Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 vs Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct
Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 (2024) and Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct (2024) are compact production models from MistralAI and Microsoft Research. Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 ships a 64k-token context window, while Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct ships a 128k-token context window. On pricing, Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct costs $0.90/1M input tokens versus $2/1M 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.
Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct is ~122% cheaper at $0.90/1M; pay for Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 only for provider fit.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 | Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | tool-calling agents | provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Agents and JSON / Tool use | Long context |
| Context window | 64k | 128k |
| Cheapest output | $2/1M tokens | $0.90/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 2 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 uniquely exposes Function calling in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 for Agents and JSON / Tool use.
- Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.90/1M tokens.
- Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct for Long context.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3
$2,100
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Replicate API
Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct
$945
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Fireworks AI
Estimated monthly gap: $1,155. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 and Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct is $1.10/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Function calling before moving production traffic.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct and Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 is $1.10/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 adds Function calling in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024-07-01 | 2024-08-20 |
| Context window | 64k | 128k |
| Parameters | 8x22B | 3.8B |
| Architecture | mixture of experts | decoder only |
| License | Apache 2.0(OSI) | MIT(OSI) |
| Openness | Open source | Open source |
| Commercial use | Commercial use allowed | Commercial use allowed |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-01 | 2023-10 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 | Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $2/1M tokens | $0.90/1M tokens |
| Output price | $2/1M tokens | $0.90/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 | Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | Yes | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | No | No |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
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 on the cheapest tracked provider, while Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct lists $0.90/1M input and $0.90/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct lower by about $1.10 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 2, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 when provider fit are central to the workload. Choose Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct 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. 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 3.5 Mini Instruct?
Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct supports 128k tokens, while Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 supports 64k 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 3.5 Mini Instruct?
Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 costs $2/1M input and $2/1M output tokens. Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct costs $0.90/1M input and $0.90/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 or Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct open source?
Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 is listed under Apache 2.0. Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct is listed under MIT. 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 3.5 Mini Instruct?
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 3.5 Mini Instruct?
Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 is available on Replicate API. Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct is available on Fireworks AI and NVIDIA NIM. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
When should I pick Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 over Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct?
Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct is ~122% cheaper at $0.90/1M; pay for Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3 only for provider fit. If your workload also depends on provider fit, start with Mixtral 8x22B Instruct v0.3; if it depends on long-context analysis, run the same evaluation with Phi 3.5 Mini Instruct.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-19. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.