Ministral 3 8B vs Voxtral Small
Pricing verdict: Ministral 3 8B vs Voxtral Small: Voxtral Small is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($0.10/M vs $0.15/M input tokens), while Ministral 3 8B is better for long-context tasks (256,000 tokens).
Direct answer: choose Voxtral Small for lower token spend and choose Ministral 3 8B 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.
Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)
Ministral 3 8B
Voxtral Small
Cost Differences
Voxtral Small costs more than Ministral 3 8B
Quick Recommendation
Winner for direct API pricing: Ministral 3 8B. At the default workload, Ministral 3 8B saves about $0.225/month ($2.7375/year) versus Voxtral Small.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Ministral 3 8B | Voxtral Small |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Mistral AI | Mistral AI |
| Input Price | $0.15/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $0.15/1M tokens | $0.40/1M tokens |
| Context Window | 256,000 tokens | 32,000 tokens |
| Max Output | 32,768 tokens | 8,192 tokens |
| Category | efficient | efficient |
| Capabilities | textvision | textaudiotranscription |
| Release Date | 12/2/2025 | 7/15/2026 |
Ministral 3 8B vs Voxtral Small: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between Ministral 3 8B and Voxtral Small depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Voxtral Small is the more affordable option at $0.10/1M input tokens — 33% cheaper than Ministral 3 8B. Meanwhile, Ministral 3 8B offers a significantly larger context window at 256,000 tokens vs 32,000 for Voxtral Small.
Both models are in the efficient category, making this a direct head-to-head comparison. At scale — say 10,000 requests per day — the cost difference adds up: Ministral 3 8B would save you roughly $22.50/month compared to Voxtral Small. For startups and indie developers, that difference can be significant.
Output costs matter too. Ministral 3 8B charges $0.15/1M output tokens vs $0.40 for Voxtral Small. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. Ministral 3 8B has the edge here at $0.15/1M output tokens.
Multimodal capabilities: Ministral 3 8B supports vision (image inputs) while Voxtral Small is text-only. If your application needs image understanding, this narrows your choice.
Best Use Cases
Choose Ministral 3 8B when:
- • You need a larger context window (256,000 tokens)
- • You need longer outputs (up to 32,768 tokens)
- • You're already using Mistral AI's API ecosystem
- • You're running high-volume, latency-sensitive workloads
Choose Voxtral Small when:
- • Budget is a primary concern
- • You need more capabilities (audio, transcription)
- • You're already using Mistral AI's API ecosystem
- • You're running high-volume, latency-sensitive workloads
Pros and Caveats at a Glance
Ministral 3 8B
- • Input pricing: $0.15/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $0.15/M tokens
- • Context window: 256,000 tokens
- • Max output: 32,768 tokens
Watch out for
- • Higher input cost than Voxtral Small
Voxtral Small
- • Input pricing: $0.10/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $0.40/M tokens
- • Context window: 32,000 tokens
- • Max output: 8,192 tokens
Watch out for
- • Higher output cost than Ministral 3 8B
- • Smaller context window than Ministral 3 8B
Try Different Scenarios
Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns
Ministral 3 8B (Mistral AI)
Voxtral Small (Mistral AI)
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Sign Up for Mistral AI →Frequently Asked Questions
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