GPT-4.1 Nano vs Gemma 3 12B

Compare GPT-4.1 Nano and Gemma 3 12B: 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 GPT-4.1 Nano Gemma 3 12B
CategoryCompactCompact
Parameters~8B12B
Context Window128K128K
Input Price$0.008/1M tokens$0.015/1M tokens
Output Price$0.02/1M tokens$0.03/1M tokens
Latency~80ms~100ms

Choose GPT-4.1 Nano when:

  • ✓ Real-time chatbots
  • ✓ Classification
  • ✓ Intent detection
Key Strengths:

Ultra-low latency, Extremely low cost, 128K context

Choose Gemma 3 12B when:

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

Very compact, Fast, Low cost

Verdict: GPT-4.1 Nano vs Gemma 3 12B

For cost efficiency, GPT-4.1 Nano wins at $0.008/1M input tokens. For speed, Gemma 3 12B is faster at ~100ms. GPT-4.1 Nano excels at Real-time chatbots while Gemma 3 12B is better for Edge deployments. Both are available on XALEN through a single API — try them in the Playground to see which fits your workload.

Detailed Analysis

Pricing Comparison

GPT-4.1 Nano costs $0.008/1M input tokens and $0.02/1M output tokens. Gemma 3 12B costs $0.015 input and $0.03 output. GPT-4.1 Nano is 1.9x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.

Performance & Context

GPT-4.1 Nano has a 128K context window with ~80ms latency. Gemma 3 12B offers 128K context at ~100ms. Both have identical context windows.

Best For

GPT-4.1 Nano (Compact) is optimized for: Real-time chatbots, Classification, Intent detection. Gemma 3 12B (Compact) works best for: Edge deployments, Classification, Simple chatbots.

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 GPT-4.1 Nano
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="gpt-4-1-nano",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

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

Start Building with XALEN

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Get API Key Try in Playground

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, GPT-4.1 Nano or Gemma 3 12B?

GPT-4.1 Nano (Compact, ~8B) offers Ultra-low latency. Gemma 3 12B (Compact, 12B) offers Very compact. Choose GPT-4.1 Nano for Real-time chatbots or Gemma 3 12B for Edge deployments.

How much does GPT-4.1 Nano cost vs Gemma 3 12B?

GPT-4.1 Nano: $0.008/1M input, $0.02/1M output. Gemma 3 12B: $0.015/1M input, $0.03/1M 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 GPT-4.1 Nano and Gemma 3 12B 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.