Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 vs Phi-3 Mini 4k
Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 (2024) and Phi-3 Mini 4k (2024) are compact production models from MistralAI and Microsoft Research. Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 ships a 64K-token context window, while Phi-3 Mini 4k ships a 4K-token context window. On pricing, Phi-3 Mini 4k costs $0.05/1M input tokens versus $2/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
Phi-3 Mini 4k is ~3900% cheaper at $0.05/1M; pay for Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 only for long-context analysis.
Specs
| Released | 2024-07-01 | 2024-04-23 |
| Context window | 64K | 4K |
| Parameters | 8x22B | 3.8B |
| Architecture | mixture of experts | decoder only |
| License | Apache 2.0 | Open Source |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 | Phi-3 Mini 4k | |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $2/1M tokens | $0.05/1M tokens |
| Output price | $2/1M tokens | $0.25/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 | Phi-3 Mini 4k | |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | ||
| Multimodal | ||
| Reasoning | ||
| Function calling | ||
| Tool use | ||
| Structured outputs | ||
| Code execution |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on function calling: Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3. 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, Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 lists $2/1M input and $2/1M output tokens, while Phi-3 Mini 4k lists $0.05/1M input and $0.25/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Phi-3 Mini 4k lower by about $1.89 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 4, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 when long-context analysis and larger context windows are central to the workload. Choose Phi-3 Mini 4k when provider fit, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice 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 has a larger context window, Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 or Phi-3 Mini 4k?
Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 supports 64K tokens, while Phi-3 Mini 4k supports 4K tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 or Phi-3 Mini 4k?
Phi-3 Mini 4k is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 costs $2/1M input and $2/1M output tokens. Phi-3 Mini 4k costs $0.05/1M input and $0.25/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 or Phi-3 Mini 4k open source?
Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 is listed under Apache 2.0. Phi-3 Mini 4k is listed under Open Source. 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 function calling, Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 or Phi-3 Mini 4k?
Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 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 Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 and Phi-3 Mini 4k?
Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 is available on Replicate API. Phi-3 Mini 4k is available on Microsoft Foundry, NVIDIA NIM, Baseten API, and Replicate API. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
When should I pick Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 over Phi-3 Mini 4k?
Phi-3 Mini 4k is ~3900% cheaper at $0.05/1M; pay for Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 only for long-context analysis. If your workload also depends on long-context analysis, start with Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3; if it depends on provider fit, run the same evaluation with Phi-3 Mini 4k.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-04-18. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.