Magistral Medium vs Mistral Medium 3
Magistral Medium vs Mistral Medium 3: Mistral Medium 3 is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($0.40/M vs $2.00/M input tokens), while Magistral Medium is better for long-context tasks (128,000 tokens).
Direct answer: choose Mistral Medium 3 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
Mistral Medium 3
Cost Differences
Mistral Medium 3 costs less than Magistral Medium
Quick Recommendation
Winner for direct API pricing: Mistral Medium 3. At the default workload, Mistral Medium 3 saves about $9.30/month ($113.15/year) versus Magistral Medium.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Magistral Medium | Mistral Medium 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Mistral AI | Mistral AI |
| Input Price | $2.00/1M tokens | $0.40/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $5.00/1M tokens | $2.00/1M tokens |
| Context Window | 128,000 tokens | 128,000 tokens |
| Max Output | 32,768 tokens | 16,384 tokens |
| Category | reasoning | balanced |
| Capabilities | textreasoning | textcode |
| Release Date | 12/15/2025 | 5/7/2025 |
Magistral Medium vs Mistral Medium 3: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between Magistral Medium and Mistral Medium 3 depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Mistral Medium 3 is the more affordable option at $0.40/1M input tokens — 80% cheaper than Magistral Medium.
These models target different tiers: Magistral Medium is a reasoning model while Mistral Medium 3 is balanced. This means they're optimized for different workloads. Magistral Medium is built for complex tasks that require deeper reasoning, while Mistral Medium 3 offers better value for routine operations.
Output costs matter too. Magistral Medium charges $5.00/1M output tokens vs $2.00 for Mistral Medium 3. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. Mistral Medium 3 has the edge here at $2.00/1M 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 Mistral Medium 3 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 Mistral Medium 3
- • Higher output cost than Mistral Medium 3
Mistral Medium 3
- • Input pricing: $0.40/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $2.00/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)
Mistral Medium 3 (Mistral AI)
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