Mistral Medium 3.5 vs o1-mini
Mistral Medium 3.5 vs o1-mini: o1-mini is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($1.10/M vs $1.50/M input tokens), while Mistral Medium 3.5 is better for long-context tasks (256,000 tokens).
Direct answer: choose o1-mini 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 3.5
o1-mini
Cost Differences
o1-mini costs less than Mistral Medium 3.5
Quick Recommendation
Winner for direct API pricing: o1-mini. At the default workload, o1-mini saves about $5.85/month ($71.175/year) versus Mistral Medium 3.5.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Mistral Medium 3.5 | o1-mini |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Mistral AI | OpenAI |
| Input Price | $1.50/1M tokens | $1.10/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $7.50/1M tokens | $4.40/1M tokens |
| Context Window | 256,000 tokens | 128,000 tokens |
| Max Output | 32,768 tokens | 65,536 tokens |
| Category | flagship | reasoning |
| Capabilities | textvisioncodereasoning | textreasoning |
| Release Date | 4/29/2026 | 9/12/2024 |
Mistral Medium 3.5 vs o1-mini: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between Mistral Medium 3.5 and o1-mini depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. o1-mini is the more affordable option at $1.10/1M input tokens — 27% cheaper than Mistral Medium 3.5. Meanwhile, Mistral Medium 3.5 offers a significantly larger context window at 256,000 tokens vs 128,000 for o1-mini.
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.
These models target different tiers: Mistral Medium 3.5 is a flagship model while o1-mini is reasoning. This means they're optimized for different workloads. Mistral Medium 3.5 is built for complex tasks that require deeper reasoning, while o1-mini offers better value for routine operations.
Output costs matter too. Mistral Medium 3.5 charges $7.50/1M output tokens vs $4.40 for o1-mini. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. o1-mini has the edge here at $4.40/1M output tokens.
Multimodal capabilities: Mistral Medium 3.5 supports vision (image inputs) while o1-mini is text-only. If your application needs image understanding, this narrows your choice.
Best Use Cases
Choose Mistral Medium 3.5 when:
- • You need a larger context window (256,000 tokens)
- • You need more capabilities (vision, code)
- • You're already using Mistral AI's API ecosystem
Choose o1-mini when:
- • Budget is a primary concern
- • You need longer outputs (up to 65,536 tokens)
- • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem
Pros and Caveats at a Glance
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 o1-mini
- • Higher output cost than o1-mini
o1-mini
- • Input pricing: $1.10/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $4.40/M tokens
- • Context window: 128,000 tokens
- • Max output: 65,536 tokens
Watch out for
- • Smaller context window than Mistral Medium 3.5
Try Different Scenarios
Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns
Mistral Medium 3.5 (Mistral AI)
o1-mini (OpenAI)
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Sign Up for OpenAI →Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Mistral Medium 3.5 or o1-mini?▼
What is the context window difference between Mistral Medium 3.5 and o1-mini?▼
Which model is better for AI Chatbot?▼
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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