LLM Reference

Gemma 3n 2B (free) vs Swallow 30B

Gemma 3n 2B (free) (2025) and Swallow 30B (2025) are compact production models from Google DeepMind and Tokyo Institute of Technology. Gemma 3n 2B (free) ships a 8k-token context window, while Swallow 30B ships a 16k-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.

Gemma 3n 2B (free) is safer overall; choose Swallow 30B when long-context analysis matters.

Decision scorecard

Local evidence first
SignalGemma 3n 2B (free)Swallow 30B
Best forgeneral production evaluationgeneral production evaluation
Decision fitGeneralGeneral
Context window8k16k
Cheapest output--
Provider routes1 tracked0 tracked
Shared benchmarks0 rows0 rows

Decision tradeoffs

Choose Gemma 3n 2B (free) when...
  • Gemma 3n 2B (free) has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
Choose Swallow 30B when...
  • Swallow 30B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.

Monthly cost at traffic

Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.

Gemma 3n 2B (free)

Unavailable

No complete token price in local provider data

Swallow 30B

Unavailable

No complete token price in local provider data

Cost delta unavailable until both models have sourced input and output token prices.

Switch friction

Gemma 3n 2B (free) -> Swallow 30B
  • No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Gemma 3n 2B (free) and Swallow 30B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
Swallow 30B -> Gemma 3n 2B (free)
  • No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Swallow 30B and Gemma 3n 2B (free); plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.

Specs

Specification
Released2025-04-032025-02-14
Context window8k16k
Parameters5B (2B effective active)30B
Architecturedecoder only-
LicenseGemmaLlama 2 Community
OpennessOpen weightsOpen weights
Commercial useCommercial use with conditionsCommercial use with conditions
Knowledge cutoff2024-062023

Pricing and availability

Pricing attributeGemma 3n 2B (free)Swallow 30B
Input price--
Output price--
Providers-

Pricing not yet sourced for either model.

Capabilities

CapabilityGemma 3n 2B (free)Swallow 30B
VisionNoNo
MultimodalNoNo
ReasoningNoNo
Function callingNoNo
Tool useNoNo
Structured outputsNoNo
Code executionNoNo
IDE integrationNoNo
Computer useNoNo
Parallel agentsNoNo

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: Gemma 3n 2B (free) has no token price sourced yet and Swallow 30B has no token price sourced yet. Provider availability is 1 tracked routes versus 0. 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 and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Swallow 30B 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 Swallow 30B?

Swallow 30B supports 16k 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 Swallow 30B open source?

Gemma 3n 2B (free) is listed under Gemma. Swallow 30B is listed under Llama 2 Community. 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 Gemma 3n 2B (free) and Swallow 30B?

Gemma 3n 2B (free) is available on NVIDIA NIM. Swallow 30B is available on the tracked providers still being sourced. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.

When should I pick Gemma 3n 2B (free) over Swallow 30B?

Gemma 3n 2B (free) is safer overall; choose Swallow 30B when long-context analysis matters. 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 Swallow 30B.

Continue comparing

Last reviewed: 2026-05-22. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.