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Llama 3 8BvsLlama 3.1 8B

Meta AI vs Meta AI — Side-by-side model comparison

Llama 3.1 8B leads 2/5 categories

Head-to-Head Comparison

MetricLlama 3 8BLlama 3.1 8B
Provider
Meta AI
Meta AI
Arena Rank
#22
Context Window
8K
128K
Input Pricing
Free (open)/1M tokens
Free (open)/1M tokens
Output Pricing
Free (open)/1M tokens
Free (open)/1M tokens
Parameters
8B
8B
Open Source
Yes
Yes
Best For
Edge deployment, fast inference, fine-tuning
Edge deployment, mobile, fast inference
Release Date
Apr 18, 2024
Jul 23, 2024

Llama 3 8B

Llama 3 8B, developed by Meta AI, is a compact open-source model with 8 billion parameters and an 8K token context window. The model delivers strong performance for its size on general reasoning, instruction following, and text generation tasks. Trained on over 15 trillion tokens, Llama 3 8B benefits from a data-rich training regimen that maximizes capability within its compact footprint. It runs efficiently on a single consumer GPU, making it ideal for edge deployment, mobile applications, and on-device AI where network latency or data privacy concerns preclude cloud-based solutions. As a fully open-source model under Meta's permissive license, it supports commercial use and fine-tuning at zero cost. Llama 3 8B has become one of the most fine-tuned base models in the open-source ecosystem, powering thousands of specialized applications.

Llama 3.1 8B

Llama 3.1 8B, developed by Meta AI, is a compact open-source model with 8 billion parameters and a 128K token context window, a substantial upgrade from the 8K context of Llama 3. The model handles edge deployment, mobile AI, and fast inference tasks while supporting significantly longer document processing. Its extended context window enables use cases like document summarization, long-form analysis, and RAG applications that were impractical with the shorter-context predecessor. Llama 3.1 8B can run on consumer GPUs and mobile device accelerators, making it one of the most deployable long-context models available. Free and open-source under Meta's license, it supports commercial use and fine-tuning. Llama 3.1 8B ranks #22 on the Chatbot Arena leaderboard, demonstrating competitive performance for its compact parameter count.

Key Differences: Llama 3 8B vs Llama 3.1 8B

1

Llama 3.1 8B supports a larger context window (128K), allowing it to process longer documents in a single request.

2

Llama 3 8B has 8B parameters vs Llama 3.1 8B's 8B, which affects inference speed and capability.

L

When to use Llama 3 8B

  • +Your use case involves edge deployment, fast inference, fine-tuning
View full Llama 3 8B specs →
L

When to use Llama 3.1 8B

  • +You need to process long documents (128K context)
  • +Your use case involves edge deployment, mobile, fast inference
View full Llama 3.1 8B specs →

The Verdict

Llama 3.1 8B wins our head-to-head comparison with 2 out of 5 category wins. It's the stronger choice for edge deployment, mobile, fast inference, though Llama 3 8B holds an edge in edge deployment, fast inference, fine-tuning.

Last compared: April 2026 · Data sourced from public benchmarks and official pricing pages

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Llama 3 8B or Llama 3.1 8B?
In our head-to-head comparison, Llama 3.1 8B leads in 2 out of 5 categories (arena rank, context window, input pricing, output pricing, and parameters). Llama 3.1 8B excels at edge deployment, mobile, fast inference, while Llama 3 8B is better suited for edge deployment, fast inference, fine-tuning. The best choice depends on your specific requirements, budget, and use case.
How does Llama 3 8B pricing compare to Llama 3.1 8B?
Llama 3 8B charges Free (open) per 1M input tokens and Free (open) per 1M output tokens. Llama 3.1 8B charges Free (open) per 1M input tokens and Free (open) per 1M output tokens. For high-volume production workloads, the pricing difference can significantly impact total cost of ownership.
What is the context window difference between Llama 3 8B and Llama 3.1 8B?
Llama 3 8B supports a 8K token context window, while Llama 3.1 8B supports 128K tokens. Llama 3.1 8B can process longer documents, codebases, and conversations in a single request. Context window size matters most for tasks involving long documents, large codebases, or extended conversations.
Can I use Llama 3 8B or Llama 3.1 8B for free?
Llama 3 8B is a paid API model starting at Free (open) per 1M input tokens. Llama 3.1 8B is a paid API model starting at Free (open) per 1M input tokens. Open-source models can be self-hosted for free but require your own GPU infrastructure.
Which model has better benchmarks, Llama 3 8B or Llama 3.1 8B?
Llama 3 8B's arena rank is not yet available, while Llama 3.1 8B holds rank #22. Note that benchmarks don't capture every use case — we recommend testing both models on your specific tasks.
Is Llama 3 8B or Llama 3.1 8B better for coding?
Llama 3 8B's primary strength is edge deployment, fast inference, fine-tuning. Llama 3.1 8B's primary strength is edge deployment, mobile, fast inference. For coding specifically, arena rank and code-specific benchmarks are the best indicators of performance.