SIDE BY SIDE
Gemma 3 12B vs Gemma 3 4B
Both are Gemma models. Gemma 3 4B was added to OpenRouter on 2025-03-13, Gemma 3 12B on 2025-03-13.
| Field | Gemma 3 12B | Gemma 3 4B |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | ||
| Family | Gemma | Gemma |
| Province | Silvergrass Fields | Silvergrass Fields |
| Context window | 131K tokens | 131K tokens |
| Maximum output | 16K tokens | 118K tokens |
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.050 | $0.040 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $0.150 | $0.050 |
| Accepts | text, images | text, images |
| Produces | text | text |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| Added to OpenRouter | 2025-03-13 | 2025-03-13 |
| Model ID | google/gemma-3-12b-it | google/gemma-3-4b-it |
Questions and answers
Which is cheaper, Gemma 3 12B or Gemma 3 4B?
Gemma 3 4B costs less for both input ($0.040 vs $0.050) and output ($0.050 vs $0.150) per million tokens. On input, Gemma 3 4B is 20% cheaper.
Which has the larger context window?
Both have a 131K-token context window.
What can one do that the other cannot?
Only Gemma 3 12B supports tool use.
Answers are computed from the 2026-10-24 catalog snapshot.