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Head-to-head comparison

Gemini 3.8 Flash vs Gemma 3 12B

Gemini 3.8 Flash (Google) and Gemma 3 12B (Google) compared on the ModelCap Index, API price, context window, provider availability, weight access and every public benchmark board they share. Figures are the same ones shown on the live rankings; nothing here is a hidden score.

Snapshot as of 18 October 2026

As of 18 October 2026, Gemini 3.8 Flash holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#5 vs #183); Gemma 3 12B is 27.5× cheaper per output token ($0.15/1M vs $4.13/1M); and Gemini 3.8 Flash offers the longer context window (1M vs 131K tokens).

Which should you choose?

Choose Gemini 3.8 Flash if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #5 against #183 (83.5 vs 37.0 points).
  • you need the longer context window — 1M tokens against 131K.
  • Arena text is your yardstick — 1496 against 1342.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1528 against 1316.
  • you want the more recently listed model — Gemini 3.8 Flash was listed 2 September 2026, Gemma 3 12B 13 March 2025.

Choose Gemma 3 12B if…

  • API cost matters — $0.15/1M output tokens against $4.13/1M, about 27.5× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.05/1M against $0.825/1M.

Gemini 3.8 Flash vs Gemma 3 12B: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of Gemini 3.8 Flash and Gemma 3 12B
FieldGemini 3.8 FlashGoogleGemma 3 12BGoogle
ModelCap Index position#5#183
Index score83.537.0
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$0.825$0.05
Output price / 1M tokens$4.13$0.15
Context window1M tokens131K tokens
Declared route output cap66K16K
API providers listed22
Weight accessNo linked weightsGated access
Input modalitiesText, Image, Video, File, AudioText, Image
First listed2 September 202613 March 2025
PublisherGoogleGoogle

Evidence: 5 public benchmark observations across 5 boards · 2 public benchmark observations across 2 boards. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: Gemini 3.8 Flash vs Gemma 3 12B

Public benchmark boards where Gemini 3.8 Flash or Gemma 3 12B has a published result
BoardGemini 3.8 FlashGemma 3 12BLeads
Arena textArena (LMArena)14961492–1501High13421332–1351Not reportedGemini 3.8 Flash
Arena codingArena (LMArena)15281521–1535High13161292–1339Gemini 3.8 Flash
LMArena AgentLMArena3.7%2.6%–4.8%High—Only one result
ARC-AGI-2ARC Prize Foundation89.2%High—Only one result
ARC-AGI-3ARC Prize Foundation10.4%High—Only one result
BFCL V4UC Berkeley (Gorilla)—30.4PromptOnly one result
AA Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis40.9High—Only one result
AA Terminal-Bench 2.1Artificial Analysis87.6%High—Only one result
AA Humanity's Last ExamArtificial Analysis47.8%High—Only one result
Terminal-Bench 4.0Terminal-Bench (Laude Institute)19.1%15.7%–22.5%mini-SWE-agent · High—Only one result

Scores are the sources' own published figures for each model's best evaluated configuration; ModelCap never re-runs a benchmark.

Want a different pairing? Open the interactive comparison tool to swap either model for any current ranked language model.

Gemini 3.8 Flash vs Gemma 3 12B: common questions

Is Gemini 3.8 Flash better than Gemma 3 12B?

Gemini 3.8 Flash ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 18 October 2026: #5 against #183. That is a capability ranking built from public benchmark evidence with published uncertainty; whether it is "better" for you also depends on price, context and where you can run it. Their published uncertainty intervals do not overlap, but the aggregate Index does not predict performance on every task; compare the relevant benchmark configurations before choosing.

Is Gemini 3.8 Flash cheaper than Gemma 3 12B?

Gemma 3 12B is cheaper on output tokens: $0.15/1M against $4.13/1M. Input tokens are $0.825/1M for Gemini 3.8 Flash and $0.05/1M for Gemma 3 12B. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens. For 1,000 requests with 2,000 input and 500 output tokens each (2M input + 0.5M output), the listed-rate estimate is $3.71 for Gemini 3.8 Flash versus $0.17 for Gemma 3 12B. Gemma 3 12B costs 95.3% less in this scenario. This excludes caching, batch discounts, prompt-length tiers, tool charges and retries; verify the selected endpoint before budgeting.

Which has the bigger context window, Gemini 3.8 Flash or Gemma 3 12B?

Gemini 3.8 Flash has the larger context window: 1M tokens against 131K. OpenRouter catalogue or provider-endpoint declaration. Limits can vary by provider and prompt length; a model-wide maximum has not been independently verified.

Which is better for coding, Gemini 3.8 Flash or Gemma 3 12B?

Arena coding: Gemini 3.8 Flash 1528, Gemma 3 12B 1316 — Gemini 3.8 Flash leads.

Are Gemini 3.8 Flash and Gemma 3 12B open-weight models?

Gemini 3.8 Flash: No linked weights. Gemma 3 12B: Gated access. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence. A missing weight link does not identify every API or chat product that offers a model.

Where can I run Gemini 3.8 Flash and Gemma 3 12B?

ModelCap currently lists 2 API providers for Gemini 3.8 Flash and 2 for Gemma 3 12B, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this Gemini 3.8 Flash vs Gemma 3 12B comparison?

Every figure and ModelCap Index position comes from the same published snapshot dated 18 October 2026. Publication and page updates happen separately; use the snapshot date shown on the page.

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