Gemma 3n 2B (free) vs Nemotron 3 Nano
Gemma 3n 2B (free) (2025) and Nemotron 3 Nano (2025) are compact production models from Google DeepMind and NVIDIA AI. Gemma 3n 2B (free) ships a 8K-token context window, while Nemotron 3 Nano ships a 256K-token context window. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing.
Nemotron 3 Nano fits 32x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and Gemma 3n 2B (free) for tighter calls.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Gemma 3n 2B (free) | Nemotron 3 Nano |
|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | General | RAG, Agents, and Long context |
| Context window | 8K | 256K |
| Cheapest output | - | - |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- 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.
- Nemotron 3 Nano has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Nemotron 3 Nano uniquely exposes Function calling and Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Nemotron 3 Nano for RAG, Agents, and Long context.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output prices on this page.
Gemma 3n 2B (free)
Unavailable
No complete token price in local provider data
Nemotron 3 Nano
Unavailable
No complete token price in local provider data
Cost delta unavailable until both models have sourced input and output token prices.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on NVIDIA NIM; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Nemotron 3 Nano adds Function calling and Tool use in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on NVIDIA NIM; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Check replacement coverage for Function calling and Tool use before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-04-03 | 2025-12-15 |
| Context window | 8K | 256K |
| Parameters | — | 3.97B |
| Architecture | decoder only | mixture of experts |
| License | Open Source | Apache 2.0 |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Gemma 3n 2B (free) | Nemotron 3 Nano |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | - | - |
| Output price | - | - |
| Providers |
Pricing not yet sourced for either model.
Capabilities
| Capability | Gemma 3n 2B (free) | Nemotron 3 Nano |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | No | No |
| Code execution | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on function calling: Nemotron 3 Nano and tool use: Nemotron 3 Nano. Both models share the core language-model surface, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
Pricing coverage is uneven: Gemma 3n 2B (free) has no token price sourced yet and Nemotron 3 Nano 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 Gemma 3n 2B (free) when provider fit are central to the workload. Choose Nemotron 3 Nano when long-context analysis and larger context windows 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, Gemma 3n 2B (free) or Nemotron 3 Nano?
Nemotron 3 Nano 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 Gemma 3n 2B (free) or Nemotron 3 Nano open source?
Gemma 3n 2B (free) is listed under Open Source. Nemotron 3 Nano is listed under Apache 2.0. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for function calling, Gemma 3n 2B (free) or Nemotron 3 Nano?
Nemotron 3 Nano has the clearer documented function calling signal in this comparison. If function calling is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for tool use, Gemma 3n 2B (free) or Nemotron 3 Nano?
Nemotron 3 Nano has the clearer documented tool use signal in this comparison. If tool use is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Gemma 3n 2B (free) and Nemotron 3 Nano?
Gemma 3n 2B (free) is available on NVIDIA NIM. Nemotron 3 Nano 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 Gemma 3n 2B (free) over Nemotron 3 Nano?
Nemotron 3 Nano fits 32x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and Gemma 3n 2B (free) for tighter calls. If your workload also depends on provider fit, start with Gemma 3n 2B (free); if it depends on long-context analysis, run the same evaluation with Nemotron 3 Nano.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-14. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.