Summary
Llama by Meta is the most popular open-weight large language model, offering top-tier performance across a range of sizes. Gemma by Google provides efficient, lightweight models optimized for deployment on consumer hardware and edge devices.
Feature Comparison
Context Window
Llama128K tokens
Gemma8K–128K tokens
Free Tier
LlamaOpen weights
GemmaOpen weights
API Access
LlamaVia providers
GemmaVia providers
Code Generation
LlamaExcellent
GemmaVery Good
Multimodal
Llama
Gemma
Mobile Apps
LlamaVia third-party
GemmaVia third-party
Model Sizes
Llama8B / 70B / 405B
Gemma2B / 7B / 27B
Local Deployment
Llama
Gemma
Community & Ecosystem
LlamaMassive
GemmaGrowing
Hardware Requirements
LlamaModerate to High
GemmaLow to Moderate
Our Verdict
Choose Llama for the most powerful open-weight model with broad community support. Choose Gemma for efficient, lightweight deployment on limited hardware or edge devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better for local deployment?
Both can run locally. Gemma is easier to deploy on consumer hardware due to its smaller sizes. Llama's 8B model is also very capable, but the larger models need significant resources.
Are these truly free to use?
Both are open-weight models free for research and commercial use, though each has its own license terms. Llama uses the Meta Community License and Gemma uses a permissive Google license.
Which performs better on benchmarks?
At comparable sizes, Llama generally edges out Gemma on most benchmarks. However, Gemma models punch above their weight, with the 27B model competing with much larger models.
Can I fine-tune these models?
Yes, both support fine-tuning. They have large communities creating LoRA adapters and fine-tuned variants for specialized tasks available on Hugging Face.