints and Kaggle Models. Gemma 4 26B A4B IT is available on Cloudflare Workers AI, Google AI Studio, GCP Vertex AI, OpenRouter, and Together AI. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-30. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.