Model Comparison
Gemini 3.1 Pro vs Pixtral-12BWhich is better in 2026?
Comparing Gemini 3.1 Pro and Pixtral-12B across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.
Verdict: Gemini 3.1 Pro vs Pixtral-12B — which is better?
Gemini 3.1 Pro (by Google) and Pixtral-12B (by Mistral AI) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.
On price, Pixtral-12B is roughly 37.5x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Gemini 3.1 Pro also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Gemini 3.1 Pro if…
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2026
Choose Pixtral-12B if…
- cost matters — it's about 37.5x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemini 3.1 Pro and Pixtral-12B don't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemini 3.1 Pro ($2.50/1M tokens) is 16.7x more expensive than Pixtral-12B ($0.15/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemini 3.1 Pro ($15.00/1M tokens) is 100.0x more expensive than Pixtral-12B ($0.15/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Gemini 3.1 Pro is more expensive than Pixtral-12B.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemini 3.1 Pro accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Pixtral-12B's 128,000 tokens. Gemini 3.1 Pro can generate longer responses up to 65,536 tokens, while Pixtral-12B is limited to 8,192 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Gemini 3.1 Pro and Pixtral-12B support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemini 3.1 Pro
Pixtral-12B
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemini 3.1 Pro is licensed under a proprietary license, while Pixtral-12B uses Apache 2.0.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemini 3.1 Pro was released on 2026-02-19, while Pixtral-12B was released on 2024-09-17.
Gemini 3.1 Pro is 17 months newer than Pixtral-12B.
Feb 19, 2026
3 months ago
1.4yr newerSep 17, 2024
1.7 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 3.1 Pro has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-31, while Pixtral-12B's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Gemini 3.1 Pro's training data extends to 2025-01-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Pixtral-12B's cutoff date.
Jan 2025
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Provider Availability
Gemini 3.1 Pro is available from Google. Pixtral-12B is available from Mistral AI.
Gemini 3.1 Pro
Pixtral-12B
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Pixtral-12B
View detailsMistral AI
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about Gemini 3.1 Pro vs Pixtral-12B.