Gemma 3 12B API pricing
5 providers serve Gemma 3 12B. Gemma 3 12B is an open-weight model (Gemma) with 12B total parameters, up to 131K context. Prices below are per 1M tokens, cheapest input first (self-hosting math further down).
Refreshed 2026-08-23 · list prices from provider APIs| Provider | Input $/1M | Output $/1M | Cache read $/1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeepInfra | $0.050 | $0.100output floor | - | 131K | Use |
| Novita AI | $0.050 | $0.100 | - | 131K | Use |
| OpenRouter marketplace quote | $0.050 | $0.150 | - | 131K | Use |
| AWS Bedrock | $0.090 | $0.290 | - | 128K | Use |
| Crusoe | $0.100 | $0.100 | - | 131K | Use |
The cheapest way to run Gemma 3 12B
On an illustrative 70M-input / 30M-output monthly workload, today's lowest listed cost is roughly $6.50/month — the same at DeepInfra and Novita AI. Input-heavy, output-heavy and cache-heavy workloads can produce different winners. Use the live mix calculator below rather than combining floors from two different providers. On output-token cost alone, a busy self-hosted deployment can work out cheaper (~$0.022/1M output on V100). See the math below. Run your own numbers in the breakeven calculator, or read the breakeven math.
Your actual monthly cost
Cache read uses the listed cache rate where available; otherwise it falls back to normal input price. Batch, write-cache, volume and negotiated discounts are excluded.
Or run it yourself: Gemma 3 12B self-hosting economics
Gemma 3 12B is open-weight (Gemma), so the API price above competes with the GPU-hour market. 12B total parameters needs roughly 17 GB VRAM at FP8 or 9 GB at INT4, KV-cache headroom included.
| GPU that fits (FP8, single card) | VRAM | From $/hr | Cheapest at | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V100 | 32 GB | $0.022marketplace | Vast.ai | Rent |
| RTX 3090 | 24 GB | $0.068marketplace | Vast.ai | Rent |
| RTX 4090 | 24 GB | $0.134marketplace | Vast.ai | Rent |
| RTX A5000 | 24 GB | $0.160community | RunPod | Rent |
| RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation | 20 GB | $0.180community | RunPod | Rent |
| RTX A4500 | 20 GB | $0.190community | RunPod | Rent |
Related models
| Model | Cheapest in $/1M | Cheapest out $/1M | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemma 3 27B | $0.060 | $0.160 | 7 |
| Gemma 4 26B A4B | $0.070 | $0.300 | 4 |
| Gemma 4 31B | $0.100 | $0.340 | 4 |
| Gemma-7b-It | $0.050 | $0.080 | 3 |
| Gemma 3 4B | $0.040 | $0.080 | 3 |
FAQ
What is the cheapest API for Gemma 3 12B?
As of 2026-08-23, the lowest input price for Gemma 3 12B, $0.050 per 1M tokens, is the same list price at DeepInfra, Novita AI and OpenRouter. The lowest output price, $0.100 per 1M tokens, is likewise shared by DeepInfra, Novita AI and Crusoe. The cheapest provider for a real workload depends on its input/output mix. The next-lowest input price is AWS Bedrock at $0.090, a 80% difference.
How much VRAM do you need to self-host Gemma 3 12B?
Gemma 3 12B has 12B parameters, so plan for roughly 17 GB of VRAM at FP8 or 9 GB at INT4/AWQ, KV-cache headroom included. A single V100 (32 GB) fits it.
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