Codestral vs Mistral Small 4

Compare Mistral AI and Mistral AI AI models

Mistral AI

Codestral

Mistral AI

Mistral Small 4

Try Mistral AI →

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

Codestral

Per Request:$0.000750

Daily:$0.075

Monthly:$2.25

Yearly:$27.375

Mistral Small 4

Per Request:$0.000450

Daily:$0.045

Monthly:$1.35

Yearly:$16.425

Cost Differences

$0.000300

Per Request

$0.03

Daily

$0.90

Monthly

$10.95

Yearly

Mistral Small 4 costs less than Codestral

Feature Comparison

Feature	Codestral	Mistral Small 4
Provider	Mistral AI	Mistral AI
Input Price	$0.30/1M tokens	$0.15/1M tokens
Output Price	$0.90/1M tokens	$0.60/1M tokens
Context Window	128,000 tokens	128,000 tokens
Max Output	32,768 tokens	16,384 tokens
Category	balanced	efficient
Capabilities	textcode	textvisioncodereasoning
Release Date	7/30/2025	3/18/2026

Codestral vs Mistral Small 4: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between Codestral and Mistral Small 4 depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Mistral Small 4 is the more affordable option at $0.15/1M input tokens — 50% cheaper than Codestral.

These models target different tiers: Codestral is a balanced model while Mistral Small 4 is efficient. This means they're optimized for different workloads. Mistral Small 4 targets more demanding workloads, while Codestral provides a cost-effective option for everyday tasks.

Output costs matter too. Codestral charges $0.90/1M output tokens vs $0.60 for Mistral Small 4. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. Mistral Small 4 has the edge here at $0.60/1M output tokens.

Multimodal capabilities: Mistral Small 4 supports vision (image inputs) while Codestral is text-only. If your application needs image understanding, this narrows your choice.

Best Use Cases

Choose Codestral when:

• You need longer outputs (up to 32,768 tokens)
• You're already using Mistral AI's API ecosystem

Choose Mistral Small 4 when:

• Budget is a primary concern
• You need more capabilities (vision, reasoning)
• You're already using Mistral AI's API ecosystem
• You're running high-volume, latency-sensitive workloads

Try Different Scenarios

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

Codestral (Mistral AI)

Cost Calculator

Provider

Model

Input Tokens

Output Tokens

Requests/Day

Select a provider and model to see costs

Mistral Small 4 (Mistral AI)

Cost Calculator

Provider

Model

Input Tokens

Output Tokens

Requests/Day

Select a provider and model to see costs

Start using Codestral today

Start using Mistral Small 4 today

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, Codestral or Mistral Small 4?▼

Mistral Small 4 is cheaper for input tokens at $0.15 per million tokens vs $0.30 for Codestral — that's 50% savings on input costs.

What is the context window difference between Codestral and Mistral Small 4?▼

Codestral supports 128,000 tokens while Mistral Small 4 supports 128,000 tokens — a difference of 0 tokens in favor of Codestral.

Which model is better for AI Chatbot?▼

Both models support text. For ai chatbot, Mistral Small 4 is the lower-cost option, while Codestral offers a larger context window (128,000 vs 128,000 tokens). Choose Mistral Small 4 for budget sensitivity or Codestral 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, Codestral costs about $2.25/month and Mistral Small 4 costs about $1.35/month. Overall, Mistral Small 4 has lower combined input + output rates ($0.15 in, $0.60 out) vs Codestral.