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Model comparison · Updated 1 Sep 2026

Llama Guard 4 12B vs Ministral 3 3B 2512

Ministral 3 3B 2512 is about 1.8× cheaper on input ($0.10 against $0.18 per 1M tokens) and on output. Llama Guard 4 12B has the larger context window (164K against 131K tokens). For a support chatbot at 10,000 chats a day, the standard-tier bill is about $97.20 a month for Llama Guard 4 12B and $54.00 for Ministral 3 3B 2512.

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ModelsAtlas. “Llama Guard 4 12B vs Ministral 3 3B 2512”. Retrieved 1 Sep 2026. https://modelsatlas.com/compare/meta/llama-guard-4-12b/vs/mistralai/ministral-3b

Model A

Llama Guard 4 12B

by Meta · weights not marked open · GRIDC3

Input / 1M
$0.18
observed We measured
Source
Our catalogue
Retrieved
17 Aug 2026
Output / 1M$0.18
Context164K
vs

Model B

Ministral 3 3B 2512

by Mistral AI · weights not marked open · GRIDC3

Input / 1M
$0.10
observed We measured
Source
Our catalogue
Retrieved
17 Aug 2026
Output / 1M$0.10
Context131K

Key numbers

Standard tier · highlighted = better

Llama Guard 4 12B
Ministral 3 3B 2512
Input / 1M tokens
$0.18
$0.10
Output / 1M tokens
$0.18
$0.10
Batch input / output
Not listed
Not listed
Context window
163,840
131,072
Input types
Not disclosed
Not disclosed
Weights
Not marked open
Not marked open
Tiers listed
standard
standard
Prices checked
2026-09-01
2026-08-17

What it costs for real workloads

Monthly, standard tier, 30 days

Support chatbot10k chats/day · 1.5k in, 300 out
$97.20/mo
$54.00/mo
RAG over documents2k queries/day · 12k in, 500 out
$135/mo
$75.00/mo
Coding agent300 tasks/day · 60k in, 8k out
$110/mo
$61.20/mo

Llama Guard 4 12B   Ministral 3 3B 2512 · Derived from the standard-tier prices above, input and output tokens per request as stated, 30 days. Excludes caching discounts and batch. Try your own numbers.

On the atlas

Price band (A–H) × context band (1–6)

Same square. Llama Guard 4 12B and Ministral 3 3B 2512 share C3.

Same square as Llama Guard 4 12B: Nemotron 3.5 Content Safety ($0.20), MiniMax M2.7 ($0.21), Llama 3.3 70B Instruct ($0.22). Open C3

AFreeB<$0.10C$0.10–0.30D$0.30–1E$1–3F$3–10G$10–30H$30+1<32K232–128K3128–256K4256K–1M51M6>1MINPUT PRICE PER 1M TOKENS →CONTEXT WINDOW ↑ · position within a square follows the real valueNemotron 3.5 Content Safety · C3MiniMax M2.7 · C3Llama 3.3 70B Instruct · C3DeepSeek V3.1 · C3DeepSeek V3.2 · C3DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus · C3Llama Guard 4 12BLlama Guard 4 12BMinistral 3 3B 2512Ministral 3 3B 2512
Llama Guard 4 12BMinistral 3 3B 2512Nearest neighboursOpen weights
View the map as a table (1 squares)
SquarePrice bandContext bandModels
GRIDC3$0.10–0.30128–256KLlama Guard 4 12B, Ministral 3 3B 2512, Nemotron 3.5 Content Safety, MiniMax M2.7, Llama 3.3 70B Instruct, DeepSeek V3.1, DeepSeek V3.2, DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus

Capabilities side by side

Only what our records list

Llama Guard 4 12B
Ministral 3 3B 2512
Vision input
Not disclosed
Not disclosed
Audio input
Not disclosed
Not disclosed
Open weights
Not marked open
Not marked open
Batch tier
Not listed
Not listed
Free tier
Not listed
Not listed
Thinking tier
Not listed
Not listed

Neither record lists input types, so we do not claim any.

Which should you choose?

Editorial

Choose Llama Guard 4 12B if…

  • your prompts are long: it takes 163,840 tokens against 131,072

Choose Ministral 3 3B 2512 if…

  • you pay by the token: it costs $0.10 per 1M input against $0.18
  • output dominates your bill: $0.10 per 1M output against $0.18

Each reason is a fact from the tables above. Picking between them is our judgement, and we do not benchmark quality: price and context are what we can measure, so test both on your own prompts before you commit.

Questions

Is Llama Guard 4 12B better than Ministral 3 3B 2512?
We do not benchmark quality, so we cannot say. On the recorded numbers: Ministral 3 3B 2512 is about 1.8× cheaper on input ($0.10 against $0.18 per 1M tokens) and on output. Llama Guard 4 12B has the larger context window (164K against 131K tokens). For a support chatbot at 10,000 chats a day, the standard-tier bill is about $97.20 a month for Llama Guard 4 12B and $54.00 for Ministral 3 3B 2512. Which is better for you depends on your task; test both on your own prompts.
Which is cheaper, Llama Guard 4 12B or Ministral 3 3B 2512?
Ministral 3 3B 2512: $0.10 against $0.18 per 1M input tokens, and $0.10 against $0.18 per 1M output, on standard pricing.
How much does each cost per 1M tokens?
Llama Guard 4 12B: $0.18 input and $0.18 output. Ministral 3 3B 2512: $0.10 input and $0.10 output. Standard tier, USD.
Which has the larger context window?
Llama Guard 4 12B, with 163,840 tokens. Ministral 3 3B 2512 has 131,072 tokens.
Do both offer batch pricing?
Neither lists a batch tier in our catalogue.
Can both read images or audio?
Input types recorded for Llama Guard 4 12B: none recorded. For Ministral 3 3B 2512: none recorded. Where a record lists none we say so rather than guess; check each vendor's documentation before relying on a capability.
Is either model open-weight?
Llama Guard 4 12B: not marked open-weight in our records. Ministral 3 3B 2512: not marked open-weight in our records.
What would each cost for a support chatbot?
At 10,000 chats a day, 1,500 input and 300 output tokens each, 30 days, standard tier: about $97.20 a month for Llama Guard 4 12B and $54.00 for Ministral 3 3B 2512. This is our calculation from the listed prices, not a quote.

About the two models

Llama Guard 4 12B

By Meta. $0.18 input and $0.18 output per 1M tokens, 164K context, atlas square C3. Tiers listed: standard.

Full specs & pricing →

Ministral 3 3B 2512

By Mistral AI. $0.10 input and $0.10 output per 1M tokens, 131K context, atlas square C3. Tiers listed: standard.

Full specs & pricing →

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