Mistral Medium 3.1 vs Mistral Small 3.2
Compare Mistral AI and Mistral AI AI models
Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)
Mistral Medium 3.1
Mistral Small 3.2
Cost Differences
Mistral Small 3.2 costs less than Mistral Medium 3.1
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Mistral Medium 3.1 | Mistral Small 3.2 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Mistral AI | Mistral AI |
| Input Price | $0.40/1M tokens | $0.06/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $2.00/1M tokens | $0.18/1M tokens |
| Context Window | 131,072 tokens | 128,000 tokens |
| Max Output | 16,384 tokens | 8,192 tokens |
| Category | balanced | efficient |
| Capabilities | textcodereasoning | textcode |
| Release Date | 8/1/2025 | 12/2/2025 |
Mistral Medium 3.1 vs Mistral Small 3.2: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between Mistral Medium 3.1 and Mistral Small 3.2 depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Mistral Small 3.2 is the more affordable option at $0.06/1M input tokens — 85% cheaper than Mistral Medium 3.1. Meanwhile, Mistral Medium 3.1 offers a significantly larger context window at 131,072 tokens vs 128,000 for Mistral Small 3.2.
These models target different tiers: Mistral Medium 3.1 is a balanced model while Mistral Small 3.2 is efficient. This means they're optimized for different workloads. Mistral Small 3.2 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 $0.18 for Mistral Small 3.2. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. Mistral Small 3.2 has the edge here at $0.18/1M output tokens.
Best Use Cases
Choose Mistral Medium 3.1 when:
- • You need a larger context window (131,072 tokens)
- • You need more capabilities (reasoning)
- • You need longer outputs (up to 16,384 tokens)
- • You're already using Mistral AI's API ecosystem
Choose Mistral Small 3.2 when:
- • Budget is a primary concern
- • You're already using Mistral AI's API ecosystem
- • You're running high-volume, latency-sensitive workloads
Try Different Scenarios
Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns
Mistral Medium 3.1 (Mistral AI)
Mistral Small 3.2 (Mistral AI)
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