Gemma 4 12B vs Qwen3.5-4B
Gemma 4 12B (2026) and Qwen3.5-4B (2026) are frontier reasoning models from Google DeepMind and Alibaba. Gemma 4 12B ships a 256k-token context window, while Qwen3.5-4B ships a 262k-token context window. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing.
Gemma 4 12B is safer overall; choose Qwen3.5-4B when long-context analysis matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Gemma 4 12B | Qwen3.5-4B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents | multimodal apps |
| Decision fit | RAG, Agents, and Long context | Long context and Vision |
| Context window | 256k | 262k |
| Cheapest output | - | - |
| Provider routes | 2 tracked | 0 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Gemma 4 12B has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Gemma 4 12B uniquely exposes Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Gemma 4 12B for RAG, Agents, and Long context.
- Qwen3.5-4B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Local decision data tags Qwen3.5-4B for Long context and Vision.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Gemma 4 12B
Unavailable
No complete token price in local provider data
Qwen3.5-4B
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 4 12B and Qwen3.5-4B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use before moving production traffic.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Qwen3.5-4B and Gemma 4 12B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Gemma 4 12B adds Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-06-03 | 2026-03-02 |
| Context window | 256k | 262k |
| Parameters | 11.9B | 4B |
| Architecture | encoder free unified multimodal | - |
| License | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-01 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Gemma 4 12B | Qwen3.5-4B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | - | - |
| Output price | - | - |
| Providers | - |
Pricing not yet sourced for either model.
Capabilities
| Capability | Gemma 4 12B | Qwen3.5-4B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | Yes | No |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | No | No |
| 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 reasoning mode: Gemma 4 12B, function calling: Gemma 4 12B, and tool use: Gemma 4 12B. Both models share vision and multimodal input, 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 has no token price sourced yet and Qwen3.5-4B has no token price sourced yet. Provider availability is 2 tracked routes versus 0. Treat unknown pricing as an integration gap, then verify the route you will actually call before estimating production spend.
Choose Gemma 4 12B when reasoning depth and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Qwen3.5-4B 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 4 12B or Qwen3.5-4B?
Qwen3.5-4B supports 262k tokens, while Gemma 4 12B 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 or Qwen3.5-4B open source?
Gemma 4 12B is listed under Apache 2.0. Qwen3.5-4B 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 or Qwen3.5-4B?
Both Gemma 4 12B and Qwen3.5-4B expose vision. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for multimodal input, Gemma 4 12B or Qwen3.5-4B?
Both Gemma 4 12B and Qwen3.5-4B expose multimodal input. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for reasoning mode, Gemma 4 12B or Qwen3.5-4B?
Gemma 4 12B 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 and Qwen3.5-4B?
Gemma 4 12B is available on Hugging Face Inference Endpoints and Kaggle Models. Qwen3.5-4B is available on the tracked providers still being sourced. 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.