Model Comparison

Gemma 3 12B vs GPT-4o miniWhich is better in 2026?

Gemma 3 12B shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. Gemma 3 12B is 4.2x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Gemma 3 12B vs GPT-4o mini — which is better?

Gemma 3 12B (by Google) and GPT-4o mini (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 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MATH), while GPT-4o mini is better at 1 benchmark (HumanEval). Gemma 3 12B shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

On price, Gemma 3 12B is roughly 4.2x 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 2 of 3 shared benchmarks
  • cost matters — it's about 4.2x 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-4o mini if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $0.15/M input and $0.60/M output
Want to compare interactively?Try the playground

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

3 benchmarks

Gemma 3 12B outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MATH), while GPT-4o mini is better at 1 benchmark (HumanEval).

Gemma 3 12B shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Sat Jun 06 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Gemma 3 12B costs less

For input processing, Gemma 3 12B ($0.05/1M tokens) is 3.0x cheaper than GPT-4o mini ($0.15/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemma 3 12B ($0.10/1M tokens) is 6.0x cheaper than GPT-4o mini ($0.60/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-4o mini is more expensive than Gemma 3 12B.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jun 06 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemma 3 12B
Input tokens$0.05
Output tokens$0.10
Best providerDeepinfra
OpenAI
GPT-4o mini
Input tokens$0.15
Output tokens$0.60
Best providerAzure
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Gemma 3 12B accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to GPT-4o mini's 128,000 tokens. Gemma 3 12B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GPT-4o mini is limited to 16,384 tokens.

Google
Gemma 3 12B
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
OpenAI
GPT-4o mini
Input128,000 tokens
Output16,384 tokens
Sat Jun 06 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Gemma 3 12B and GPT-4o mini support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

Gemma 3 12B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

GPT-4o mini

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemma 3 12B is licensed under Gemma, while GPT-4o mini uses a proprietary license.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

Gemma 3 12B

Gemma

Open weights

GPT-4o mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemma 3 12B was released on 2025-03-12, while GPT-4o mini was released on 2024-07-18.

Gemma 3 12B is 8 months newer than GPT-4o mini.

Gemma 3 12B

Mar 12, 2025

1.2 years ago

7mo newer
GPT-4o mini

Jul 18, 2024

1.9 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-4o mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2023-10-01, while Gemma 3 12B's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm GPT-4o mini's training data extends to 2023-10-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without Gemma 3 12B's cutoff date.

Gemma 3 12B

—

GPT-4o mini

Oct 2023

Provider Availability

Gemma 3 12B is available from DeepInfra. GPT-4o mini is available from Azure.

Gemma 3 12B

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.05/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.10/1M

GPT-4o mini

azure logo
Azure
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.60/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Google
Larger context window (131,072 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
Higher GPQA score (40.9% vs 40.2%)
Higher MATH score (83.8% vs 70.2%)
OpenAI
Higher HumanEval score (87.2% vs 85.4%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemma 3 12B
OpenAI
GPT-4o mini

FAQ

Common questions about Gemma 3 12B vs GPT-4o mini.

Which is better, Gemma 3 12B or GPT-4o mini?

Gemma 3 12B shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. Gemma 3 12B is made by Google and GPT-4o mini is made by OpenAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Gemma 3 12B compare to GPT-4o mini in benchmarks?

Gemma 3 12B scores GSM8k: 94.4%, IFEval: 88.9%, DocVQA: 87.1%, BIG-Bench Hard: 85.7%, HumanEval: 85.4%. GPT-4o mini scores HumanEval: 87.2%, MGSM: 87.0%, MMLU: 82.0%, DROP: 79.7%, MATH: 70.2%.

Is Gemma 3 12B cheaper than GPT-4o mini?

Gemma 3 12B is 3.0x cheaper for input tokens. Gemma 3 12B costs $0.05/M input and $0.10/M output via deepinfra. GPT-4o mini costs $0.15/M input and $0.60/M output via azure.

What are the context window sizes for Gemma 3 12B and GPT-4o mini?

Gemma 3 12B supports 131K tokens and GPT-4o mini supports 128K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Gemma 3 12B and GPT-4o mini?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 128K), input pricing ($0.05 vs $0.15/M), licensing (Gemma vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemma 3 12B and GPT-4o mini?

Gemma 3 12B is developed by Google and GPT-4o mini is developed by OpenAI.

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