DeepSeek R1 vs Mistral Large 2
DeepSeek R1 (2025) and Mistral Large 2 (2025) are frontier reasoning models from DeepSeek and MistralAI. DeepSeek R1 ships a 128k-token context window, while Mistral Large 2 ships a 128k-token context window. On HumanEval, DeepSeek R1 leads by 5.1 pts. On pricing, DeepSeek R1 costs $0.10/1M input tokens versus $0.48/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
DeepSeek R1 is ~380% cheaper at $0.10/1M; pay for Mistral Large 2 only for vision-heavy evaluation.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | DeepSeek R1 | Mistral Large 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps and provider-routed production | multimodal apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 128k | 128k |
| Cheapest output | $0.30/1M tokens | $2.40/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 14 tracked | 4 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | HumanEval leader | 2 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- DeepSeek R1 holds a shared-benchmark lead on HumanEval, ahead by 5.1 points.
- DeepSeek R1 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.30/1M tokens.
- DeepSeek R1 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- DeepSeek R1 uniquely exposes Reasoning and Code execution in local model data.
- Local decision data tags DeepSeek R1 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Mistral Large 2 uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Mistral Large 2 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
DeepSeek R1
$155
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Bitdeer AI
Mistral Large 2
$984
Cheapest tracked route/tier: AWS Bedrock
Estimated monthly gap: $829. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter and AWS Bedrock; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Mistral Large 2 is $2.10/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning and Code execution before moving production traffic.
- Mistral Large 2 adds Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter and AWS Bedrock; start route-level A/B tests there.
- DeepSeek R1 is $2.10/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling before moving production traffic.
- DeepSeek R1 adds Reasoning and Code execution in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-01-20 | 2025-11-25 |
| Context window | 128k | 128k |
| Parameters | 671B, 37B Active | 123B |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | MIT(OSI) | Mistral License |
| Openness | Open source | Open weights |
| Commercial use | Commercial use allowed | Non-commercial only |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2023-12 | 2025-07 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | DeepSeek R1 | Mistral Large 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.10/1M tokens | $0.48/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.30/1M tokens | $2.40/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | DeepSeek R1 | Mistral Large 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | DeepSeek R1 | Mistral Large 2 |
|---|---|---|
| HumanEval | 89.9 | 84.8 |
| Chatbot Arena | 1372.0 | 1265.0 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, HumanEval has DeepSeek R1 at 89.9 and Mistral Large 2 at 84.8, with DeepSeek R1 ahead by 5.1 points; Chatbot Arena has DeepSeek R1 at 1372 and Mistral Large 2 at 1265, with DeepSeek R1 ahead by 107 points. The largest visible gap is 107 points on Chatbot Arena, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint differs most on vision: Mistral Large 2, multimodal input: Mistral Large 2, reasoning mode: DeepSeek R1, function calling: Mistral Large 2, tool use: Mistral Large 2, and code execution: DeepSeek R1. Both models share structured outputs, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, DeepSeek R1 lists $0.10/1M input and $0.30/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Mistral Large 2 lists $0.48/1M input and $2.40/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts DeepSeek R1 lower by about $0.90 per million blended tokens. Availability is 14 providers versus 4, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose DeepSeek R1 when coding workflow support, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Mistral Large 2 when vision-heavy evaluation are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, DeepSeek R1 or Mistral Large 2?
DeepSeek R1 supports 128k tokens, while Mistral Large 2 supports 128k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, DeepSeek R1 or Mistral Large 2?
DeepSeek R1 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek R1 costs $0.10/1M input and $0.30/1M output tokens. Mistral Large 2 costs $0.48/1M input and $2.40/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek R1 or Mistral Large 2 open source?
DeepSeek R1 is listed under MIT. Mistral Large 2 is listed under Mistral License. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for vision, DeepSeek R1 or Mistral Large 2?
Mistral Large 2 has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for multimodal input, DeepSeek R1 or Mistral Large 2?
Mistral Large 2 has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run DeepSeek R1 and Mistral Large 2?
DeepSeek R1 is available on DeepSeek Platform, OpenRouter, Together AI, Fireworks AI, and NVIDIA NIM. Mistral Large 2 is available on OpenRouter, IBM watsonx, AWS Bedrock, and Mistral AI Studio. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-05-22. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.