Qwen vs Llama
Qwen and Llama side by side: model sizes, the VRAM you need, context window, abilities, licence and which one to pick.
Side by side
| Qwen | Llama | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Open-weight models | Open-weight models |
| Developer | Alibaba Cloud (Qwen team) | Meta |
| Newest model | Qwen3.8 · Aug 2026 | Llama 4 · Apr 2025 |
| Sizes | 0.8B · 2B · 4B · 9B · 27B · 35B · 122B | Scout 109B · Maverick 400B |
| Smallest VRAM (4-bit) | ~2 GB (Qwen3.5 0.8B) | ~74.5 GB (Llama 4 Scout 109B) |
| Context window | 256K tokens | 10M tokens |
| Abilities | Tool callingReasoning modeImage input | Tool callingImage input |
| Licence | Apache 2.0 | Llama 4 Community License |
| Run it | ollama run qwen3.5:0.8b | ollama run llama4:scout |
Which one should you pick?
- Qwen runs on smaller hardware: from ~2 GB of GPU memory, against ~74.5 GB.
- Llama reads longer inputs: a 10M-token context window.
- Only Qwen has a reasoning mode.
- Qwen has the simpler licence for commercial use (Apache 2.0 or MIT).
Pick Qwen if…
- you want the best model for a given amount of VRAM
- you need a permissive Apache 2.0 licence
- you want image input in small models
Pick Llama if…
- you need the widest tool and fine-tune support
- your stack or tutorial already targets Llama 3.1
- you want very long context on a multi-GPU server (Llama 4 Scout)
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.
Qwen
| Model | Download | VRAM |
|---|---|---|
| Qwen3.5 0.8B | 1.3 GB | ~2 GB |
| Qwen3.5 2B | 2.6 GB | ~3.5 GB |
| Qwen3.5 4B | 4.1 GB | ~5.5 GB |
| Qwen3.5 9B | 9 GB | ~10.5 GB |
| Qwen3.8 27B | 18 GB | ~20.5 GB |
| Qwen3.6 27B | 18 GB | ~20.5 GB |
| Qwen3.5 27B | 21 GB | ~24 GB |
| Qwen3.6 35B | 23 GB | ~26 GB |
| Qwen3.5 35B | 24 GB | ~27 GB |
| Qwen3.5 122B | 81 GB | ~90 GB |
Llama
| Model | Download | VRAM |
|---|---|---|
| Llama 4 Scout 109B | 67 GB | ~74.5 GB |
| Llama 4 Maverick 400B | 245 GB | ~270 GB |
Frequently asked questions
Is Qwen better than Llama?
It depends on the job and your hardware. Qwen runs on smaller hardware: from ~2 GB of GPU memory, against ~74.5 GB. Llama reads longer inputs: a 10M-token context window. Only Qwen has a reasoning mode. For quality, test both on your own prompts: benchmark rankings change with every release.
Which needs less VRAM, Qwen or Llama?
Qwen starts at ~2 GB (1.3 GB download). Llama starts at ~74.5 GB (67 GB download).
Can I use Qwen and Llama commercially?
Qwen: Apache 2.0. Llama: 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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