How to choose the right Llama model for your task

Our chat gives you four Meta Llama models. They are not simply four sizes of the same thing: they come from two generations, use different designs, accept different kinds of input and stop knowing the world at different dates. This guide puts the facts side by side and turns them into simple rules for picking one. You can switch at any time, so nothing here is a permanent decision.

The four models at a glance

Sources: Meta's model cards on Hugging Face and OpenRouter's model listing, checked in October 2026. The Llama 4 languages are Arabic, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese. The Llama 3.3 and 3.1 languages are English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Hindi, Spanish and Thai. Other languages often work as well, with more mistakes.

What the facts mean in practice

Images

Only the two Llama 4 models can see images. If you attach a photo while Llama 3.3 70B or Llama 3.1 8B is selected, the chat switches to Llama 4 Maverick for you. You can attach one image per message.

Context window

The context window is how much text a model can take into account at once. On paper Scout's is the largest by far. In our chat, though, each request is kept compact so that answers stay quick, so you will not notice much difference between the models here: split very long documents into parts whichever one you pick. The large windows matter more when you use the models through an API.

Knowledge cut-off

The Llama 4 models learned from data up to August 2024, the Llama 3 models up to December 2023. For topics from the first half of 2024, Maverick or Scout is the better choice. For anything recent, no model in our chat knows the answer, because none of them can browse; use a current source.

Size and speed

Llama 3.1 8B is by far the smallest model, so it is usually the quickest to answer. Llama 4's mixture-of-experts design uses 17 billion active parameters per token, which keeps it efficient for its total size. Actual speed also depends on how busy the provider is at that moment.

Model by model

Llama 4 Maverick: the default

The larger of the two Llama 4 models and the one with the most parameters in total. Use it when you are not sure: writing, explanations, analysis, coding help and questions about images. Together with Scout, it has the longest list of officially supported languages. Chat with Llama 4 Maverick or read the Maverick model page.

Llama 4 Scout: the long-context Llama 4

Smaller than Maverick in total, with the same 17 billion active parameters and the same image support. Meta designed it around a very long context window. It is a good second opinion on a Llama 4 task, a natural alternative when Maverick is busy, and works for image questions too. Chat with Llama 4 Scout or read the Scout model page.

Llama 3.3 70B: the text-only all-rounder

The final release of the Llama 3 generation, from December 2024: a large model for text work such as drafting, editing, summarising, reasoning through a problem in words and code. Useful when you want a different model's take on the same prompt, or when a Llama 4 model is busy. Chat with Llama 3.3 70B or read the Llama 3.3 70B page.

Llama 3.1 8B: the light, quick one

The smallest model here. Good for small jobs where speed matters more than depth: rewording a sentence, simple lists, brainstorming, short definitions. Small models are generally less dependable on multi-step reasoning, long instructions and precise facts, so check its work on anything important. Chat with Llama 3.1 8B or read the Llama 3.1 8B page.

Quick decision table

If you want to find your own favourite, run one short test prompt that looks like your typical work through each model and compare the answers side by side. For example:

I run a small bakery. Write three short Instagram captions for a new
rye loaf, each in a different tone, then explain in two sentences
which one you would post and why.

Look at what matters for you: does it follow every instruction, does the tone fit, is it the right length, did it invent details you never gave it? Try the test prompt with the default model, then switch and send it again.

How to switch models

1. Open the chat.
2. Click the model name at the top and pick one of the four. Each entry has a short description and badges for images, long context or speed.
3. Your choice is saved with that conversation, and every answer shows which model wrote it.

The links in this guide open the chat with a model already selected. Tool pages such as the AI writer and the summarizer choose a model for you. For more background, read Llama 4 Maverick vs Scout, Llama 3.3 vs Llama 4 and the history of the Llama family.

What none of them can do here

• Browse the internet or open links.
• Know about events after their cut-off.
• Read files other than images; paste text instead.
• Create images or talk out loud.
• Remember your other conversations.

Meta's newer Muse models, introduced in 2026, are not part of the Llama family and are not in our chat. Tips that work with every model are in how to write prompts.

FAQ

Which Llama model is the smartest?

No single ranking fits every task, and we do not publish benchmark scores. For most people, Maverick, the default, is the best starting point. If an answer disappoints, try the same prompt with Llama 3.3 70B.

Why keep a small model like Llama 3.1 8B?

Because many tasks are small. For a quick rewording or a list of ideas, a light model answers fast and does the job. Switch to a bigger one when the task gets harder.

Do all models use the same daily allowance?

Yes. Each message counts the same against your daily free allowance whichever model you choose, and the tool pages share that allowance.

Can I use other Llama models, such as Llama 3.2?

Not in our chat. Llama 3.2 and Llama Guard have information pages for reference, and you can run many Llama models locally.

Does the model I choose affect privacy?

No. All four go through the same path (our server, our AI gateway and a third-party inference provider), and the same privacy policy applies.