Command R7B (12-2024)
Command R7B (December 2024) is Cohere's smallest model in the Command R family, an 8B-parameter dense transformer with 128K context, trained for retrieval-augmented generation, tool use, and citation generation across 23 languages. It is released under CC-BY-NC-4.0 for research use only; commercial deployment requires Cohere's commercial license.
Our verdict
Excellent model, dangerous license for most operators. Command R7B is one of the best open weights you can run for citation-grounded RAG and structured tool use at the 7-8B tier.
Overview
Command R7B (December 2024) is Cohere's smallest model in the Command R family, an 8B-parameter dense transformer with 128K context, trained for retrieval-augmented generation, tool use, and citation generation across 23 languages. It is released under CC-BY-NC-4.0 for research use only; commercial deployment requires Cohere's commercial license.
Strengths
- Best-in-class RAG and citation behavior at its size, by design
- 128K context with strong long-context retrieval performance
- Native 23-language coverage including Arabic, Hindi, Vietnamese
- Tool-use templates are first-class, not bolted on
Weaknesses
- CC-BY-NC-4.0 BLOCKS commercial use — this is a real trap, not a formality
- Gated download requires Cohere registration and email signup
- Listed at 7B but actually 8.03B parameters by safetensors count
- Switching to Cohere's commercial license is a significant procurement event
Quantization variants
Each quantization trades model quality for file size and VRAM. Q4_K_M is the most popular starting point.
| Quantization | File size | VRAM required |
|---|---|---|
| Q4_K_M | 4.4 GB | 6 GB |
Get the model
HuggingFace
Original weights
Source repository — direct quantization required.
Hardware that runs this
Cards with enough VRAM for at least one quantization of Command R7B (12-2024).
Models worth comparing
Same parameter band, plus what's one tier above and below — so you can decide what actually fits your hardware.
Frequently asked
What's the minimum VRAM to run Command R7B (12-2024)?
Can I use Command R7B (12-2024) commercially?
What's the context length of Command R7B (12-2024)?
Source: huggingface.co/CohereLabs/c4ai-command-r7b-12-2024
Reviewed by RunLocalAI Editorial. See our editorial policy for how we research and verify model claims.
Related — keep moving
Verify Command R7B (12-2024) runs on your specific hardware before committing money.