Aya Expanse 8BvsLlama 3.1 8B
Complete comparison between Aya Expanse 8B (8B parameters, Cohere For AI) and Llama 3.1 8B (8B, Meta). VRAM required by quantization, tokens per second measured on 4 reference GPUs, verdict by use case, license, installation commands. All figures are calculated from catalog data—no copy-pasting between pages.
In brief
| Feature | Aya Expanse 8B | Llama 3.1 8B |
|---|---|---|
| Settings | 8B | 8B |
| Family | Aya | Llama |
| Author | Cohere For AI | Meta |
| Origin | US | US |
| License | CC-BY-NC 4.0 | Llama 3 Community |
| Context | 8,192 tokens | 131,072 tokens |
| Output | October 2024 | July 2024 |
Memory footprint
Approximate VRAM required for inference with an average context window. The winner (in green) is the model that uses less — smaller models have the edge.
| Quantization | Aya Expanse 8B | Llama 3.1 8B |
|---|---|---|
| Q4_K_M (lightweight) | 5 GB | 6 GB |
| Q5_K_M (balanced) | 6 GB | 7 GB |
| Q8 (near-lossless) | 9 GB | 10 GB |
| FP16 (max quality) | 16 GB | 18 GB |
| CPU-only RAM | 10 GB | 10 GB |
Estimated speed (tokens/second)
Estimates based on the best quantization that can fit on each GPU. Actual figures depend on the prompt, context, and engine (llama.cpp, vLLM, MLX). Methodology.
| Reference GPU | Aya Expanse 8B | Llama 3.1 8B |
|---|---|---|
| RTX 4090 (24 GB) | 90 tok/s · FP16 | 80 tok/s · FP16 |
| RTX 4080 (16 GB) | 35 tok/s · FP16 | 30 tok/s · Q8 |
| RTX 3060 12GB (12 GB) | 12 tok/s · Q8 | 10 tok/s · Q8 |
| Apple M4 Pro (48 GB) (36 GB) | 35 tok/s · FP16 | 30 tok/s · FP16 |
Verdict by use case
For each common use case, we indicate which of the two is better suited based on its tags, size, and specialization.
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Strengths and weaknesses
Aya Expanse 8B
23 languages including FR. Beats Gemma 2 9B and Llama 3.1 8B. ⚠ Non-commercial.
- 23 languages including FR
- Beats Gemma 2 9B and Llama 3.1 8B
- Excellent on low-resource languages
- ⚠ CC-BY-NC License
- Ctx only 8k
Installation
Llama 3.1 8B
The open-weight benchmark. 128k context, strong across the board.
- 128k context
- Excellent quality-to-size ratio
- Very good at coding and following instructions
- Meta license <700M MAU
- Outperformed by Qwen 3 8B on most benchmarks
- No vision
Installation
Frequently asked questions
Which model runs best on RTX 4090 (24 GB): Aya Expanse 8B or Llama 3.1 8B?
On an RTX 4090, Aya Expanse 8B runs at FP16 (~90 tok/s), Llama 3.1 8B in FP16 (~80 tok/s). In pure throughput, Aya Expanse 8B wins. See the configurator to test your exact GPU.
Which uses the least VRAM?
In Q4_K_M, Aya Expanse 8B fits in 5 GB versus 6 GB for its rival — a 1 GB gap, significant if you're targeting an RTX 3060 or a 4060 Ti 8 GB.
Can these models be used in commercial production?
Aya Expanse 8B is licensed under CC-BY-NC 4.0 — check the restrictions (especially the monthly user thresholds). Llama 3.1 8B is under Llama 3 Community — also check the terms. For SaaS, prefer Apache 2.0 or MIT.
Which one should you choose in 2026?
Depends on your primary constraint. Smaller / faster: Aya Expanse 8B (8B). More capable: Aya Expanse 8B (8B). If you’re unsure, run the configurator with your GPU and use case — it will decide based on both.
Alternatives to consider
If neither works for you, here are some neighboring models you could explore.