Gemma 3n E4B Instructed vs Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct are closely matched at -5.0 and -2.9 on the LLM Stats Score. Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is 1111.1x cheaper per token.
Google · Meta · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at -5.0 and -2.9.
The models split the 4 individual benchmarks reported for both models evenly.
On price, Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is roughly 1111.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct also accepts a larger context window (131,072 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Gemma 3n E4B Instructed
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jun 2025
Choose Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
- cost matters — it's about 1111.1x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 131,072 token context window
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
18 reported for Gemma 3n E4B Instructed · 18 for Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed outperforms in 2 benchmarks (HumanEval, MMLU-Pro), while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMLU).
Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemma 3n E4B Instructed ($20.00/1M tokens) is 1000.0x more expensive than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct ($0.02/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemma 3n E4B Instructed ($40.00/1M tokens) is 1333.3x more expensive than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct ($0.03/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Gemma 3n E4B Instructed is more expensive than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct has 0.0B more parameters than Gemma 3n E4B Instructed, making it 0.0% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Gemma 3n E4B Instructed's 32,000 tokens. Llama 3.1 8B Instruct can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Gemma 3n E4B Instructed is limited to 32,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed supports multimodal inputs, whereas Llama 3.1 8B Instruct does not.
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed is licensed under a proprietary license, while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct uses Llama 3.1 Community License.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
Llama 3.1 Community License
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed was released on 2025-06-26, while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct was released on 2024-07-23.
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed is 11 months newer than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.
Jun 26, 2025
1.3 years ago
11mo newerJul 23, 2024
2.2 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-06-01, while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct has a cutoff of 2023-12-31.
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed has more recent training data (up to 2024-06-01), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Llama 3.1 8B Instruct (2023-12-31).
Jun 2024
6 mo newerDec 2023
Provider Availability
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed is available from Together. Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is available from DeepInfra, Lambda, Groq, Sambanova, Cerebras, Hyperbolic, Together, Fireworks, Bedrock.
Gemma 3n E4B Instructed
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemma 3n E4B Instructed and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Gemma 3n E4B Instructed vs Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.
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