| Signal | Gemma 3 12B | Delta | Gemma 3 4B |
|---|---|---|---|
Capabilities | 50 | -- | |
Pricing | 0 | -- | |
Context window size | 81 | -- | |
Recency | 63 | -- | |
Output Capacity | 20 | -- | |
| Overall Result | 0 wins | of 5 | 0 wins |
9
days higher
3
days
18
days higher
Gemma 3 4B saves you $2.50/month
That's $30.00/year compared to Gemma 3 12B at your current usage level of 100K calls/month.
| Metric | Gemma 3 12B | Gemma 3 4B | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 56 | 56 | -- |
| Rank | #248 | #247 | Gemma 3 4B |
| Quality Rank | #248 | #247 | Gemma 3 4B |
| Adoption Rank | #248 | #247 | Gemma 3 4B |
| Parameters | 12B | 4B | -- |
| Context Window | 131K | 131K | -- |
| Pricing | $0.04/$0.13/M | $0.04/$0.08/M | -- |
| Signal Scores | |||
| Capabilities | 50 | 50 | Gemma 3 12B |
| Pricing | 0 | 0 | Gemma 3 12B |
| Context window size | 81 | 81 | Gemma 3 12B |
| Recency | 63 | 63 | Gemma 3 12B |
| Output Capacity | 20 | 20 | Gemma 3 12B |
Our composite score (0–100) combines six weighted signals: benchmark performance (25%), pricing efficiency (25%), context window size (15%), model recency (15%), output capacity (10%), and capability versatility (10%). Here's what the scores mean for these two models:
Scores 56/100 (rank #248), placing it in the top 15% of all 290 models tracked.
Scores 56/100 (rank #247), placing it in the top 15% of all 290 models tracked.
With only a 0-point gap, these models are in the same performance tier. The practical difference in output quality is minimal - your choice should depend on pricing, latency requirements, and specific feature needs.
Gemma 3 4B offers 29% better value per quality point. At 1M tokens/day, you'd spend $1.80/month with Gemma 3 4B vs $2.55/month with Gemma 3 12B - a $0.75 monthly difference.
Both models have comparable response speeds. For most applications, the latency difference is negligible.
When latency matters most: Interactive chatbots, IDE code completion, real-time translation, and user-facing applications where response time directly impacts experience. For batch processing, background summarization, or offline analysis, latency is less critical.
Code generation & review
Higher benchmark score (0/100) indicates stronger performance on coding tasks like generating functions, debugging, and refactoring
Customer support chatbot
Faster response time (speed score 0/100) is critical for user-facing chat. Gemma 3 4B also offers lower per-token costs for high-volume support
Long document analysis
Larger context window (131K tokens) can process longer documents, contracts, and research papers in a single pass
Batch data extraction
Lower output pricing ($0.08/M) reduces costs when processing thousands of records daily
Creative writing & content
Higher overall composite score (56/100) correlates with better nuance, coherence, and style in long-form content
Image understanding & OCR
Supports vision input - can analyze screenshots, diagrams, photos, and scanned documents directly
Gemma 3 12B and Gemma 3 4B are extremely close in overall performance (only 0 points apart). Your best choice depends entirely on which specific strengths matter most for your use case.
Best for Quality
Gemma 3 12B
Marginally better benchmark scores; both are excellent
Best for Cost
Gemma 3 4B
29% lower pricing; better value at scale
Best for Reliability
Gemma 3 12B
Higher uptime and faster response speeds
Best for Prototyping
Gemma 3 12B
Stronger community support and better developer experience
Best for Production
Gemma 3 12B
Wider enterprise adoption and proven at scale
by Google
| Capability | Gemma 3 12B | Gemma 3 4B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision (Image Input) | ||
| Function Calling | ||
| Streaming | ||
| JSON Mode | ||
| Reasoning | ||
| Web Search | ||
| Image Output |
Gemma 3 4B saves you $0.0600/month
That's 26% cheaper than Gemma 3 12B at 1,000 tokens/request and 100 requests/day.
Assumes 60% input / 40% output token ratio per request. Actual costs may vary based on your usage pattern.
| Parameter | Gemma 3 12B | Gemma 3 4B |
|---|---|---|
| Context Window | 131K | 131K |
| Max Output Tokens | -- | -- |
| Open Source | Yes | Yes |
| Created | Mar 13, 2025 | Mar 13, 2025 |
Both Gemma 3 12B and Gemma 3 4B score 56/100, making them extremely close competitors. Choose based on pricing, provider ecosystem, or specific capability requirements.
Gemma 3 12B is ranked #248 and Gemma 3 4B is ranked #247 out of 290+ AI models. Rankings use a composite score combining benchmark performance (25%), pricing (25%), context window (15%), recency (15%), output capacity (10%), and versatility (10%). Scores update hourly.
Gemma 3 4B is cheaper at $0.08/M output tokens vs Gemma 3 12B's $0.13/M output tokens - 1.6x more expensive. Input token pricing: Gemma 3 12B at $0.04/M vs Gemma 3 4B at $0.04/M.
Gemma 3 12B has a larger context window of 131,072 tokens compared to Gemma 3 4B's 131,072 tokens. A larger context window means the model can process longer documents and conversations.