Llama 3.1 405B vs Gemma 2 27B
Pricing, context window, and benchmark comparison · Last updated April 2026
Gemma 2 27B is cheaper than Llama 3.1 405B at $0.27/1M/1M vs $2.70/1M/1M input tokens — a 10.0x cost difference. Llama 3.1 405B scores higher on quality benchmarks (ELO 1267). Choose Gemma 2 27B for cost-sensitive workloads; choose Llama 3.1 405B for maximum quality.
Which is cheaper: Llama 3.1 405B or Gemma 2 27B?
Gemma 2 27B is the cheaper option at $0.27/1M per 1M input tokens, compared to $2.70/1M for Llama 3.1 405B. That is a 10.0x cost difference on input tokens. Output pricing follows a similar pattern: Llama 3.1 405B charges $2.70/1M/1M vs $0.27/1M/1M for Gemma 2 27B.
Which has better quality: Llama 3.1 405B or Gemma 2 27B?
Based on LMSYS Chatbot Arena rankings, Llama 3.1 405B achieves a higher ELO score (1267 vs 1220), suggesting stronger performance on open-ended tasks. Llama 3.1 405B excels at open source — can be self-hosted for data privacy. Gemma 2 27B is known for best open-source model at 27b scale.
Which should you choose: Llama 3.1 405B or Gemma 2 27B?
- → Open source — can be self-hosted for data privacy
- → Competitive with GPT-4o on many benchmarks
- → Strong multilingual capabilities
- → Best open-source model at 27B scale
- → Runs on consumer hardware (RTX 3090)
- → Strong instruction following
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper: Llama 3.1 405B or Gemma 2 27B?
Gemma 2 27B is cheaper at $0.27/1M per 1M input tokens, making it 10.0x more affordable.
Which has better quality: Llama 3.1 405B or Gemma 2 27B?
Llama 3.1 405B scores higher on the LMSYS Chatbot Arena with an ELO of 1267, suggesting better overall quality for most tasks.
Which has a larger context window: Llama 3.1 405B or Gemma 2 27B?
Llama 3.1 405B has a larger context window at 131K tokens.
Should I choose Llama 3.1 405B or Gemma 2 27B?
Choose Gemma 2 27B if cost is the priority. Choose Llama 3.1 405B if benchmark quality is most important. Consider your specific use case: Llama 3.1 405B is best for coding and research, while Gemma 2 27B excels at coding and summarization.
Is Llama 3.1 405B or Gemma 2 27B open source?
Llama 3.1 405B is open source. Gemma 2 27B is open source.