Gemma 3 12B vs StarCoder2 7B

Compare Gemma 3 12B and StarCoder2 7B: 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 StarCoder2 7B
CategoryCompactCode
Parameters12B7B
Context Window128K16K
Input Price$0.015/1M tokens$0.008/1M tokens
Output Price$0.03/1M tokens$0.015/1M tokens
Latency~100ms~60ms

Choose Gemma 3 12B when:

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

Very compact, Fast, Low cost

Choose StarCoder2 7B when:

  • ✓ Code completion
  • ✓ Quick generation
  • ✓ Editor integration
Key Strengths:

Open weights, Many languages, Fast

Verdict: Gemma 3 12B vs StarCoder2 7B

For cost efficiency, StarCoder2 7B wins at $0.008/1M input tokens. For speed, Gemma 3 12B is faster at ~100ms. Gemma 3 12B excels at Edge deployments while StarCoder2 7B is better for Code completion. 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. StarCoder2 7B costs $0.008 input and $0.015 output. StarCoder2 7B is 1.9x 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. StarCoder2 7B offers 16K context at ~60ms. Gemma 3 12B has the larger context window.

Best For

Gemma 3 12B (Compact) is optimized for: Edge deployments, Classification, Simple chatbots. StarCoder2 7B (Code) works best for: Code completion, Quick generation, Editor integration.

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 StarCoder2 7B
response_b = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="starcoder2-7b",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Gemma 3 12B or StarCoder2 7B?

Gemma 3 12B (Compact, 12B) offers Very compact. StarCoder2 7B (Code, 7B) offers Open weights. Choose Gemma 3 12B for Edge deployments or StarCoder2 7B for Code completion.

How much does Gemma 3 12B cost vs StarCoder2 7B?

Gemma 3 12B: $0.015/1M input, $0.03/1M output. StarCoder2 7B: $0.008/1M input, $0.015/1M 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 StarCoder2 7B 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.