Model Comparison

Gemma 3 12B vs MedGemma 4B ITWhich is better in 2026?

Comparing Gemma 3 12B and MedGemma 4B IT across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: Gemma 3 12B vs MedGemma 4B IT — which is better?

Gemma 3 12B (by Google) and MedGemma 4B IT (by Google) 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.

Choose Gemma 3 12B if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $0.05/M input and $0.10/M output

Choose MedGemma 4B IT if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped May 2025

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

Gemma 3 12B and MedGemma 4B ITdon't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

7.7B diff

Gemma 3 12B has 7.7B more parameters than MedGemma 4B IT, making it 179.1% larger.

Google
Gemma 3 12B
12.0Bparameters
Google
MedGemma 4B IT
4.3Bparameters
12.0B
Gemma 3 12B
4.3B
MedGemma 4B IT

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only Gemma 3 12B specifies input context (131,072 tokens). Only Gemma 3 12B specifies output context (131,072 tokens).

Google
Gemma 3 12B
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Google
MedGemma 4B IT
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
Sun Jul 26 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Gemma 3 12B and MedGemma 4B IT support multimodal inputs.

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

Gemma 3 12B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

MedGemma 4B IT

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemma 3 12B is licensed under Gemma, while MedGemma 4B IT uses Health AI Developer Foundations terms of use.

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

Gemma 3 12B

Gemma

Open weights

MedGemma 4B IT

Health AI Developer Foundations terms of use

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemma 3 12B was released on 2025-03-12, while MedGemma 4B IT was released on 2025-05-20.

MedGemma 4B IT is 2 months newer than Gemma 3 12B.

Gemma 3 12B

Mar 12, 2025

1.4 years ago

MedGemma 4B IT

May 20, 2025

1.2 years ago

2mo newer

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

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Google
Larger context window (131,072 tokens)
Google

No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Gemma 3 12B and MedGemma 4B IT side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Gemma 3 12B
✓ Preferred
MedGemma 4B IT
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemma 3 12B
Google
MedGemma 4B IT

FAQ

Common questions about Gemma 3 12B vs MedGemma 4B IT.

Which is better, Gemma 3 12B or MedGemma 4B IT?

Gemma 3 12B (Google) and MedGemma 4B IT (Google) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does Gemma 3 12B compare to MedGemma 4B IT in benchmarks?

Gemma 3 12B scores GSM8k: 94.4%, IFEval: 88.9%, DocVQA: 87.1%, BIG-Bench Hard: 85.7%, HumanEval: 85.4%. MedGemma 4B IT scores MIMIC CXR: 88.9%, DermMCQA: 71.8%, PathMCQA: 69.8%, SlakeVQA: 62.3%, VQA-Rad: 49.9%.

What are the context window sizes for Gemma 3 12B and MedGemma 4B IT?

Gemma 3 12B supports 131K tokens and MedGemma 4B IT supports an unknown number of 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 MedGemma 4B IT?

Key differences include licensing (Gemma vs Health AI Developer Foundations terms of use). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

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