Model Comparison

GPT-4.1 mini vs Mistral Small 3 24B InstructWhich is better in 2026?

GPT-4.1 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct is 8.0x cheaper per token.

Verdict: GPT-4.1 mini vs Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct — which is better?

GPT-4.1 mini (by OpenAI) and Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct (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.

GPT-4.1 mini outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, IFEval), while Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-4.1 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct is roughly 8.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

GPT-4.1 mini also accepts a larger context window (1,047,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose GPT-4.1 mini if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,047,576 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2025

Choose Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct if…

  • cost matters — it's about 8.0x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

GPT-4.1 mini outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, IFEval), while Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks.

GPT-4.1 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Thu Jun 25 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct costs less

For input processing, GPT-4.1 mini ($0.40/1M tokens) is 5.7x more expensive than Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct ($0.07/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-4.1 mini ($1.60/1M tokens) is 11.4x more expensive than Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct ($0.14/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-4.1 mini is more expensive than Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Thu Jun 25 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-4.1 mini
Input tokens$0.40
Output tokens$1.60
Best providerOpenAI
Mistral AI
Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct
Input tokens$0.07
Output tokens$0.14
Best providerDeepinfra
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

GPT-4.1 mini accepts 1,047,576 input tokens compared to Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct's 32,000 tokens. GPT-4.1 mini can generate longer responses up to 32,768 tokens, while Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct is limited to 32,000 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-4.1 mini
Input1,047,576 tokens
Output32,768 tokens
Mistral AI
Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct
Input32,000 tokens
Output32,000 tokens
Thu Jun 25 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

GPT-4.1 mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct does not.

GPT-4.1 mini can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

GPT-4.1 mini

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GPT-4.1 mini is licensed under a proprietary license, while Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct uses Apache 2.0.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

GPT-4.1 mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-4.1 mini was released on 2025-04-14, while Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct was released on 2025-01-30.

GPT-4.1 mini is 2 months newer than Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct.

GPT-4.1 mini

Apr 14, 2025

1.2 years ago

2mo newer
Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct

Jan 30, 2025

1.4 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-4.1 mini has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-31, while Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct has a cutoff of 2023-10-01.

GPT-4.1 mini has more recent training data (up to 2024-05-31), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct (2023-10-01).

GPT-4.1 mini

May 2024

7 mo newer
Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct

Oct 2023

Provider Availability

GPT-4.1 mini is available from OpenAI. Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct is available from DeepInfra, Mistral AI.

GPT-4.1 mini

openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $0.40/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.60/1M

Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.07/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.14/1M
mistral logo
Mistral
Input Price:Input: $0.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.30/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

OpenAI
Larger context window (1,047,576 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher GPQA score (65.0% vs 45.3%)
Higher IFEval score (84.1% vs 82.9%)
Mistral AI
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
OpenAIGPT-4.1 mini
Mistral AIMistral Small 3 24B Instruct
Compare in Playground

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-4.1 mini
Mistral AI
Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-4.1 mini vs Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct.

Which is better, GPT-4.1 mini or Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct?

GPT-4.1 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-4.1 mini is made by OpenAI and Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct is made by Mistral AI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-4.1 mini compare to Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct in benchmarks?

GPT-4.1 mini scores CharXiv-D: 88.4%, MMLU: 87.5%, IFEval: 84.1%, MMMLU: 78.5%, MathVista: 73.1%. Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct scores Arena Hard: 87.6%, HumanEval: 84.8%, MT-Bench: 83.5%, IFEval: 82.9%, MATH: 70.6%.

Is GPT-4.1 mini cheaper than Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct?

Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct is 5.7x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-4.1 mini costs $0.40/M input and $1.60/M output via openai. Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct costs $0.07/M input and $0.14/M output via deepinfra.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-4.1 mini and Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct?

GPT-4.1 mini supports 1.0M tokens and Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct supports 32K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between GPT-4.1 mini and Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 32K), input pricing ($0.40 vs $0.07/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Proprietary vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-4.1 mini and Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct?

GPT-4.1 mini is developed by OpenAI and Mistral Small 3 24B Instruct is developed by Mistral AI.

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