Gemma 3 12B vs Llama 3.1 405B

Compare Gemma 3 12B and Llama 3.1 405B: pricing, performance, context window, latency, and best use cases. Side-by-side comparison on XALEN.

Updated 2026-05-21 · By Abhishek Raj · Our methodology

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Feature Gemma 3 12B Llama 3.1 405B
CategoryCompactOpen Source
Parameters12B405B
Context Window128K128K
Input Price$0.015/1M tokens$0.08/1M tokens
Output Price$0.03/1M tokens$0.14/1M tokens
Latency~100ms~600ms

Choose Gemma 3 12B when:

  • ✓ Edge deployments
  • ✓ Classification
  • ✓ Simple chatbots
Key Strengths:

Very compact, Fast, Low cost

Choose Llama 3.1 405B when:

  • ✓ Premium tasks
  • ✓ Research
  • ✓ Fine-tuning base
Key Strengths:

Largest open model, Highest open-source quality

Verdict: Gemma 3 12B vs Llama 3.1 405B

For cost efficiency, Gemma 3 12B wins at $0.015/1M input tokens. For speed, Gemma 3 12B is faster at ~100ms. Gemma 3 12B excels at Edge deployments while Llama 3.1 405B is better for Premium tasks. Both are available on XALEN through a single API — try them in the Playground to see which fits your workload.

Detailed Analysis

Pricing Comparison

Gemma 3 12B costs $0.015/1M input tokens and $0.03/1M output tokens. Llama 3.1 405B costs $0.08 input and $0.14 output. Gemma 3 12B is 5.3x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.

Performance & Context

Gemma 3 12B has a 128K context window with ~100ms latency. Llama 3.1 405B offers 128K context at ~600ms. Both have identical context windows.

Best For

Gemma 3 12B (Compact) is optimized for: Edge deployments, Classification, Simple chatbots. Llama 3.1 405B (Open Source) works best for: Premium tasks, Research, Fine-tuning base.

Try Both on XALEN

Both models are available through XALEN's OpenAI-compatible API. Switch between them by changing the model parameter:

from xalen import XALEN

client = XALEN(api_key="xln_test_YOUR_KEY")

# Use Gemma 3 12B
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="gemma-3-12b",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

# Use Llama 3.1 405B
response_b = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="llama-3-1-405b",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

Start Building with XALEN

200+ AI models. One API. Pay-as-you-go.

Get API Key Try in Playground

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Gemma 3 12B or Llama 3.1 405B?

Gemma 3 12B (Compact, 12B) offers Very compact. Llama 3.1 405B (Open Source, 405B) offers Largest open model. Choose Gemma 3 12B for Edge deployments or Llama 3.1 405B for Premium tasks.

How much does Gemma 3 12B cost vs Llama 3.1 405B?

Gemma 3 12B: $0.015/1M input, $0.03/1M output. Llama 3.1 405B: $0.08/1M input, $0.14/1M output. Both available on XALEN with batch processing at 50% discount.

Can I use both models on XALEN?

Yes. XALEN provides 200+ models through a single OpenAI-compatible API. Switch between Gemma 3 12B and Llama 3.1 405B by changing the model parameter. No code changes needed.

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Last updated: 2026-05-21. Pricing and specifications may change. Check pricing page for latest rates.