GPT-5.1 Thinking vs Pixtral-12B
GPT-5.1 Thinking leads the LLM Stats Score 36.8 to -1.4. Pixtral-12B is 22.9x cheaper per token.
OpenAI · Mistral AI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GPT-5.1 Thinking leads the overall LLM Stats Score 36.8 to -1.4, ranking #69 overall.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, GPT-5.1 Thinking wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Pixtral-12B is roughly 22.9x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5.1 Thinking also accepts a larger context window (400,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose GPT-5.1 Thinking
- overall performance matters — it scores 36.8 and ranks #69 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning and coding — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Nov 2025
Choose Pixtral-12B
- cost matters — it's about 22.9x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
9 reported for GPT-5.1 Thinking · 12 for Pixtral-12B
GPT-5.1 Thinking outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MMMU), while Pixtral-12B is better at 0 benchmarks.
GPT-5.1 Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-5.1 Thinking ($1.25/1M tokens) is 8.3x more expensive than Pixtral-12B ($0.15/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5.1 Thinking ($10.00/1M tokens) is 66.7x more expensive than Pixtral-12B ($0.15/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.1 Thinking is more expensive than Pixtral-12B.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-5.1 Thinking accepts 400,000 input tokens compared to Pixtral-12B's 128,000 tokens. GPT-5.1 Thinking can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Pixtral-12B is limited to 8,192 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both GPT-5.1 Thinking and Pixtral-12B support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GPT-5.1 Thinking
Pixtral-12B
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-5.1 Thinking 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
GPT-5.1 Thinking was released on 2025-11-12, while Pixtral-12B was released on 2024-09-17.
GPT-5.1 Thinking is 14 months newer than Pixtral-12B.
Nov 12, 2025
9 months ago
1.2yr newerSep 17, 2024
2.0 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
GPT-5.1 Thinking is available from OpenAI. Pixtral-12B is available from Mistral AI.
GPT-5.1 Thinking
Pixtral-12B
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-5.1 Thinking and Pixtral-12B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5.1 Thinking vs Pixtral-12B.