Model Comparison

Gemma 3 12B vs Llama 3.2 3B Instruct

Gemma 3 12B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Llama 3.2 3B Instruct is 5.0x cheaper per token.

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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

Gemma 3 12B outperforms in 4 benchmarks (GPQA, GSM8k, IFEval, MATH), while Llama 3.2 3B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks.

Gemma 3 12B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Tue May 26 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Llama 3.2 3B Instruct costs less

For input processing, Gemma 3 12B ($0.05/1M tokens) is 5.0x more expensive than Llama 3.2 3B Instruct ($0.01/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemma 3 12B ($0.10/1M tokens) is 5.0x more expensive than Llama 3.2 3B Instruct ($0.02/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Gemma 3 12B is more expensive than Llama 3.2 3B Instruct.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue May 26 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemma 3 12B
Input tokens$0.05
Output tokens$0.10
Best providerDeepinfra
Meta
Llama 3.2 3B Instruct
Input tokens$0.01
Output tokens$0.02
Best providerDeepinfra
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

8.8B diff

Gemma 3 12B has 8.8B more parameters than Llama 3.2 3B Instruct, making it 273.8% larger.

Google
Gemma 3 12B
12.0Bparameters
Meta
Llama 3.2 3B Instruct
3.2Bparameters
12.0B
Gemma 3 12B
3.2B
Llama 3.2 3B Instruct

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Gemma 3 12B accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Llama 3.2 3B Instruct's 128,000 tokens. Gemma 3 12B can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Llama 3.2 3B Instruct is limited to 128,000 tokens.

Google
Gemma 3 12B
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Meta
Llama 3.2 3B Instruct
Input128,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Tue May 26 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Gemma 3 12B supports multimodal inputs, whereas Llama 3.2 3B 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

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Llama 3.2 3B Instruct

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemma 3 12B is licensed under Gemma, while Llama 3.2 3B Instruct uses Llama 3.2 Community License.

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

Gemma 3 12B

Gemma

Open weights

Llama 3.2 3B Instruct

Llama 3.2 Community License

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemma 3 12B was released on 2025-03-12, while Llama 3.2 3B Instruct was released on 2024-09-25.

Gemma 3 12B is 6 months newer than Llama 3.2 3B Instruct.

Gemma 3 12B

Mar 12, 2025

1.2 years ago

5mo newer
Llama 3.2 3B Instruct

Sep 25, 2024

1.7 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Provider Availability

Gemma 3 12B is available from DeepInfra. Llama 3.2 3B Instruct is available from DeepInfra.

Gemma 3 12B

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

Llama 3.2 3B Instruct

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.01/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.02/1M
* 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)
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher GPQA score (40.9% vs 32.8%)
Higher GSM8k score (94.4% vs 77.7%)
Higher IFEval score (88.9% vs 77.4%)
Higher MATH score (83.8% vs 48.0%)
Meta
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemma 3 12B
Meta
Llama 3.2 3B Instruct

FAQ

Common questions about Gemma 3 12B vs Llama 3.2 3B Instruct.

Which is better, Gemma 3 12B or Llama 3.2 3B Instruct?

Gemma 3 12B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemma 3 12B is made by Google and Llama 3.2 3B Instruct is made by Meta. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Gemma 3 12B compare to Llama 3.2 3B Instruct in benchmarks?

Gemma 3 12B scores GSM8k: 94.4%, IFEval: 88.9%, DocVQA: 87.1%, BIG-Bench Hard: 85.7%, HumanEval: 85.4%. Llama 3.2 3B Instruct scores NIH/Multi-needle: 84.7%, ARC-C: 78.6%, GSM8k: 77.7%, IFEval: 77.4%, HellaSwag: 69.8%.

Is Gemma 3 12B cheaper than Llama 3.2 3B Instruct?

Llama 3.2 3B Instruct is 5.0x cheaper for input tokens. Gemma 3 12B costs $0.05/M input and $0.10/M output via deepinfra. Llama 3.2 3B Instruct costs $0.01/M input and $0.02/M output via deepinfra.

What are the context window sizes for Gemma 3 12B and Llama 3.2 3B Instruct?

Gemma 3 12B supports 131K tokens and Llama 3.2 3B Instruct 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 Llama 3.2 3B Instruct?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 128K), input pricing ($0.05 vs $0.01/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Gemma vs Llama 3.2 Community License). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemma 3 12B and Llama 3.2 3B Instruct?

Gemma 3 12B is developed by Google and Llama 3.2 3B Instruct is developed by Meta.