GPT-4 vs Mistral Small 3
GPT-4 (2023) and Mistral Small 3 (2025) are compact production models from OpenAI and MistralAI. GPT-4 ships a 8K-token context window, while Mistral Small 3 ships a 32K-token context window. On pricing, Mistral Small 3 costs $0.10/1M input tokens versus $30/1M 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.
Mistral Small 3 is ~29900% cheaper at $0.10/1M; pay for GPT-4 only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | GPT-4 | Mistral Small 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production | tool-calling agents and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, Agents, and Vision | Agents, Classification, and JSON / Tool use |
| Context window | 8K | 32K |
| Cheapest output | $60/1M tokens | $0.30/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 4 tracked | 3 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 shared | 0 shared |
Decision tradeoffs
- GPT-4 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and route flexibility.
- GPT-4 uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Code execution in local model data.
- Local decision data tags GPT-4 for Coding, Agents, and Vision.
- Mistral Small 3 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Mistral Small 3 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.30/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Mistral Small 3 for Agents, Classification, and JSON / Tool use.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
GPT-4
$39,000
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenAI API
Mistral Small 3
$155
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Together AI
Estimated monthly gap: $38,845. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Mistral Small 3 is $59.70/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Code execution before moving production traffic.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- GPT-4 is $59.70/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- GPT-4 adds Vision, Multimodal, and Code execution in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023-03-14 | 2025-01-30 |
| Context window | 8K | 32K |
| Parameters | 1.76T (8x222B MoE)* | 24B |
| Architecture | Mixture of Experts | Decoder Only |
| License | Proprietary | Apache 2.0OSI-approved |
| Openness | Proprietary | Open source |
| Weights | Not released | Unknown |
| Code | Unknown | Unknown |
| Commercial use | Restricted | Permitted |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2021-09 | 2023-10 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | GPT-4 | Mistral Small 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $30/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Output price | $60/1M tokens | $0.30/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | GPT-4 | Mistral Small 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| JSON / Tool use | Yes | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark scores are currently available for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on vision: GPT-4, multimodal input: GPT-4, JSON / Tool use: Mistral Small 3, and code execution: GPT-4. Both models share JSON / Tool use and 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, GPT-4 lists $30/1M input and $60/1M output tokens on the cheapest listed provider, while Mistral Small 3 lists $0.10/1M input and $0.30/1M output tokens on the cheapest listed provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Mistral Small 3 lower by about $38.84 per million blended tokens. Availability is 4 providers versus 3, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose GPT-4 when coding workflow support and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Mistral Small 3 when long-context analysis, larger context windows, 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.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, GPT-4 or Mistral Small 3?
Mistral Small 3 supports 32K tokens, while GPT-4 supports 8K tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, GPT-4 or Mistral Small 3?
Mistral Small 3 is cheaper on listed token pricing. GPT-4 costs $30/1M input and $60/1M output tokens. Mistral Small 3 costs $0.10/1M input and $0.30/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is GPT-4 or Mistral Small 3 open source?
GPT-4 is listed under Proprietary. Mistral Small 3 is listed under Apache 2.0. 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 or Mistral Small 3?
GPT-4 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 or Mistral Small 3?
GPT-4 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 GPT-4 and Mistral Small 3?
GPT-4 is available on OpenAI API, Azure OpenAI, Salesforce Models API, and OpenRouter. Mistral Small 3 is available on Together AI, OpenRouter, and Vercel AI Gateway. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-10-17. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.