Model Comparison

Gemma 4 12B vs MiniMax M3Which is better in 2026?

MiniMax M3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Verdict: Gemma 4 12B vs MiniMax M3 — which is better?

Gemma 4 12B (by Google) and MiniMax M3 (by MiniMax) 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.

Gemma 4 12B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while MiniMax M3 is better at 2 benchmarks (MMMU-Pro, OmniDocBench 1.5). MiniMax M3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Choose Gemma 4 12B if…

  • you are already invested in the Google ecosystem

Choose MiniMax M3 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jun 2026

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

Gemma 4 12B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while MiniMax M3 is better at 2 benchmarks (MMMU-Pro, OmniDocBench 1.5).

MiniMax M3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Fri Jul 17 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only MiniMax M3 specifies input context (512,000 tokens). Only MiniMax M3 specifies output context (131,072 tokens).

Google
Gemma 4 12B
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
MiniMax
MiniMax M3
Input512,000 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Fri Jul 17 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Gemma 4 12B and MiniMax M3 support multimodal inputs.

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

Gemma 4 12B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

MiniMax M3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemma 4 12B is licensed under Apache 2.0, while MiniMax M3 uses MIT.

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

Gemma 4 12B

Apache 2.0

Open weights

MiniMax M3

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemma 4 12B was released on 2026-05-23, while MiniMax M3 was released on 2026-06-01.

MiniMax M3 is 0 month newer than Gemma 4 12B.

Gemma 4 12B

May 23, 2026

1 months ago

MiniMax M3

Jun 1, 2026

1 months ago

1w newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemma 4 12B has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-01, while MiniMax M3's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Gemma 4 12B's training data extends to 2025-01-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without MiniMax M3's cutoff date.

Gemma 4 12B

Jan 2025

MiniMax M3

—

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Google

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

MiniMax
Larger context window (512,000 tokens)
Higher MMMU-Pro score (78.1% vs 69.1%)
Higher OmniDocBench 1.5 score (91.6% vs 16.4%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Gemma 4 12B and MiniMax M3 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Gemma 4 12B
✓ Preferred
MiniMax M3
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemma 4 12B
MiniMax
MiniMax M3

FAQ

Common questions about Gemma 4 12B vs MiniMax M3.

Which is better, Gemma 4 12B or MiniMax M3?

MiniMax M3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemma 4 12B is made by Google and MiniMax M3 is made by MiniMax. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Gemma 4 12B compare to MiniMax M3 in benchmarks?

Gemma 4 12B scores FLEURS: 93.1%, MMMLU: 83.4%, MathVision: 79.7%, GPQA: 78.8%, AIME 2026: 77.5%. MiniMax M3 scores OmniDocBench 1.5: 91.6%, SpreadSheetBench-v1: 89.3%, USAMO 2026: 85.7%, Video-MME: 85.4%, VideoMMMU: 84.6%.

What are the context window sizes for Gemma 4 12B and MiniMax M3?

Gemma 4 12B supports an unknown number of tokens and MiniMax M3 supports 512K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Gemma 4 12B and MiniMax M3?

Key differences include licensing (Apache 2.0 vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemma 4 12B and MiniMax M3?

Gemma 4 12B is developed by Google and MiniMax M3 is developed by MiniMax.

Related comparisons