Doubao Pro 256K vs Gemma 3n 2B (free)
Doubao Pro 256K (2024) and Gemma 3n 2B (free) (2025) are compact production models from ByteDance and Google DeepMind. Doubao Pro 256K ships a 256k-token context window, while Gemma 3n 2B (free) ships a 8k-token context window. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing.
Doubao Pro 256K fits 32x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and Gemma 3n 2B (free) for tighter calls.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Doubao Pro 256K | Gemma 3n 2B (free) |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | general production evaluation | general production evaluation |
| Decision fit | Long context | General |
| Context window | 256k | 8k |
| Cheapest output | $1.32/1M tokens | - |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Doubao Pro 256K has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Local decision data tags Doubao Pro 256K for Long context.
- Use Gemma 3n 2B (free) when your own prompt tests beat the comparison signals; the local data does not show a decisive standalone advantage yet.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Doubao Pro 256K
$919
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Volcengine
Gemma 3n 2B (free)
Unavailable
No complete token price in local provider data
Cost delta unavailable until both models have sourced input and output token prices.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Doubao Pro 256K and Gemma 3n 2B (free); plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Gemma 3n 2B (free) and Doubao Pro 256K; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024-05-15 | 2025-04-03 |
| Context window | 256k | 8k |
| Parameters | — | 5B (2B effective active) |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | Proprietary | Gemma |
| Openness | Proprietary | Open weights |
| Commercial use | Commercial use with conditions | Commercial use with conditions |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | 2024-06 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Doubao Pro 256K | Gemma 3n 2B (free) |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.73/1M tokens | - |
| Output price | $1.32/1M tokens | - |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Doubao Pro 256K | Gemma 3n 2B (free) |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | No | No |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint is close: both models cover the core production surface. That makes context budget, benchmark fit, and provider maturity more important than a simple checklist. If your application depends on one integration detail, verify it against the provider route you plan to use, not just the base model listing.
Pricing coverage is uneven: Doubao Pro 256K has $0.73/1M input tokens and Gemma 3n 2B (free) has no token price sourced yet. Provider availability is 1 tracked routes versus 1. Treat unknown pricing as an integration gap, then verify the route you will actually call before estimating production spend.
Choose Doubao Pro 256K when long-context analysis and larger context windows are central to the workload. Choose Gemma 3n 2B (free) when provider fit are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency. For teams standardizing a stack, that distinction is often the difference between a benchmark win and a reliable deployment.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Doubao Pro 256K or Gemma 3n 2B (free)?
Doubao Pro 256K supports 256k tokens, while Gemma 3n 2B (free) supports 8k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Is Doubao Pro 256K or Gemma 3n 2B (free) open source?
Doubao Pro 256K is listed under Proprietary. Gemma 3n 2B (free) is listed under Gemma. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Where can I run Doubao Pro 256K and Gemma 3n 2B (free)?
Doubao Pro 256K is available on Volcengine. Gemma 3n 2B (free) is available on NVIDIA NIM. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
When should I pick Doubao Pro 256K over Gemma 3n 2B (free)?
Doubao Pro 256K fits 32x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and Gemma 3n 2B (free) for tighter calls. If your workload also depends on long-context analysis, start with Doubao Pro 256K; if it depends on provider fit, run the same evaluation with Gemma 3n 2B (free).
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-22. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.