DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT vs Gemma 4 12B IT
Gemma 4 12B IT comes out ahead, 57 to 51 on our weighted score, and it is the cheaper option too.
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DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT
51/100- ECI—
- Price—
- Context262K
- Our pick
Google
Gemma 4 12B IT
57/100- ECI—
- Price$0.075 / $0.275
- Context262K
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Make it a three-way comparison.
Gemma 4 12B IT is our pick
Gemma 4 12B IT is the better all-round choice, scoring 57/100 against DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT (51). It leads on inputs & features. The score weighs inputs & features 60%, context window 40%. None of the shared benchmarks cover every model here yet, so capability is left out of this verdict.
- CapabilityNot enough dataNo independent benchmark covers every model here yet
- Lowest priceGemma 4 12B ITGemma 4 12B IT $0.125 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend) · DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT unpriced
- Longest contextAbout the sameDiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT 262,144 · Gemma 4 12B IT 262,144 tokens
- Widest inputsSame inputsDiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT: Text, Images · Gemma 4 12B IT: Text, Images
- Self-hostingAll open weightsEvery model here can be downloaded and run on your own hardware
| Measure | Weight | DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT | Gemma 4 12B IT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inputs & features | 60% | 60 | 70 |
| Context window | 40% | 37 | 37 |
| Overall | 100% | 51/100 | 57/100 |
Left out because at least one model lacks the data: capability and price. The remaining weights were rescaled.
Every spec in one table
Highlighted cells lead their row. Dashes mean the data is not published.
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Capability | ||
| Capabilities Index (ECI) | — | — |
| ECI rank | — | — |
| Price per million tokens | ||
| Input | — | $0.075 |
| Output | — | $0.275 |
| Cached input | — | — |
| Blended (3:1) | — | $0.125 |
| Long-context rate | — | Same rate |
| Price source | — | Median of 2 providers |
| Limits | ||
| Context window | 262,144 tokens | 262,144 tokens |
| Max output | 32,768 tokens | 32,768 tokens |
| Inputs and features | ||
| Text | Yes | Yes |
| Images | Yes | Yes |
| PDFs | No | No |
| Audio | No | No |
| Video | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes |
| Structured output | No | Yes |
| Availability | ||
| Weights | OpenApache 2.0 | Open |
| API model ID | — | — |
| API providers | 1 | 2 (best) |
| Released | Jun 9, 2026 | Jun 9, 2026 |
| Knowledge cutoff | Jan 2025 | — |
What would a month cost?
Enter your expected volume in millions of tokens. List prices only; caching and batch discounts would lower these.
DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT—
Gemma 4 12B IT$1.30
Which should you choose?
Which is better: DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT or Gemma 4 12B IT?
Gemma 4 12B IT is the better all-round choice, scoring 57/100 against DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT (51). It leads on inputs & features. The score weighs inputs & features 60%, context window 40%. None of the shared benchmarks cover every model here yet, so capability is left out of this verdict.
Which is cheaper, DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT or Gemma 4 12B IT?
Gemma 4 12B IT is cheaper at $0.075 input / $0.275 output per million tokens (median across 2 API providers). . At a typical mix of three input tokens to one output token, that is $0.125 per million tokens for Gemma 4 12B IT versus . DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT has no published per-token price.
Which scores higher on benchmarks?
There is no independent benchmark that covers both models yet. DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT has not been scored yet and Gemma 4 12B IT has not been scored yet.
Which is better for coding?
There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT and Gemma 4 12B IT yet, so there is no like-for-like coding score. Test both on a sample of your own tasks. Both support tool calling for agent workflows.
Which has the bigger context window?
DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT and Gemma 4 12B IT share the same 262,144-token context window. Maximum output per response: DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT up to 32,768, Gemma 4 12B IT up to 32,768 tokens.
Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?
DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT accepts text and images; Gemma 4 12B IT accepts text and images. They handle the same number of input types.
Are any of these open source?
Yes, both publish their weights (Apache 2.0), so you can self-host them.
Which is newer?
DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT is the newest, released Jun 9, 2026. Gemma 4 12B IT came out Jun 9, 2026. Knowledge cutoff: DiffusionGemma 26B A4B IT Jan 2025.
How do you decide the winner?
Each model gets a 0–100 score on capability (50%, independent benchmark results); price (25%, blended price per million tokens (3 input : 1 output), log scale); inputs & features (15%, image, PDF, audio and video input, tool calling, structured output and reasoning); context window (10%, maximum tokens per request, log scale). Dimensions missing for any model are dropped and the remaining weights rescaled, so every model is judged on the same evidence. Specs and prices come from public model listings and the labs’ own API pages; capability scores come from independent benchmark runs. Data updated Oct 4, 2026.