# Gemma 4 12B IT vs Granite 4.2 3B (slim)

> Gemma 4 12B IT scores 71.3 (BB) to Granite 4.2 3B's 59.8 (C) for open-weight models you run yourself. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemma-4-12b-it-vs-granite-4-2-3b.md (~6,250 tokens) · this version ~430 tokens · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemma-4-12b-it-vs-granite-4-2-3b.json · canonical https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemma-4-12b-it-vs-granite-4-2-3b
- Index: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt · API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json · MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp · Updated: 2026-10-21
- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)

Gemma 4 12B IT scores 71.3 (BB) on agent readiness against Granite 4.2 3B's 59.8 (C), and leads in 2 of 5 scored categories. Granite 4.2 3B leads on documentation and upkeep. Both do open-weight models you run yourself.

- Gemma 4 12B IT: BB 71.3, rank #5 of 100 open-weight models · https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/gemma-4-12b-it.min.md
- Granite 4.2 3B: C 59.8, rank #57 of 100 open-weight models · https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/granite-4-2-3b.min.md
- Gemma 4 12B IT, good for Agents on a 12 GB or larger GPU or Mac that want a permissively licensed tool-calling model with images, audio and long context Ahead on Capability, 50 against 21; Risk, 70 against 55. Also Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better.
- Granite 4.2 3B, good for Agents on small hardware that want a permissive reasoning model for tool calls and coding, with thinking they can switch off Ahead on Documentation and upkeep, 92 against 75.

| Category | Gemma 4 12B IT | Granite 4.2 3B |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Capability (35%) | 50 | 21 |
| Reach (25%) | 95 | 95 |
| Risk (20%) | 70 | 55 |
| Agent interface (10%) | 85 | 85 |
| Documentation and upkeep (10%) | 75 | 92 |

| Fact (where they differ) | Gemma 4 12B IT | Granite 4.2 3B |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Vendor | Google DeepMind | IBM |
| llms.txt | yes | no |
| Last release | 2026-07-20 | 2026-10-20 |