Gemma 3 12B vs Grok 4 Fast
Grok 4 Fast significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemma 3 12B is 4.4x cheaper per token.
Google · xAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Gemma 3 12B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok 4 Fast is better at 3 benchmarks (GPQA, LiveCodeBench, SimpleQA). Grok 4 Fast significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Gemma 3 12B is roughly 4.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Grok 4 Fast also accepts a larger context window (2,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current benchmark, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Gemma 3 12B
- cost matters — it's about 4.4x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Grok 4 Fast
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 2,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2025
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemma 3 12B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok 4 Fast is better at 3 benchmarks (GPQA, LiveCodeBench, SimpleQA).
Grok 4 Fast significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Playground indexes and blind preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemma 3 12B ($0.05/1M tokens) is 4.0x cheaper than Grok 4 Fast ($0.20/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemma 3 12B ($0.10/1M tokens) is 5.0x cheaper than Grok 4 Fast ($0.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok 4 Fast 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
Grok 4 Fast accepts 2,000,000 input tokens compared to Gemma 3 12B's 131,072 tokens. Gemma 3 12B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Grok 4 Fast is limited to 30,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Gemma 3 12B and Grok 4 Fast support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemma 3 12B
Grok 4 Fast
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemma 3 12B is licensed under Gemma, while Grok 4 Fast 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 Grok 4 Fast was released on 2025-08-28.
Grok 4 Fast is 6 months newer than Gemma 3 12B.
Mar 12, 2025
1.5 years ago
Aug 28, 2025
12 months ago
5mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
Gemma 3 12B is available from DeepInfra. Grok 4 Fast is available from xAI.
Gemma 3 12B
Grok 4 Fast
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemma 3 12B and Grok 4 Fast side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Gemma 3 12B vs Grok 4 Fast.