Llama 3.1 vs Llama 4
Llama 3.1 and Llama 4 side by side: model sizes, the VRAM you need, context window, abilities, licence and which one to pick.
Side by side
| Llama 3.1 | Llama 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Model in the Llama family | Model in the Llama family |
| Developer | Meta | Meta |
| Released | Jul 2024 | Apr 2025 |
| Parameters | 8B, 70B, 405B | 109B (Scout), 400B (Maverick) total · 17B active |
| Sizes | 8B · 70B · 405B | Scout 109B · Maverick 400B |
| Smallest VRAM (4-bit) | ~6 GB | ~74.5 GB |
| Context window | 128K tokens | 10M tokens |
| Abilities | Tool calling | Tool callingImage input |
| Licence | Llama 3.1 Community License | Llama 4 Community License |
| Run it | ollama run llama3.1:8b | ollama run llama4:scout |
Which one should you pick?
- Llama 3.1 runs on smaller hardware: from ~6 GB of GPU memory, against ~74.5 GB.
- Llama 4 reads longer inputs: a 10M-token context window.
- Only Llama 4 has image input.
Pick Llama 3.1 if…
- you have less GPU memory (it starts at 6 GB)
- your tools or fine-tunes already target it (released Jul 2024, so support is mature)
Best for: Most-pulled model on Ollama; reliable 8B all-rounder
Pick Llama 4 if…
- you need longer inputs (10M tokens)
- you need image input
- you want the newer model (Apr 2025)
Best for: Multimodal MoE; Scout has a 10M-token context
VRAM and download size
Ollama's default 4-bit builds with an 8K context. Read GB as system RAM on a CPU-only machine or a Mac.
Llama 3.1
| Model | Download | VRAM |
|---|---|---|
| 8B | 4.9 GB | ~6 GB |
| 70B | 43 GB | ~48 GB |
| 405B | 243 GB | ~268 GB |
Llama 4
| Model | Download | VRAM |
|---|---|---|
| Scout 109B | 67 GB | ~74.5 GB |
| Maverick 400B | 245 GB | ~270 GB |
Frequently asked questions
Is Llama 3.1 better than Llama 4?
It depends on the job and your hardware. Llama 3.1 runs on smaller hardware: from ~6 GB of GPU memory, against ~74.5 GB. Llama 4 reads longer inputs: a 10M-token context window. Only Llama 4 has image input. For quality, test both on your own prompts: benchmark rankings change with every release.
Which needs less VRAM, Llama 3.1 or Llama 4?
Llama 3.1 starts at ~6 GB (4.9 GB download). Llama 4 starts at ~74.5 GB (67 GB download).
Can I use Llama 3.1 and Llama 4 commercially?
Llama 3.1: Llama 3.1 Community License. Llama 4: Llama 4 Community License. Check the exact licence of the model you deploy; custom licences can limit very large companies or certain uses.
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