Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B vs ShieldGemma 2
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B (2026) and ShieldGemma 2 (2024) are general-purpose language models from NVIDIA AI and Google DeepMind. Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B ships a 1M-token context window, while ShieldGemma 2 ships a not-yet-sourced 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.
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is safer overall; choose ShieldGemma 2 when vision-heavy evaluation matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B | ShieldGemma 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | RAG, Long context, and Classification | Agents, Vision, and Classification |
| Context window | 1M | — |
| Cheapest output | $0.45/1M tokens | - |
| Provider routes | 4 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B for RAG, Long context, and Classification.
- ShieldGemma 2 uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local model data.
- Local decision data tags ShieldGemma 2 for Agents, Vision, and Classification.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output prices on this page.
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B
$185
Cheapest tracked route: OpenRouter
ShieldGemma 2
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 Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B and ShieldGemma 2; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- ShieldGemma 2 adds Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for ShieldGemma 2 and Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-03-11 | 2024-09-01 |
| Context window | 1M | — |
| Parameters | 120B | — |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | Unknown | Proprietary |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B | ShieldGemma 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.09/1M tokens | - |
| Output price | $0.45/1M tokens | - |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B | ShieldGemma 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on vision: ShieldGemma 2, multimodal input: ShieldGemma 2, function calling: ShieldGemma 2, and tool use: ShieldGemma 2. 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: Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B has $0.09/1M input tokens and ShieldGemma 2 has no token price sourced yet. Provider availability is 4 tracked routes versus 1. Treat unknown pricing as an integration gap, then verify the route you will actually call before estimating production spend.
Choose Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B when provider fit and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose ShieldGemma 2 when vision-heavy evaluation 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. For teams standardizing a stack, that distinction is often the difference between a benchmark win and a reliable deployment.
FAQ
Is Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B or ShieldGemma 2 open source?
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is listed under Unknown. ShieldGemma 2 is listed under Proprietary. 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, Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B or ShieldGemma 2?
ShieldGemma 2 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. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for multimodal input, Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B or ShieldGemma 2?
ShieldGemma 2 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 function calling, Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B or ShieldGemma 2?
ShieldGemma 2 has the clearer documented function calling signal in this comparison. If function calling is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for tool use, Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B or ShieldGemma 2?
ShieldGemma 2 has the clearer documented tool use signal in this comparison. If tool use is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B and ShieldGemma 2?
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is available on DeepInfra, NVIDIA NIM, OpenRouter, and Fireworks AI. ShieldGemma 2 is available on GCP Vertex AI. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-16. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.