Nova Micro 1.0 is $0.005 cheaper per 1M input tokens (12.5% lower; 1.14x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
Gemma 3 12B vs Nova Micro 1.0
The standard workload cost is tied; choose by context window, provider fit, latency, or model quality.
Page updated:
Data confirmed:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
The standard workload cost is tied; choose by context window, provider fit, latency, or model quality.
Both models are estimated at $0.11 for the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.
Cost-first pickTie
Context-first pickGemma 3 12B
Sample savings$00%
10x traffic gap$0
Context-window winner: Gemma 3 12B. Cost does not separate this pair on the standard workload, so the next decision point is context window and model behavior.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Cost winner changes by workload shape: input-heavy / RAG favors Nova Micro 1.0, balanced workload favors Gemma 3 12B, and output-heavy chatbot favors Gemma 3 12B.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Gemma 3 12B | Nova Micro 1.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Nova Micro 1.0 | $0.27 | $0.25 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Gemma 3 12B | $0.17 | $0.18 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Gemma 3 12B | $0.69 | $0.74 |
Gemma 3 12B is $0.01 cheaper per 1M output tokens (7.1% lower; 1.08x difference).
Gemma 3 12B has 3.07K more context (1.02x larger).
Both models have the same estimated cost for the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload: $0.11.
Estimate your workload cost
Your Workload Cost
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
Nova Micro 1.0 has the lower input price; Gemma 3 12B has the lower output price; Gemma 3 12B offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, the standard workload cost is tied.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.11 for Gemma 3 12B and $0.11 for Nova Micro 1.0.
Choose Gemma 3 12B when you care most about lower output-token price, and larger context window.
Choose Nova Micro 1.0 when you care most about lower input-token price.
- Both models are estimated at $0.11 for the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.
- Both models have the same estimated cost for the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload: $0.11.
- Nova Micro 1.0 is $0.005 cheaper per 1M input tokens (12.5% lower; 1.14x difference).
- Gemma 3 12B is $0.01 cheaper per 1M output tokens (7.1% lower; 1.08x difference).
- Gemma 3 12B has 3.07K more context (1.02x larger).
| Feature | Gemma 3 12B (Google) | Nova Micro 1.0 (Amazon) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.04 | $0.035 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.13 | $0.14 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.11 | $0.11 |
| Context Window | 131.07K | 128K |
| Release Date | ||
| Popularity | #123 | #146 |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Tie | Both models are estimated at $0.11 for the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload. |
| High-volume input processing | Nova Micro 1.0 | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Gemma 3 12B | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Gemma 3 12B | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Gemma 4 31B (free) can replace Gemma 3 12B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) can replace Gemma 3 12B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Lyria 3 Clip Preview can replace Gemma 3 12B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Lyria 3 Pro Preview can replace Gemma 3 12B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- Lyria 3 Clip Preview offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- Lyria 3 Pro Preview offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash · DeepSeek · #1
- Hy3 preview · Tencent · #2
- Claude Opus 4.7 · Anthropic · #3
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Cheaper alternatives
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