Gemma 3 12B vs Llama 3.1 70B Instruct
Gemma 3 12B and Llama 3.1 70B Instruct are closely matched at 5.6 and 7.6 on the LLM Stats Score. Gemma 3 12B is 2.7x cheaper per token.
Google · Meta · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Gemma 3 12B and Llama 3.1 70B Instruct are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 5.6 and 7.6.
The models split the 4 individual benchmarks reported for both models evenly.
On price, Gemma 3 12B is roughly 2.7x 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.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Gemma 3 12B
- cost matters — it's about 2.7x 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
Choose Llama 3.1 70B Instruct
- you want predictable pricing at $0.20/M input and $0.20/M output
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
26 reported for Gemma 3 12B · 18 for Llama 3.1 70B Instruct
Gemma 3 12B outperforms in 2 benchmarks (HumanEval, IFEval), while Llama 3.1 70B Instruct is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMLU-Pro).
Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemma 3 12B ($0.05/1M tokens) is 4.0x cheaper than Llama 3.1 70B Instruct ($0.20/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemma 3 12B ($0.15/1M tokens) is 1.3x cheaper than Llama 3.1 70B Instruct ($0.20/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Llama 3.1 70B Instruct is more expensive than Gemma 3 12B.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Llama 3.1 70B Instruct has 58.0B more parameters than Gemma 3 12B, making it 483.3% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemma 3 12B accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Llama 3.1 70B Instruct's 128,000 tokens. Gemma 3 12B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Llama 3.1 70B Instruct is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Gemma 3 12B supports multimodal inputs, whereas Llama 3.1 70B Instruct does not.
Gemma 3 12B can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
Gemma 3 12B
Llama 3.1 70B Instruct
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemma 3 12B is licensed under Gemma, while Llama 3.1 70B Instruct uses Llama 3.1 Community License.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Gemma
Open weights
Llama 3.1 Community License
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemma 3 12B was released on 2025-03-12, while Llama 3.1 70B Instruct was released on 2024-07-23.
Gemma 3 12B is 8 months newer than Llama 3.1 70B Instruct.
Mar 12, 2025
1.6 years ago
7mo newerJul 23, 2024
2.2 years ago
Knowledge 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. Llama 3.1 70B Instruct is available from Lambda, DeepInfra, Hyperbolic, Groq, Cerebras, Together, Fireworks, Bedrock, Sambanova.
Gemma 3 12B
Llama 3.1 70B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemma 3 12B and Llama 3.1 70B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Gemma 3 12B vs Llama 3.1 70B Instruct.