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Head-to-head comparison

Gemma 3 12B vs Granite 4.2 8B

Gemma 3 12B (Google) and Granite 4.2 8B (IBM Granite) 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 3 September 2026

As of 3 September 2026, Gemma 3 12B holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#175 vs #176); and Granite 4.2 8B ships open weights.

Which should you choose?

Choose Gemma 3 12B if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #175 against #176 (19.5 vs 19.3 points).
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.05/1M against $0.10/1M.

Choose Granite 4.2 8B if…

  • you want to self-host: Granite 4.2 8B ships open weights while Gemma 3 12B is gated access.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1363 against 1316.
  • AA Intelligence Index is your yardstick — 19.6 against 5.5.
  • AA Terminal-Bench 2.1 is your yardstick — 18.4% against 0.0%.
  • AA Humanity's Last Exam is your yardstick — 9.7% against 4.2%.
  • you want the more recently listed model — Granite 4.2 8B was listed 31 August 2026, Gemma 3 12B 13 March 2025.

Gemma 3 12B vs Granite 4.2 8B: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of Gemma 3 12B and Granite 4.2 8B
FieldGemma 3 12BGoogleGranite 4.2 8BIBM Granite
ModelCap Index position#175#176
Index score19.519.3
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$0.05$0.10
Output price / 1M tokens$0.15$0.15
Context window131K tokens131K tokens
Max output tokens16K118K
API providers listed11
Weight accessGated accessOpen weights
Input modalitiesText, ImageText
First listed13 March 202531 August 2026
PublisherGoogleIBM Granite

Evidence: 3 public benchmark observations across 3 boards · 3 public benchmark observations across 3 boards. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: Gemma 3 12B vs Granite 4.2 8B

Public benchmark boards where Gemma 3 12B or Granite 4.2 8B has a published result
BoardGemma 3 12BGranite 4.2 8BLeads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)13161293–134013631342–1385Granite 4.2 8B
BFCL V4UC Berkeley (Gorilla)30.4Prompt—Only one result
AA Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis5.5intelligence-index19.6intelligence-indexGranite 4.2 8B
AA Terminal-Bench 2.1Artificial Analysis0.0%terminal-bench-2.118.4%terminal-bench-2.1Granite 4.2 8B
AA τ²-Bench TelecomArtificial Analysis10.8%tau2-bench-telecom—Only one result
AA Humanity's Last ExamArtificial Analysis4.2%humanitys-last-exam9.7%humanitys-last-examGranite 4.2 8B

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.

Gemma 3 12B vs Granite 4.2 8B: common questions

Is Gemma 3 12B better than Granite 4.2 8B?

Gemma 3 12B ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 3 September 2026: #175 against #176. 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.

Is Gemma 3 12B cheaper than Granite 4.2 8B?

Both list the same output price, $0.15/1M tokens, with input at $0.05/1M and $0.10/1M respectively.

Which has the bigger context window, Gemma 3 12B or Granite 4.2 8B?

Both publish a 131K-token context window.

Which is better for coding, Gemma 3 12B or Granite 4.2 8B?

Arena coding: Gemma 3 12B 1316, Granite 4.2 8B 1363 — Granite 4.2 8B leads. AA Terminal-Bench 2.1: Gemma 3 12B 0.0%, Granite 4.2 8B 18.4% — Granite 4.2 8B leads.

Are Gemma 3 12B and Granite 4.2 8B open-weight models?

Gemma 3 12B: Gated access. Granite 4.2 8B: Open weights. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence; API-only models are available solely through hosted endpoints.

Where can I run Gemma 3 12B and Granite 4.2 8B?

ModelCap currently lists 1 API provider for Gemma 3 12B and 1 for Granite 4.2 8B, 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 Granite 4.2 8B comparison?

Every figure comes from the sealed ModelCap dataset published 3 September 2026; the page re-renders within a minute of each data refresh, and the ModelCap Index positions are the same ones shown on the live rankings.

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