GPT-4.1 vs Mistral Magistral Small 2509
GPT-4.1 (2025) and Mistral Magistral Small 2509 (2025) are general-purpose language models from OpenAI and MistralAI. GPT-4.1 ships a 1M-token context window, while Mistral Magistral Small 2509 ships a not-yet-sourced context window. On pricing, Mistral Magistral Small 2509 costs $0.5/1M input tokens versus $2/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing.
Mistral Magistral Small 2509 is ~300% cheaper at $0.5/1M; pay for GPT-4.1 only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | GPT-4.1 | Mistral Magistral Small 2509 |
|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | General |
| Context window | 1M | — |
| Cheapest output | $8/1M tokens | $1.5/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 3 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- GPT-4.1 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- GPT-4.1 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- GPT-4.1 uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local model data.
- Local decision data tags GPT-4.1 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Mistral Magistral Small 2509 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $1.5/1M tokens.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output prices on this page.
GPT-4.1
$3,600
Cheapest tracked route: OpenRouter
Mistral Magistral Small 2509
$775
Cheapest tracked route: AWS Bedrock
Estimated monthly gap: $2,825. Batch, cache, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for GPT-4.1 and Mistral Magistral Small 2509; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Mistral Magistral Small 2509 is $6.5/1M 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.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Mistral Magistral Small 2509 and GPT-4.1; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- GPT-4.1 is $6.5/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- GPT-4.1 adds Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-04-01 | 2025-09-01 |
| Context window | 1M | — |
| Parameters | — | — |
| Architecture | decoder only | - |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-01 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | GPT-4.1 | Mistral Magistral Small 2509 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $2/1M tokens | $0.5/1M tokens |
| Output price | $8/1M tokens | $1.5/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | GPT-4.1 | Mistral Magistral Small 2509 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | Yes | No |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | No |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on vision: GPT-4.1, multimodal input: GPT-4.1, function calling: GPT-4.1, tool use: GPT-4.1, structured outputs: GPT-4.1, and code execution: GPT-4.1. Both models share the core language-model surface, 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, GPT-4.1 lists $2/1M input and $8/1M output tokens, while Mistral Magistral Small 2509 lists $0.5/1M input and $1.5/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Mistral Magistral Small 2509 lower by about $3 per million blended tokens. Availability is 3 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose GPT-4.1 when coding workflow support and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Mistral Magistral Small 2509 when provider fit and lower input-token cost are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, GPT-4.1 or Mistral Magistral Small 2509?
Mistral Magistral Small 2509 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. GPT-4.1 costs $2/1M input and $8/1M output tokens. Mistral Magistral Small 2509 costs $0.5/1M input and $1.5/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is GPT-4.1 or Mistral Magistral Small 2509 open source?
GPT-4.1 is listed under Proprietary. Mistral Magistral Small 2509 is listed under Proprietary. 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, GPT-4.1 or Mistral Magistral Small 2509?
GPT-4.1 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. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for multimodal input, GPT-4.1 or Mistral Magistral Small 2509?
GPT-4.1 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.
Which is better for function calling, GPT-4.1 or Mistral Magistral Small 2509?
GPT-4.1 has the clearer documented function calling signal in this comparison. If function calling is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run GPT-4.1 and Mistral Magistral Small 2509?
GPT-4.1 is available on OpenRouter, Azure OpenAI, and OpenAI API. Mistral Magistral Small 2509 is available on AWS Bedrock. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-11. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.