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OpenAI vs Mistral AI

OpenAI (101 models) vs Mistral AI (24 models) - compared across composite scores, pricing, capabilities, and context windows.

Models
101
Avg Score
72
Top Model
Score: 93
Price Range
$0.090 - $600.00
per 1M output tokens
4 open source1.1M max context

Mistral AI

View all models
Models
24
Avg Score
45
Top Model
Score: 72
Price Range
$0.030 - $7.50
per 1M output tokens
13 open source262K max context

Capability Comparison

CapabilityOpenAIMistral AILeader
Vision
84/10114/24OpenAI
Reasoning
73/1014/24OpenAI
Function Calling
94/10123/24OpenAI
JSON Mode
99/10123/24OpenAI
Web Search
81/1010/24OpenAI
Streaming
99/10124/24OpenAI
Image Output
4/1010/24OpenAI

Pricing Comparison

MetricOpenAIMistral AI
Cheapest Input (per 1M tokens)$0.018
gpt-oss-20b
$0.019
Mistral Nemo
Cheapest Output (per 1M tokens)$0.090$0.030
Most Expensive Input (per 1M tokens)$150.00
o1-pro
$2.00
Mistral Medium 3.5
Most Expensive Output (per 1M tokens)$600.00$7.50
Free Models00
Max Context Window1.1M262K

All OpenAI Models (101)

ModelScoreInput $/MOutput $/M
GPT-5.5 Pro93$30.00$180.00
GPT-5.5 Pro (batch)93$15.00$90.00
GPT-5.593$5.00$30.00
GPT-5.5 (batch)93$2.50$15.00
GPT-5.4 Pro92$30.00$180.00
GPT-5.4 Pro (batch)92$15.00$90.00
GPT-5.492$2.50$15.00
GPT-5.4 (batch)92$1.25$7.50
GPT-5.3-Codex91$1.75$14.00
GPT-5.2-Codex91$1.75$14.00
GPT-5.2 Chat91$1.75$14.00
GPT-5.2 Pro91$21.00$168.00
GPT-5.2 Pro (batch)91$10.50$84.00
GPT-5.291$1.75$14.00
GPT-5.2 (batch)91$0.875$7.00
GPT-5.6 Luna Pro89$0.200$1.20
GPT-5.6 Luna Pro (batch)89$0.100$0.600
GPT-5.6 Luna89$0.200$1.20
GPT-5.6 Luna (batch)89$0.100$0.600
GPT-5.6 Terra Pro89$2.00$12.00

All Mistral AI Models (24)

ModelScoreInput $/MOutput $/M
Mistral Medium 3.572$1.50$7.50
Mistral Large 3 2512 (batch)67$0.250$0.750
Mistral Large 240766$2.00$6.00
Mistral Large66$2.00$6.00
Mixtral 8x22B Instruct63$2.00$6.00
Mistral Medium 3.5 (batch)40$0.750$3.75
Mistral Small 440$0.150$0.600
Mistral Small 4 (batch)40$0.075$0.300
Devstral 2 251240$0.400$2.00
Ministral 3 14B 251240$0.200$0.200
Ministral 3 8B 251240$0.150$0.150
Ministral 3 8B 2512 (batch)40$0.075$0.075
Ministral 3 3B 251240$0.100$0.100
Voxtral Small 24B 250740$0.100$0.300
Mistral Medium 3.140$0.400$2.00
Mistral Medium 3.1 (batch)40$0.200$1.00
Codestral 250840$0.300$0.900
Codestral 2508 (batch)40$0.150$0.450
Mistral Small 3.2 24B40$0.094$0.250
Mistral Small 3.1 24B40$0.351$0.555
Frequently Asked Questions

OpenAI's portfolio reflects a kitchen-sink approach with heavy model fragmentation - they offer 42 vision-capable models versus Mistral's focused 10, yet their average score of 49/100 barely exceeds Mistral's 40/100. This 39-model difference translates to extensive legacy model support and specialized variants, while Mistral maintains a leaner catalog focused on their core competencies.

Mistral's cheapest option delivers 2.75x better cost efficiency than OpenAI's entry point, though you sacrifice significant functionality - Mistral offers zero web search capabilities across all 25 models compared to OpenAI's 31/64 coverage. For pure text generation without advanced features, Mistral's pricing advantage is compelling, but OpenAI's cheapest models include 2 free options that Mistral doesn't match.

Mistral's strategy prioritizes function calling (88% model coverage at 22/25) over reasoning capabilities, making them ideal for structured API integrations rather than complex analytical tasks. With 14 open-source models versus OpenAI's 5, Mistral enables on-premise deployments and custom fine-tuning at a fraction of OpenAI's cost - their $6.00/M ceiling is 100x cheaper than OpenAI's $600.00/M premium tier.

OpenAI's 4.2x context advantage reflects their investment in long-document processing and multi-turn conversations, critical for enterprise RAG systems and code analysis. Mistral's 262K limit still exceeds most practical use cases while keeping costs down - their entire price range ($0.040-$6.00/M) fits below OpenAI's median pricing tier, suggesting different target markets.

The performance delta becomes critical for vision tasks where OpenAI offers 42 capable models versus Mistral's 10, and reasoning scenarios where OpenAI's 34-model coverage dwarfs Mistral's single option. However, for standard text generation and function calling (where Mistral covers 88% of their portfolio), Mistral Small 4 delivers comparable results at potentially 10-100x lower cost depending on your OpenAI tier selection.

Mistral commits 56% of their portfolio to open source versus OpenAI's token 7.8%, enabling self-hosted deployments without API dependencies or data privacy concerns. OpenAI's open models cluster in older generations while Mistral includes recent releases, though none of Mistral's open models include vision capabilities compared to OpenAI's limited open-source vision support.

OpenAI vs Mistral AI - AI Provider Comparison (2026) | LM Market Cap