Claude Sonnet 4.5 vs Magistral Medium

Claude Sonnet 4.5 vs Magistral Medium: Magistral Medium is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($2.00/M vs $3.00/M input tokens), while Claude Sonnet 4.5 is better for long-context tasks (200,000 tokens).

Direct answer: choose Magistral Medium for lower token spend and choose Claude Sonnet 4.5 when your workload needs longer context.

Compare input and output token pricing, context windows, and monthly cost estimates on one page so you can pick the cheaper model fast.

Anthropic

Claude Sonnet 4.5

Mistral AI

Magistral Medium

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Claude Sonnet 4.5 pricing page Magistral Medium pricing page Anthropic provider overview Mistral AI provider overview

Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)

Claude Sonnet 4.5

Per Request:$0.0105

Daily:$1.05

Monthly:$31.50

Yearly:$383.25

Magistral Medium

Per Request:$0.004500

Daily:$0.45

Monthly:$13.50

Yearly:$164.25

Cost Differences

$0.006000

Per Request

$0.60

Daily

$18.00

Monthly

$219.00

Yearly

Magistral Medium costs less than Claude Sonnet 4.5

Quick Recommendation

Winner for direct API pricing: Magistral Medium. At the default workload, Magistral Medium saves about $18.00/month ($219.00/year) versus Claude Sonnet 4.5.

Claude Sonnet 4.5 full pricing breakdown Magistral Medium full pricing breakdown Anthropic API pricing details Mistral AI API pricing details Anthropic vs Mistral AI API pricing Codex Mini vs Claude Sonnet 4.6 Codex Mini vs Claude Sonnet 4.5

Feature Comparison

Feature	Claude Sonnet 4.5	Magistral Medium
Provider	Anthropic	Mistral AI
Input Price	$3.00/1M tokens	$2.00/1M tokens
Output Price	$15.00/1M tokens	$5.00/1M tokens
Context Window	200,000 tokens	128,000 tokens
Max Output	64,000 tokens	32,768 tokens
Category	balanced	reasoning
Capabilities	textvisioncode	textreasoning
Release Date	9/29/2025	12/15/2025

Claude Sonnet 4.5 vs Magistral Medium: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between Claude Sonnet 4.5 and Magistral Medium depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Magistral Medium is the more affordable option at $2.00/1M input tokens — 33% cheaper than Claude Sonnet 4.5. Meanwhile, Claude Sonnet 4.5 offers a significantly larger context window at 200,000 tokens vs 128,000 for Magistral Medium.

These models come from different providers — Anthropic and Mistral AI — which means different API ecosystems, SDKs, rate limits, and terms of service. If you're already integrated with Anthropic, switching to Mistral AIinvolves migration effort beyond just pricing. Factor in your existing infrastructure when deciding.

These models target different tiers: Claude Sonnet 4.5 is a balanced model while Magistral Medium is reasoning. This means they're optimized for different workloads. Magistral Medium targets more demanding workloads, while Claude Sonnet 4.5 provides a cost-effective option for everyday tasks.

Output costs matter too. Claude Sonnet 4.5 charges $15.00/1M output tokens vs $5.00 for Magistral Medium. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. Magistral Medium has the edge here at $5.00/1M output tokens.

Multimodal capabilities: Claude Sonnet 4.5 supports vision (image inputs) while Magistral Medium is text-only. If your application needs image understanding, this narrows your choice.

Best Use Cases

Choose Claude Sonnet 4.5 when:

• You need a larger context window (200,000 tokens)
• You need more capabilities (vision, code)
• You need longer outputs (up to 64,000 tokens)
• You're already using Anthropic's API ecosystem

Choose Magistral Medium when:

• Budget is a primary concern
• You're already using Mistral AI's API ecosystem

Pros and Caveats at a Glance

Claude Sonnet 4.5

• Input pricing: $3.00/M tokens
• Output pricing: $15.00/M tokens
• Context window: 200,000 tokens
• Max output: 64,000 tokens

Watch out for

• Higher input cost than Magistral Medium
• Higher output cost than Magistral Medium

Magistral Medium

• Input pricing: $2.00/M tokens
• Output pricing: $5.00/M tokens
• Context window: 128,000 tokens
• Max output: 32,768 tokens

Watch out for

• Smaller context window than Claude Sonnet 4.5

Try Different Scenarios

Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns

Claude Sonnet 4.5 (Anthropic)

Cost Calculator

Provider

Model

Input Tokens

Output Tokens

Requests/Day

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Magistral Medium (Mistral AI)

Cost Calculator

Provider

Model

Input Tokens

Output Tokens

Requests/Day

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Start using Claude Sonnet 4.5 today

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, Claude Sonnet 4.5 or Magistral Medium?▼

Magistral Medium is cheaper for input tokens at $2.00 per million tokens vs $3.00 for Claude Sonnet 4.5 — that's 33% savings on input costs.

What is the context window difference between Claude Sonnet 4.5 and Magistral Medium?▼

Claude Sonnet 4.5 supports 200,000 tokens while Magistral Medium supports 128,000 tokens — a difference of 72,000 tokens in favor of Claude Sonnet 4.5.

Which model is better for AI Chatbot?▼

Both models support text. For ai chatbot, Magistral Medium is the lower-cost option, while Claude Sonnet 4.5 offers a larger context window (200,000 vs 128,000 tokens). Choose Magistral Medium for budget sensitivity or Claude Sonnet 4.5 for longer context tasks.

Which model has better overall pricing for heavy usage?▼

At 100 requests/day with 1,000 input and 500 output tokens each, Claude Sonnet 4.5 costs about $31.50/month and Magistral Medium costs about $13.50/month. Overall, Magistral Medium has lower combined input + output rates ($2.00 in, $5.00 out) vs Claude Sonnet 4.5.

Where can I compare Anthropic and Mistral AI API pricing beyond this model matchup?▼

See the Anthropic vs Mistral AI provider comparison page for lineup-level averages, then review each model page for exact per-token rates.