Gemma 3 12B vs Qwen3.8-27B
Qwen3.8-27B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Google · Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Gemma 3 12B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Qwen3.8-27B is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA). Qwen3.8-27B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Based on current benchmark, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Gemma 3 12B
- you want predictable pricing at $0.05/M input and $0.10/M output
Choose Qwen3.8-27B
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemma 3 12B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Qwen3.8-27B is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).
Qwen3.8-27B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Playground indexes and blind preference scores
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Qwen3.8-27B has 15.8B more parameters than Gemma 3 12B, making it 131.5% larger.
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).
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Gemma 3 12B and Qwen3.8-27B support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemma 3 12B
Qwen3.8-27B
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemma 3 12B is licensed under Gemma, while Qwen3.8-27B uses Apache 2.0.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Gemma
Open weights
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemma 3 12B was released on 2025-03-12, while Qwen3.8-27B was released on 2026-08-14.
Qwen3.8-27B is 17 months newer than Gemma 3 12B.
Mar 12, 2025
1.5 years ago
Aug 14, 2026
1 weeks ago
1.4yr newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemma 3 12B and Qwen3.8-27B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Gemma 3 12B vs Qwen3.8-27B.