Magistral Medium vs o4-mini Deep Research
Magistral Medium vs o4-mini Deep Research: Magistral Medium is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($2.00/M vs $2.00/M input tokens), while o4-mini Deep Research is better for long-context tasks (200,000 tokens).
Direct answer: choose Magistral Medium for lower token spend and choose o4-mini Deep Research 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
o4-mini Deep Research
Cost Differences
o4-mini Deep Research costs more than Magistral Medium
Quick Recommendation
Winner for direct API pricing: Magistral Medium. At the default workload, Magistral Medium saves about $4.50/month ($54.75/year) versus o4-mini Deep Research.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Magistral Medium | o4-mini Deep Research |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Mistral AI | OpenAI |
| Input Price | $2.00/1M tokens | $2.00/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $5.00/1M tokens | $8.00/1M tokens |
| Context Window | 128,000 tokens | 200,000 tokens |
| Max Output | 32,768 tokens | 32,768 tokens |
| Category | reasoning | reasoning |
| Capabilities | textreasoning | textreasoningcode |
| Release Date | 12/15/2025 | 6/26/2025 |
Magistral Medium vs o4-mini Deep Research: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between Magistral Medium and o4-mini Deep Research depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Magistral Medium is the more affordable option at $2.00/1M input tokens. Meanwhile, o4-mini Deep Research offers a significantly larger context window at 200,000 tokens vs 128,000 for Magistral Medium.
These models come from different providers — Mistral AI and OpenAI — which means different API ecosystems, SDKs, rate limits, and terms of service. If you're already integrated with Mistral AI, switching to OpenAIinvolves migration effort beyond just pricing. Factor in your existing infrastructure when deciding.
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 Medium would save you roughly $450.00/month compared to o4-mini Deep Research. For startups and indie developers, that difference can be significant.
Output costs matter too. Magistral Medium charges $5.00/1M output tokens vs $8.00 for o4-mini Deep Research. 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.
Best Use Cases
Choose Magistral Medium when:
- • You're already using Mistral AI's API ecosystem
Choose o4-mini Deep Research when:
- • You need a larger context window (200,000 tokens)
- • You need more capabilities (code)
- • You're already using OpenAI'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
- • Smaller context window than o4-mini Deep Research
o4-mini Deep Research
- • Input pricing: $2.00/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $8.00/M tokens
- • Context window: 200,000 tokens
- • Max output: 32,768 tokens
Watch out for
- • Higher output cost than Magistral Medium
Try Different Scenarios
Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns
Magistral Medium (Mistral AI)
o4-mini Deep Research (OpenAI)
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Sign Up for OpenAI →Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Magistral Medium or o4-mini Deep Research?▼
What is the context window difference between Magistral Medium and o4-mini Deep Research?▼
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Which model has better overall pricing for heavy usage?▼
Where can I compare Mistral AI and OpenAI API pricing beyond this model matchup?▼
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