Both models report the same input price at $0.04 per 1M tokens.
API cost decision in 10 seconds
Llama 3 8B Lunaris vs Gemma 3 12B
Pick Llama 3 8B Lunaris for lower cost; pick Gemma 3 12B 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 Llama 3 8B Lunaris for lower cost; pick Gemma 3 12B only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Llama 3 8B Lunaris is estimated at $0.07 vs $0.11 for Gemma 3 12B, saving $0.04 (38.1% lower).
Cost-first pickLlama 3 8B Lunaris
Context-first pickGemma 3 12B
Sample savings$0.0438.1%
10x traffic gap$0.4
Gemma 3 12B has more context, but Llama 3 8B Lunaris saves $0.04 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $0.4. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Llama 3 8B Lunaris stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Llama 3 8B Lunaris | Gemma 3 12B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Llama 3 8B Lunaris | $0.23 | $0.27 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Llama 3 8B Lunaris | $0.09 | $0.17 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Llama 3 8B Lunaris | $0.29 | $0.69 |
Llama 3 8B Lunaris is $0.08 cheaper per 1M output tokens (61.5% lower; 2.6x difference).
Gemma 3 12B has 122.88K more context (16x larger).
Llama 3 8B Lunaris is $0.04 cheaper on the standard workload (38.1% 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
both models tie on input price; Llama 3 8B Lunaris has the lower output price; Gemma 3 12B offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Llama 3 8B Lunaris is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.07 for Llama 3 8B Lunaris and $0.11 for Gemma 3 12B.
Choose Llama 3 8B Lunaris when you care most about lower output-token price.
Choose Gemma 3 12B when you care most about larger context window.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Llama 3 8B Lunaris is estimated at $0.07 vs $0.11 for Gemma 3 12B, saving $0.04 (38.1% lower).
- Llama 3 8B Lunaris is $0.04 cheaper on the standard workload (38.1% lower).
- Both models report the same input price at $0.04 per 1M tokens.
- Llama 3 8B Lunaris is $0.08 cheaper per 1M output tokens (61.5% lower; 2.6x difference).
- Gemma 3 12B has 122.88K more context (16x larger).
| Feature | Llama 3 8B Lunaris (Sao10K) | Gemma 3 12B (Google) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.04 | $0.04 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.05 | $0.13 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.07 | $0.11 |
| Context Window | 8.19K | 131.07K |
| Release Date | ||
| Popularity | #115 | #123 |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Llama 3 8B Lunaris | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Llama 3 8B Lunaris is estimated at $0.07 vs $0.11 for Gemma 3 12B, saving $0.04 (38.1% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Tie | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Llama 3 8B Lunaris | 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
- Claude Sonnet 4.6 · Anthropic · #4
Cheaper alternatives
Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.
Open cheapest modelsLarger context alternatives
Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.
Open largest context modelsProvider catalogs
Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.
Open provider hubsSao10K catalog
Review all tracked Sao10K models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.
Open Sao10K modelsGoogle catalog
Check other Google models with comparable pricing, context, or release timing.
Open Google modelsLunaris 8B is a versatile generalist and roleplaying model based on Llama 3. It's a strategic merge of multiple models, designed to balance creativity with improved logic and general knowledge....
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,...