Mistral Medium 3.1 vs Mistral Medium 3.5
Mistral Medium 3.1 vs Mistral Medium 3.5: Mistral Medium 3.1 is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($0.40/M vs $1.50/M input tokens), while Mistral Medium 3.5 is better for long-context tasks (256,000 tokens).
Direct answer: choose Mistral Medium 3.1 for lower token spend and choose Mistral Medium 3.5 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)
Mistral Medium 3.1
Mistral Medium 3.5
Cost Differences
Mistral Medium 3.5 costs more than Mistral Medium 3.1
Quick Recommendation
Winner for direct API pricing: Mistral Medium 3.1. At the default workload, Mistral Medium 3.1 saves about $11.55/month ($140.525/year) versus Mistral Medium 3.5.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Mistral Medium 3.1 | Mistral Medium 3.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Mistral AI | Mistral AI |
| Input Price | $0.40/1M tokens | $1.50/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $2.00/1M tokens | $7.50/1M tokens |
| Context Window | 131,072 tokens | 256,000 tokens |
| Max Output | 16,384 tokens | 32,768 tokens |
| Category | balanced | flagship |
| Capabilities | textcodereasoning | textvisioncodereasoning |
| Release Date | 8/1/2025 | 4/29/2026 |
Mistral Medium 3.1 vs Mistral Medium 3.5: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between Mistral Medium 3.1 and Mistral Medium 3.5 depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Mistral Medium 3.1 is the more affordable option at $0.40/1M input tokens — 73% cheaper than Mistral Medium 3.5. Meanwhile, Mistral Medium 3.5 offers a significantly larger context window at 256,000 tokens vs 131,072 for Mistral Medium 3.1.
These models target different tiers: Mistral Medium 3.1 is a balanced model while Mistral Medium 3.5 is flagship. This means they're optimized for different workloads. Mistral Medium 3.5 targets more demanding workloads, while Mistral Medium 3.1 provides a cost-effective option for everyday tasks.
Output costs matter too. Mistral Medium 3.1 charges $2.00/1M output tokens vs $7.50 for Mistral Medium 3.5. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. Mistral Medium 3.1 has the edge here at $2.00/1M output tokens.
Multimodal capabilities: Mistral Medium 3.5 supports vision (image inputs) while Mistral Medium 3.1 is text-only. If your application needs image understanding, this narrows your choice.
Best Use Cases
Choose Mistral Medium 3.1 when:
- • Budget is a primary concern
- • You're already using Mistral AI's API ecosystem
Choose Mistral Medium 3.5 when:
- • You need a larger context window (256,000 tokens)
- • You need more capabilities (vision)
- • You need longer outputs (up to 32,768 tokens)
- • You're already using Mistral AI's API ecosystem
Pros and Caveats at a Glance
Mistral Medium 3.1
- • Input pricing: $0.40/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $2.00/M tokens
- • Context window: 131,072 tokens
- • Max output: 16,384 tokens
Watch out for
- • Smaller context window than Mistral Medium 3.5
Mistral Medium 3.5
- • Input pricing: $1.50/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $7.50/M tokens
- • Context window: 256,000 tokens
- • Max output: 32,768 tokens
Watch out for
- • Higher input cost than Mistral Medium 3.1
- • Higher output cost than Mistral Medium 3.1
Try Different Scenarios
Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns
Mistral Medium 3.1 (Mistral AI)
Mistral Medium 3.5 (Mistral AI)
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What is the context window difference between Mistral Medium 3.1 and Mistral Medium 3.5?▼
Which model is better for AI Agent / Agentic Workflows?▼
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