Magistral Medium vs Magistral Small
Magistral Medium vs Magistral Small: Magistral Small is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($0.50/M vs $2.00/M input tokens), while Magistral Medium is better for long-context tasks (128,000 tokens).
Direct answer: choose Magistral Small for lower token spend and choose Magistral Medium 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.
Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)
Magistral Medium
Magistral Small
Cost Differences
Magistral Small costs less than Magistral Medium
Quick Recommendation
Winner for direct API pricing: Magistral Small. At the default workload, Magistral Small saves about $9.75/month ($118.625/year) versus Magistral Medium.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Magistral Medium | Magistral Small |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Mistral AI | Mistral AI |
| Input Price | $2.00/1M tokens | $0.50/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $5.00/1M tokens | $1.50/1M tokens |
| Context Window | 128,000 tokens | 128,000 tokens |
| Max Output | 32,768 tokens | 16,384 tokens |
| Category | reasoning | reasoning |
| Capabilities | textreasoning | textreasoning |
| Release Date | 12/15/2025 | 12/15/2025 |
Magistral Medium vs Magistral Small: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between Magistral Medium and Magistral Small depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Magistral Small is the more affordable option at $0.50/1M input tokens — 75% cheaper than Magistral Medium.
Both models are in the reasoning category, making this a direct head-to-head comparison. At scale — say 10,000 requests per day — the cost difference adds up: Magistral Small would save you roughly $975.00/month compared to Magistral Medium. For startups and indie developers, that difference can be significant.
Output costs matter too. Magistral Medium charges $5.00/1M output tokens vs $1.50 for Magistral Small. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. Magistral Small has the edge here at $1.50/1M output tokens.
Best Use Cases
Choose Magistral Medium when:
- • You need longer outputs (up to 32,768 tokens)
- • You're already using Mistral AI's API ecosystem
Choose Magistral Small when:
- • Budget is a primary concern
- • You're already using Mistral AI's API ecosystem
Pros and Caveats at a Glance
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 Magistral Small
- • Higher output cost than Magistral Small
Magistral Small
- • Input pricing: $0.50/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $1.50/M tokens
- • Context window: 128,000 tokens
- • Max output: 16,384 tokens
Watch out for
- • Trade-offs are minor in this matchup.
Try Different Scenarios
Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns
Magistral Medium (Mistral AI)
Magistral Small (Mistral AI)
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Sign Up for Mistral AI →Frequently Asked Questions
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