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Mistral Medium 3.1 vs Mistral Small 4

Compare Mistral AI and Mistral AI AI models

Mistral AI
Mistral Medium 3.1
vs
Mistral AI
Mistral Small 4

Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)

Mistral Medium 3.1

Per Request:$0.001400
Daily:$0.14
Monthly:$4.20
Yearly:$51.10

Mistral Small 4

Per Request:$0.000450
Daily:$0.045
Monthly:$1.35
Yearly:$16.425

Cost Differences

$0.000950
Per Request
$0.095
Daily
$2.85
Monthly
$34.675
Yearly

Mistral Small 4 costs less than Mistral Medium 3.1

Feature Comparison

FeatureMistral Medium 3.1Mistral Small 4
ProviderMistral AIMistral AI
Input Price$0.40/1M tokens$0.15/1M tokens
Output Price$2.00/1M tokens$0.60/1M tokens
Context Window131,072 tokens128,000 tokens
Max Output16,384 tokens16,384 tokens
Categorybalancedefficient
Capabilities
textcodereasoning
textvisioncodereasoning
Release Date8/1/20253/18/2026

Mistral Medium 3.1 vs Mistral Small 4: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between Mistral Medium 3.1 and Mistral Small 4 depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Mistral Small 4 is the more affordable option at $0.15/1M input tokens63% 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 4.

These models target different tiers: Mistral Medium 3.1 is a balanced model while Mistral Small 4 is efficient. This means they're optimized for different workloads. Mistral Small 4 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 $0.60 for Mistral Small 4. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. Mistral Small 4 has the edge here at $0.60/1M output tokens.

Multimodal capabilities: Mistral Small 4 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:

  • • You need a larger context window (131,072 tokens)
  • • You're already using Mistral AI's API ecosystem

Choose Mistral Small 4 when:

  • • Budget is a primary concern
  • • You need more capabilities (vision)
  • • 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 4 (Mistral AI)

Start using Mistral Medium 3.1 today

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Start using Mistral Small 4 today

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, Mistral Medium 3.1 or Mistral Small 4?
Mistral Small 4 is cheaper for input tokens at $0.15 per million tokens vs $0.40 for Mistral Medium 3.1 — that's 63% savings on input costs.
What is the context window difference between Mistral Medium 3.1 and Mistral Small 4?
Mistral Medium 3.1 supports 131,072 tokens while Mistral Small 4 supports 128,000 tokens — a difference of 3,072 tokens in favor of Mistral Medium 3.1.
Which model is better for AI Agent / Agentic Workflows?
Both models support text, code, reasoning. For ai agent / agentic workflows, Mistral Small 4 is the lower-cost option, while Mistral Medium 3.1 offers a larger context window (131,072 vs 128,000 tokens). Choose Mistral Small 4 for budget sensitivity or Mistral Medium 3.1 for longer context tasks.
Which model has better overall pricing for heavy usage?
At 100 requests/day with 1,000 input and 500 output tokens each, Mistral Medium 3.1 costs about $4.20/month and Mistral Small 4 costs about $1.35/month. Overall, Mistral Small 4 has lower combined input + output rates ($0.15 in, $0.60 out) vs Mistral Medium 3.1.

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