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Comparison · 2 models · Updated Nov 2, 2026

Gemma 2 2B IT vs Gemma 3 12B IT

Gemma 3 12B IT comes out ahead, 40 to 0 on our weighted score, and it is the cheaper option too.

  1. Google

    Gemma 2 2B IT

    Released Jul 31, 2024

    0/100
    • ECI—
    • Price—
    • Context8K
    Full specs Remove Gemma 2 2B IT
  2. Our pick

    Google

    Gemma 3 12B IT

    Released Mar 12, 2025

    40/100
    • ECI123.5
    • Price$0.05 / $0.15
    • Context131K
    Full specs Remove Gemma 3 12B IT

  3. Add a model

    Make it a three-way comparison.

01 — Verdict

Gemma 3 12B IT is our pick

Gemma 3 12B IT is the better all-round choice, scoring 40/100 against Gemma 2 2B IT (0). It leads on inputs & features and context window. 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 3 12B ITGemma 3 12B IT $0.075 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend) · Gemma 2 2B IT unpriced
  • Longest contextGemma 3 12B ITGemma 3 12B IT 131,072 · Gemma 2 2B IT 8,192 tokens
  • Widest inputsGemma 3 12B ITGemma 2 2B IT: Text · Gemma 3 12B IT: Text, Images
  • Self-hostingAll open weightsEvery model here can be downloaded and run on your own hardware
How the score is built
MeasureWeightGemma 2 2B ITGemma 3 12B IT
Inputs & features60%050
Context window40%025
Overall100%0/10040/100

Left out because at least one model lacks the data: capability and price. The remaining weights were rescaled.

02 — Side by side

Every spec in one table

Highlighted cells lead their row. Dashes mean the data is not published.

Gemma 2 2B IT vs Gemma 3 12B IT specifications side by side
SpecificationGemma 2 2B ITGoogleGemma 3 12B ITGoogle
Capability
Capabilities Index (ECI)—123.5
ECI rank—#151 of 165
GPQA DiamondGraduate-level science questions—39.5%
OTIS Mock AIME 2024–2025Competition mathematics—16.7%
Price per million tokens
Input—$0.05
Output—$0.15
Cached input——
Blended (3:1)—$0.075
Long-context rate—Same rate
Price source—Median of 12 providers
Limits
Context window8,192 tokens131,072 tokens (best)
Max output8,192 tokens131,072 tokens (best)
Inputs and features
TextYesYes
ImagesNoYes
PDFsNoNo
AudioNoNo
VideoNoNo
ReasoningNoNo
Tool callingNoYes
Structured outputNoNo
Availability
WeightsOpenGemma Terms of UseOpen
API model ID——
API providers—13
ReleasedJul 31, 2024Mar 12, 2025
Knowledge cutoff—Aug 2024
03 — Cost

What would a month cost?

Enter your expected volume in millions of tokens. List prices only; caching and batch discounts would lower these.

  • Gemma 2 2B IT—
  • Gemma 3 12B IT$0.80
04 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better: Gemma 2 2B IT or Gemma 3 12B IT?

Gemma 3 12B IT is the better all-round choice, scoring 40/100 against Gemma 2 2B IT (0). It leads on inputs & features and context window. 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, Gemma 2 2B IT or Gemma 3 12B IT?

Gemma 3 12B IT is cheaper at $0.05 input / $0.15 output per million tokens (median across 12 API providers). . At a typical mix of three input tokens to one output token, that is $0.075 per million tokens for Gemma 3 12B IT versus . Gemma 2 2B IT has no published per-token price.

Which scores higher on benchmarks?

There is no independent benchmark that covers both models yet. Gemma 2 2B IT has not been scored yet and Gemma 3 12B IT has an ECI of 123.5.

Which is better for coding?

There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for Gemma 2 2B IT and Gemma 3 12B IT yet, so there is no like-for-like coding score. Test both on a sample of your own tasks. Note that Gemma 2 2B IT does not support tool calling, which most coding agents need.

Which has the bigger context window?

Gemma 3 12B IT has the largest context window at 131,072 tokens, against 8,192 for Gemma 2 2B IT. Maximum output per response: Gemma 2 2B IT up to 8,192, Gemma 3 12B IT up to 131,072 tokens.

Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?

Gemma 2 2B IT accepts text; Gemma 3 12B IT accepts text and images. Gemma 3 12B IT handles the widest range of inputs.

Are any of these open source?

Yes, both publish their weights (Gemma Terms of Use), so you can self-host them.

Which is newer?

Gemma 3 12B IT is the newest, released Mar 12, 2025. Gemma 2 2B IT came out Jul 31, 2024. Knowledge cutoff: Gemma 3 12B IT Aug 2024.

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 Nov 2, 2026.

05 — Keep comparing

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