API cost decision in 10 seconds

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview vs Gemma 3 12B

Pick Gemma 3 12B for lower cost; pick Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview only if the larger context window matters more.

Page updated:  Data confirmed:  Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick Gemma 3 12B for lower cost; pick Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemma 3 12B is estimated at $0.11 vs $8 for Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, saving $7.89 (98.7% lower).

Cost-first pickGemma 3 12B
Context-first pickGemini 3.1 Pro Preview
Sample savings$7.8998.7%
10x traffic gap$78.95

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview has more context, but Gemma 3 12B saves $7.89 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $78.95. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Gemma 3 12B stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickGemini 3.1 Pro PreviewGemma 3 12B
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputGemma 3 12B$16$0.27
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputGemma 3 12B$14$0.17
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputGemma 3 12B$62$0.69
Cheaper input Gemma 3 12B $2 vs $0.04 / 1M

Gemma 3 12B is $1.96 cheaper per 1M input tokens (98% lower; 50x difference).

Cheaper output Gemma 3 12B $12 vs $0.13 / 1M

Gemma 3 12B is $11.87 cheaper per 1M output tokens (98.9% lower; 92.3x difference).

Larger context Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview 1.05M vs 131.07K

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview has 917.5K more context (8x larger).

Sample workload Gemma 3 12B $8 vs $0.11

Gemma 3 12B is $7.89 cheaper on the standard workload (98.7% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Calculating… Estimated API cost
Gemma 3 12B Calculating… Estimated API cost
Cheaper for this workload Calculating… Difference: calculating…

This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.

Quick Decision

Verdict

Gemma 3 12B has the lower input price; Gemma 3 12B has the lower output price; Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Gemma 3 12B is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $8 for Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview and $0.11 for Gemma 3 12B.

Best Fit

Choose Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview when you care most about larger context window.

Choose Gemma 3 12B when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemma 3 12B is estimated at $0.11 vs $8 for Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, saving $7.89 (98.7% lower).
  • Gemma 3 12B is $7.89 cheaper on the standard workload (98.7% lower).
  • Gemma 3 12B is $1.96 cheaper per 1M input tokens (98% lower; 50x difference).
  • Gemma 3 12B is $11.87 cheaper per 1M output tokens (98.9% lower; 92.3x difference).
  • Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview has 917.5K more context (8x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureGemini 3.1 Pro Preview
(Google)		Gemma 3 12B
(Google)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M		$2$0.04
Completion Price
per 1M tokens		$12$0.13
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output		$8$0.11
Context Window1.05M131.07K
Release Date
Popularity#28#123

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionGemma 3 12BOn the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemma 3 12B is estimated at $0.11 vs $8 for Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, saving $7.89 (98.7% lower).
High-volume input processingGemma 3 12BLower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsGemma 3 12BLower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workGemini 3.1 Pro PreviewA larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps
  • Gemma 4 31B (free) can replace Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) can replace Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • Lyria 3 Clip Preview can replace Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • Lyria 3 Pro Preview can replace Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
Larger context near this budget
  • Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
  • Grok 4.20 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
  • Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent offers 2M context with $5 sample workload cost.
  • GPT-5.4 offers 1.05M context with $10 sample workload cost.

Cheaper alternatives

Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.

Open cheapest models

Larger context alternatives

Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.

Open largest context models

Provider catalogs

Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.

Open provider hubs

Google catalog

Review all tracked Google models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.

Open Google models
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview is Google’s frontier reasoning model, delivering enhanced software engineering performance, improved agentic reliability, and more efficient token usage across complex workflows. Building on the multimodal foundation...

Gemma 3 12B

Gemma 3 introduces multimodality, supporting vision-language input and text outputs. It handles context windows up to 128k tokens, understands over 140 languages, and offers improved math, reasoning, and chat capabilities,...