Mixtral 8x7B vs o3
Mixtral 8x7B (2023) and o3 (2025) are frontier reasoning models from MistralAI and OpenAI. Mixtral 8x7B ships a 32k-token context window, while o3 ships a 200k-token context window. On Google-Proof Q&A, o3 leads by 32.9 pts. On pricing, Mixtral 8x7B costs $0.15/1M 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.
Mixtral 8x7B is ~1233% cheaper at $0.15/1M; pay for o3 only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Mixtral 8x7B | o3 |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | provider-routed production | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents |
| Decision fit | Coding and Classification | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 32k | 200k |
| Cheapest output | $0.45/1M tokens | $8/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 18 tracked | 3 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 2 rows | Google-Proof Q&A leader |
Decision tradeoffs
- Mixtral 8x7B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.45/1M tokens.
- Mixtral 8x7B has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Mixtral 8x7B for Coding and Classification.
- o3 holds a shared-benchmark lead on Google-Proof Q&A, ahead by 32.9 points.
- o3 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- o3 uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local model data.
- Local decision data tags o3 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Mixtral 8x7B
$233
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Mistral AI Studio
o3
$3,600
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenAI API
Estimated monthly gap: $3,368. 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 8x7B and o3; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- o3 is $7.55/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- o3 adds Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for o3 and Mixtral 8x7B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Mixtral 8x7B is $7.55/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023-12-11 | 2025-04-16 |
| Context window | 32k | 200k |
| Parameters | 8x7B | — |
| Architecture | mixture of experts | decoder only |
| License | Apache 2.0(OSI) | Proprietary |
| Openness | Open source | Proprietary |
| Commercial use | Commercial use allowed | Commercial use with conditions |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2023-12 | 2024-06 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Mixtral 8x7B | o3 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.15/1M tokens | $2/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.45/1M tokens | $8/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Mixtral 8x7B | o3 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | No | Yes |
| Code execution | No | Yes |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Mixtral 8x7B | o3 |
|---|---|---|
| Google-Proof Q&A | 54.8 | 87.7 |
| HumanEval | 80.5 | 96.7 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, Google-Proof Q&A has Mixtral 8x7B at 54.8 and o3 at 87.7, with o3 ahead by 32.9 points; HumanEval has Mixtral 8x7B at 80.5 and o3 at 96.7, with o3 ahead by 16.2 points. The largest visible gap is 32.9 points on Google-Proof Q&A, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint differs most on vision: o3, multimodal input: o3, reasoning mode: o3, function calling: o3, tool use: o3, structured outputs: o3, and code execution: o3. 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 8x7B lists $0.15/1M input and $0.45/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while o3 lists $2/1M input and $8/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Mixtral 8x7B lower by about $3.56 per million blended tokens. Availability is 18 providers versus 3, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Mixtral 8x7B when provider fit, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose o3 when coding workflow support and larger context windows are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Mixtral 8x7B or o3?
o3 supports 200k tokens, while Mixtral 8x7B supports 32k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is cheaper, Mixtral 8x7B or o3?
Mixtral 8x7B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Mixtral 8x7B costs $0.15/1M input and $0.45/1M output tokens. o3 costs $2/1M input and $8/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Mixtral 8x7B or o3 open source?
Mixtral 8x7B is listed under Apache 2.0. o3 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, Mixtral 8x7B or o3?
o3 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, Mixtral 8x7B or o3?
o3 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 Mixtral 8x7B and o3?
Mixtral 8x7B is available on Databricks Foundation Model Serving, NVIDIA NIM, GCP Vertex AI, AWS Bedrock, and OctoAI API (Deprecated). o3 is available on OpenAI API, OpenRouter, and Vercel AI Gateway. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-06-08. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.