Gemma 3 12B is $0.21 cheaper per 1M input tokens (84% lower; 6.25x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
Gemma 3 12B vs GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini
Pick Gemma 3 12B for lower cost; pick GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini only if the larger context window matters more.
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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 GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini 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 $1.25 for GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini, saving $1.15 (91.6% lower).
Cost-first pickGemma 3 12B
Context-first pickGPT-5.1-Codex-Mini
Sample savings$1.1591.6%
10x traffic gap$11.45
GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini has more context, but Gemma 3 12B saves $1.15 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $11.45. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Gemma 3 12B stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Gemma 3 12B | GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Gemma 3 12B | $0.27 | $2.25 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Gemma 3 12B | $0.17 | $2.25 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Gemma 3 12B | $0.69 | $10.25 |
Gemma 3 12B is $1.87 cheaper per 1M output tokens (93.5% lower; 15.4x difference).
GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini has 268.93K more context (3.05x larger).
Gemma 3 12B is $1.15 cheaper on the standard workload (91.6% lower).
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
Gemma 3 12B has the lower input price; Gemma 3 12B has the lower output price; GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini 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 $0.11 for Gemma 3 12B and $1.25 for GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini.
Choose Gemma 3 12B when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
Choose GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini when you care most about larger context window.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemma 3 12B is estimated at $0.11 vs $1.25 for GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini, saving $1.15 (91.6% lower).
- Gemma 3 12B is $1.15 cheaper on the standard workload (91.6% lower).
- Gemma 3 12B is $0.21 cheaper per 1M input tokens (84% lower; 6.25x difference).
- Gemma 3 12B is $1.87 cheaper per 1M output tokens (93.5% lower; 15.4x difference).
- GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini has 268.93K more context (3.05x larger).
| Feature | Gemma 3 12B (Google) | GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini (OpenAI) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.04 | $0.25 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.13 | $2 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.11 | $1.25 |
| Context Window | 131.07K | 400K |
| Release Date | ||
| Popularity | #123 | #141 |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Gemma 3 12B | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Gemma 3 12B is estimated at $0.11 vs $1.25 for GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini, saving $1.15 (91.6% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Gemma 3 12B | 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 | GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini | 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.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
- Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.2 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Pro offers 1.05M context with $0.87 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash · DeepSeek · #1
- Hy3 preview · Tencent · #2
- Claude Opus 4.7 · Anthropic · #3
- Claude Sonnet 4.6 · Anthropic · #4
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GPT-5.1-Codex-Mini is a smaller and faster version of GPT-5.1-Codex