Alternatives · 15 models compared · checked 1 Sep 2026
Llama Guard 4 12B alternatives: 15 models in or near grid C3
The closest model to Llama Guard 4 12B on the atlas is Ministral 3 3B 2512, in the same square, at $0.10 per 1M input tokens against Llama Guard 4 12B’s . 7 of the 15 nearest models are cheaper on input; the cheapest is gpt-oss-20b at $0.02. We rank by position on the atlas, not by capability, because we hold no capability data.
$0.18
observed We measured
- Source
- Our catalogue
- Retrieved
- 17 Aug 2026
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ModelsAtlas. “Llama Guard 4 12B alternatives: 15 models in or near grid C3”. Retrieved 1 Sep 2026. https://modelsatlas.com/models/meta/llama-guard-4-12b/alternatives
Where the alternatives sit
Each square is a price band (A–H) × a context band (1–6). How the grid works
Same squareGRIDC39 modelsDeepSeek V3 0324, DeepSeek V3.1, DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus and 6 more
Llama Guard 4 12BIts 15 nearest modelsOther modelsOpen weights
View the map as a table (2 squares)
| Square | Price band | Context band | Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRIDB3 | <$0.10 | 128–256K | gpt-oss-20b, Mistral Nemo, gpt-oss-120b, Gemma 3 12B, Gemma 3 4B, Llama 3.1 8B Instruct |
| GRIDC3 | $0.10–0.30 | 128–256K | Llama 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, MiniMax M2.5, DeepSeek V3 0324 |
Top 15 alternatives
Ranked by steps away on the atlas, then cheaper before pricier, then input price
| # | Model | Grid | Why it fits | Input / 1M | vs Llama Guard 4 12B | Output / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Llama Guard 4 12BMeta · the model you’re replacing | GRIDC3 | Baseline | $0.18 | — | $0.18 | 164K | |
| 1 | Ministral 3 3B 2512Mistral AI | GRIDC3 | Same square, 44% cheaper input | $0.10 | −44% | $0.10 | 131K | Compare → |
| 2 | Nemotron 3.5 Content SafetyNVIDIA | GRIDC3 | Same square, 11% pricier input | $0.20 | +11% | $0.20 | 131K | Compare → |
| 3 | MiniMax M2.7MiniMax | GRIDC3 | Same square, 17% pricier input, 1.3× the context | $0.21 | +17% | $0.84 | 205K | Compare → |
| 4 | Llama 3.3 70B InstructMeta | GRIDC3 | Same maker, same square, 22% pricier input | $0.22 | +22% | $0.50 | 131K | Compare → |
| 5 | DeepSeek V3.1DeepSeek | GRIDC3 | Same square, 39% pricier input | $0.25 | +39% | $0.95 | 164K | Compare → |
| 6 | DeepSeek V3.2DeepSeek | GRIDC3 | Same square, 44% pricier input | $0.26 | +44% | $0.80 | 164K | Compare → |
| 7 | DeepSeek V3.1 TerminusDeepSeek | GRIDC3 | Same square, 50% pricier input | $0.27 | +50% | $1.00 | 164K | Compare → |
| 8 | MiniMax M2.5MiniMax | GRIDC3 | Same square, 50% pricier input, 1.3× the context | $0.27 | +50% | $1.08 | 205K | |
| 9 | DeepSeek V3 0324DeepSeek | GRIDC3 | Same square, 61% pricier input | $0.29 | +61% | $1.14 | 164K | |
| 10 | gpt-oss-20bOpenAI | GRIDB3 | Neighbouring square B3, 90% cheaper input | $0.02 | −90% | $0.09 | 131K | |
| 11 | Mistral NemoMistral AI | GRIDB3 | Neighbouring square B3, 84% cheaper input | $0.03 | −84% | $0.03 | 131K | |
| 12 | gpt-oss-120bOpenAI | GRIDB3 | Neighbouring square B3, 83% cheaper input | $0.03 | −83% | $0.15 | 131K | |
| 13 | Gemma 3 12BGoogle | GRIDB3 | Neighbouring square B3, 72% cheaper input | $0.05 | −72% | $0.15 | 131K | |
| 14 | Gemma 3 4BGoogle | GRIDB3 | Neighbouring square B3, 72% cheaper input | $0.05 | −72% | $0.10 | 131K | |
| 15 | Llama 3.1 8B InstructMeta | GRIDB3 | Same maker, neighbouring square B3, 72% cheaper input | $0.05 | −72% | $0.08 | 131K |
What switching saves
3,000 input + 800 output tokens × 1,000 requests a day
Σ Derived from standard-tier prices; excludes caching and batch discounts. Use your own numbers →
Larger-context alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MiniMax M2.7MiniMax | $0.21 | 205K | Compare |
| MiniMax M2.5MiniMax | $0.27 | 205K | |
| Mistral Small 3.2 24BMistral AI | $0.09 | 256K | |
| Qwen3 30B A3B Instruct 2507Qwen (Alibaba) | $0.10 | 262K | |
| Qwen3 Next 80B A3B InstructQwen (Alibaba) | $0.10 | 262K |
Free alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyria 3 Clip PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M | |
| Lyria 3 Pro PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M |
Compare Llama Guard 4 12B head to head
Questions
What is the best alternative to Llama Guard 4 12B?
Ministral 3 3B 2512 ranks first: same square, 44% cheaper input. Input is $0.10 per 1M tokens against $0.18 for Llama Guard 4 12B. Ranking is by position on the atlas, not by quality.
What is the cheapest alternative to Llama Guard 4 12B?
gpt-oss-20b at $0.02 per 1M input tokens, 90% less than Llama Guard 4 12B, among the 15 closest.
Is there an open-weight alternative to Llama Guard 4 12B?
None of the 15 closest is marked open-weight in our records.
Which alternative has a larger context window?
MiniMax M2.7 and MiniMax M2.5 hold more than Llama Guard 4 12B's 164K; the largest is MiniMax M2.7 at 205K.
How are alternatives ranked?
By distance on the atlas grid from Llama Guard 4 12B's square C3: the same square first, then neighbouring squares. Within the same distance, cheaper models come before pricier ones, then the lowest input price wins. We hold no capability data, so we do not claim a model can do what Llama Guard 4 12B does, only that it costs and holds about the same. No vendor pays for position.
More alternatives
Keep going in your AI
Opens with this page as the source. We add nothing else to the prompt.
- What is the best alternative to Llama Guard 4 12B?
- What is the cheapest alternative to Llama Guard 4 12B?
- Is there an open-weight alternative to Llama Guard 4 12B?