GPT-5.6 Luna vs Magistral Medium

Pricing verdict: GPT-5.6 Luna vs Magistral Medium: GPT-5.6 Luna is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($1.00/M vs $2.00/M input tokens), while GPT-5.6 Luna is better for long-context tasks (1,050,000 tokens).

Direct answer: choose GPT-5.6 Luna for lower token spend and choose GPT-5.6 Luna when your workload needs longer context.

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

OpenAI

GPT-5.6 Luna

Mistral AI

Magistral Medium

Try OpenAI →Try Mistral AI →

GPT-5.6 Luna pricing page Magistral Medium pricing page OpenAI provider overview Mistral AI provider overview

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

GPT-5.6 Luna

Per Request:$0.004000

Daily:$0.40

Monthly:$12.00

Yearly:$146.00

Magistral Medium

Per Request:$0.004500

Daily:$0.45

Monthly:$13.50

Yearly:$164.25

Cost Differences

+$0.000500

Per Request

+$0.05

Daily

+$1.50

Monthly

+$18.25

Yearly

Magistral Medium costs more than GPT-5.6 Luna

Quick Recommendation

Winner for direct API pricing: GPT-5.6 Luna. At the default workload, GPT-5.6 Luna saves about $1.50/month ($18.25/year) versus Magistral Medium.

GPT-5.6 Luna full pricing breakdown Magistral Medium full pricing breakdown OpenAI API pricing details Mistral AI API pricing details OpenAI vs Mistral AI API pricing Codex Mini vs o4-mini Deep Research Codex Mini vs o3 Deep Research

Feature Comparison

Feature	GPT-5.6 Luna	Magistral Medium
Provider	OpenAI	Mistral AI
Input Price	$1.00/1M tokens	$2.00/1M tokens
Output Price	$6.00/1M tokens	$5.00/1M tokens
Context Window	1,050,000 tokens	128,000 tokens
Max Output	128,000 tokens	32,768 tokens
Category	efficient	reasoning
Capabilities	textvisioncodereasoning	textreasoning
Release Date	6/26/2026	12/15/2025

GPT-5.6 Luna vs Magistral Medium: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between GPT-5.6 Luna and Magistral Medium depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. GPT-5.6 Luna is the more affordable option at $1.00/1M input tokens — 50% cheaper than Magistral Medium. Meanwhile, GPT-5.6 Luna offers a significantly larger context window at 1,050,000 tokens vs 128,000 for Magistral Medium.

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

These models target different tiers: GPT-5.6 Luna is a efficient model while Magistral Medium is reasoning. This means they're optimized for different workloads. Magistral Medium targets more demanding workloads, while GPT-5.6 Luna provides a cost-effective option for everyday tasks.

Output costs matter too. GPT-5.6 Luna charges $6.00/1M 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: GPT-5.6 Luna supports vision (image inputs) while Magistral Medium is text-only. If your application needs image understanding, this narrows your choice.

Best Use Cases

Choose GPT-5.6 Luna when:

• Budget is a primary concern
• You need a larger context window (1,050,000 tokens)
• You need more capabilities (vision, code)
• You need longer outputs (up to 128,000 tokens)
• You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem
• You're running high-volume, latency-sensitive workloads

Choose Magistral Medium when:

• You're already using Mistral AI's API ecosystem

Pros and Caveats at a Glance

GPT-5.6 Luna

• Input pricing: $1.00/M tokens
• Output pricing: $6.00/M tokens
• Context window: 1,050,000 tokens
• Max output: 128,000 tokens

Watch out for

• 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

• Higher input cost than GPT-5.6 Luna
• Smaller context window than GPT-5.6 Luna

Try Different Scenarios

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

GPT-5.6 Luna (OpenAI)

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 GPT-5.6 Luna today

Start using Magistral Medium today

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, GPT-5.6 Luna or Magistral Medium?▼

GPT-5.6 Luna is cheaper for input tokens at $1.00 per million tokens vs $2.00 for Magistral Medium — that's 50% savings on input costs.

What is the context window difference between GPT-5.6 Luna and Magistral Medium?▼

GPT-5.6 Luna supports 1,050,000 tokens while Magistral Medium supports 128,000 tokens — a difference of 922,000 tokens in favor of GPT-5.6 Luna.

Which model is better for AI Chatbot?▼

Both models support text, and direct token pricing is tied. For ai chatbot, start with GPT-5.6 Luna if you need the larger 1,050,000-token context window; otherwise choose the model whose provider, tools, or latency profile fits better.

Which model has better overall pricing for heavy usage?▼

At 100 requests/day with 1,000 input and 500 output tokens each, GPT-5.6 Luna costs about $12.00/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 GPT-5.6 Luna.

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

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