Gemma 3 12B (Google) and Gemma 4 26B A4B (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 6 November 2026
As of 6 November 2026, Gemma 4 26B A4B holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#56 vs #193); Gemma 3 12B is 1.5× cheaper per output token ($0.15/1M vs $0.225/1M); Gemma 4 26B A4B offers the longer context window (262K vs 131K tokens); and Gemma 4 26B A4B ships open weights.
Evidence: 2 public benchmark observations across 2 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: Gemma 3 12B vs Gemma 4 26B A4B
Public benchmark boards where Gemma 3 12B or Gemma 4 26B A4B has a published result
Gemma 4 26B A4B ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 6 November 2026: #56 against #193. 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 Gemma 3 12B cheaper than Gemma 4 26B A4B?
Gemma 3 12B is cheaper on output tokens: $0.15/1M against $0.225/1M. Input tokens are $0.05/1M for Gemma 3 12B and $0.068/1M for Gemma 4 26B A4B. 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 $0.17 for Gemma 3 12B versus $0.25 for Gemma 4 26B A4B. Gemma 3 12B costs 29.3% 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, Gemma 3 12B or Gemma 4 26B A4B?
Gemma 4 26B A4B has the larger context window: 262K 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, Gemma 3 12B or Gemma 4 26B A4B?
Are Gemma 3 12B and Gemma 4 26B A4B open-weight models?
Gemma 3 12B: Gated access. Gemma 4 26B A4B: Open weights. 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 Gemma 3 12B and Gemma 4 26B A4B?
ModelCap currently lists 2 API providers for Gemma 3 12B and 15 for Gemma 4 26B A4B, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.
How current is this Gemma 3 12B vs Gemma 4 26B A4B comparison?
Every figure and ModelCap Index position comes from the same published snapshot dated 6 November 2026. Publication and page updates happen separately; use the snapshot date shown on the page.