Qwen3 14B vs Gemma 3 12B — the best mid-size models for a 12GB GPU. Below is the full side-by-side: specifications, API pricing, context window, local hardware requirements, and a clear, data-driven recommendation on which to pick.
| Spec | Qwen3 14B | Gemma 3 12B |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Alibaba | |
| Type | LLM (dense) | LLM (multimodal) |
| Parameters | 14B | 12B |
| Context window | 128K | 128K |
| Modality | Text → Text | Text, Image → Text |
| License | Apache 2.0 (open) | Gemma (open) |
| Open weights | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Input price ($/1M) | $0.12 | $0.05 |
| Output price ($/1M) | $0.24 | $0.15 |
| VRAM (4-bit) | ~9 GB | ~8 GB |
| Min GPU (local) | RTX 4070 12GB (Q4) | RTX 4070 12GB |
| Released | 2025 | 2025 |
Key differences
- Cost: Gemma 3 12B is 100% cheaper than Qwen3 14B on a blended-token basis.
- Openness: both are open-weight, so either can be self-hosted or fine-tuned. Compare their VRAM needs above to see what your GPU can run.
- Run Qwen3 14B locally: ~~9 GB at 4-bit (min RTX 4070 12GB (Q4)).
- Run Gemma 3 12B locally: ~~8 GB at 4-bit (min RTX 4070 12GB).
Which should you choose?
Choose Qwen3 14B if it fits your existing stack or you prefer Alibaba.
Choose Gemma 3 12B if you want the lower per-token cost for high-volume workloads.
→ Estimate real costs in the API cost calculator · check local hardware in the VRAM calculator · browse all 30+ models.
All specs and prices are pulled live from our AI models database and kept current. Compare either model against others, or estimate your own monthly spend with the free calculators above.