Model Comparison
Gemma 3 12B vs GPT-4Which is better in 2026?
Gemma 3 12B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemma 3 12B is 600.0x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Gemma 3 12B vs GPT-4 — which is better?
Gemma 3 12B (by Google) and GPT-4 (by OpenAI) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.
Gemma 3 12B outperforms in 3 benchmarks (GPQA, HumanEval, MATH), while GPT-4 is better at 0 benchmarks. Gemma 3 12B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Gemma 3 12B is roughly 600.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Gemma 3 12B also accepts a larger context window (131,072 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Gemma 3 12B if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 600.0x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 131,072 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Mar 2025
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose GPT-4 if…
- you want predictable pricing at $30.00/M input and $60.00/M output
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemma 3 12B outperforms in 3 benchmarks (GPQA, HumanEval, MATH), while GPT-4 is better at 0 benchmarks.
Gemma 3 12B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemma 3 12B ($0.05/1M tokens) is 600.0x cheaper than GPT-4 ($30.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemma 3 12B ($0.10/1M tokens) is 600.0x cheaper than GPT-4 ($60.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-4 is more expensive than Gemma 3 12B.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemma 3 12B accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to GPT-4's 32,768 tokens. Gemma 3 12B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GPT-4 is limited to 32,768 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Gemma 3 12B and GPT-4 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemma 3 12B
GPT-4
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemma 3 12B is licensed under Gemma, while GPT-4 uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Gemma
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemma 3 12B was released on 2025-03-12, while GPT-4 was released on 2023-06-13.
Gemma 3 12B is 21 months newer than GPT-4.
Mar 12, 2025
1.3 years ago
1.7yr newerJun 13, 2023
3.0 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2022-12-31, while Gemma 3 12B's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-4's training data extends to 2022-12-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Gemma 3 12B's cutoff date.
—
Dec 2022
Provider Availability
Gemma 3 12B is available from DeepInfra. GPT-4 is available from Azure, OpenAI.
Gemma 3 12B
GPT-4
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Gemma 3 12B
View detailsGPT-4
View detailsOpenAI
No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about Gemma 3 12B vs GPT-4.