Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 vs Phi-3 Mini 4k
Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 (2023) and Phi-3 Mini 4k (2024) are compact production models from MistralAI and Microsoft Research. Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 ships a 33K-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 $0.15/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
Phi-3 Mini 4k is ~200% cheaper at $0.05/1M; pay for Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 only for long-context analysis.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 | Phi-3 Mini 4k |
|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | General | Coding and Classification |
| Context window | 33K | 4K |
| Cheapest output | $0.45/1M tokens | $0.25/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 5 tracked | 4 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Phi-3 Mini 4k has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.25/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Phi-3 Mini 4k for Coding and Classification.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output prices on this page.
Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1
$233
Cheapest tracked route: DeepInfra
Phi-3 Mini 4k
$103
Cheapest tracked route: Replicate API
Estimated monthly gap: $130. Batch, cache, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 and Phi-3 Mini 4k; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Phi-3 Mini 4k is $0.2/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Phi-3 Mini 4k and Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 is $0.2/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023-12-10 | 2024-04-23 |
| Context window | 33K | 4K |
| Parameters | 56B | 3.8B |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | Open Source | Open Source |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2023-12 | 2023-10 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 | Phi-3 Mini 4k |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.15/1M tokens | $0.05/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.45/1M tokens | $0.25/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 | Phi-3 Mini 4k |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | No | No |
| Code execution | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint is close: both models cover the core production surface. That makes context budget, benchmark fit, and provider maturity more important than a simple checklist. If your application depends on one integration detail, verify it against the provider route you plan to use, not just the base model listing.
For cost, Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 lists $0.15/1M input and $0.45/1M 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 $0.13 per million blended tokens. Availability is 5 providers versus 4, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 when long-context analysis, larger context windows, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Phi-3 Mini 4k 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 has a larger context window, Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 or Phi-3 Mini 4k?
Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 supports 33K 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 8x7B Instruct v0.1 or Phi-3 Mini 4k?
Phi-3 Mini 4k is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 costs $0.15/1M input and $0.45/1M 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 8x7B Instruct v0.1 or Phi-3 Mini 4k open source?
Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 is listed under Open Source. 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.
Where can I run Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 and Phi-3 Mini 4k?
Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 is available on Together AI, OctoML (Deprecated), AWS Bedrock, IBM watsonx, and DeepInfra. 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 8x7B Instruct v0.1 over Phi-3 Mini 4k?
Phi-3 Mini 4k is ~200% cheaper at $0.05/1M; pay for Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1 only for long-context analysis. If your workload also depends on long-context analysis, start with Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.1; if it depends on provider fit, run the same evaluation with Phi-3 Mini 4k.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-19. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.