Model Comparison
GPT-5.4 vs Mistral SmallWhich is better in 2026?
Comparing GPT-5.4 and Mistral Small across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.
Verdict: GPT-5.4 vs Mistral Small — which is better?
GPT-5.4 (by OpenAI) and Mistral Small (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, Mistral Small is roughly 18.7x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5.4 also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-5.4 if…
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Mar 2026
Choose Mistral Small if…
- cost matters — it's about 18.7x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-5.4 and Mistral Small 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, GPT-5.4 ($2.50/1M tokens) is 12.5x more expensive than Mistral Small ($0.20/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5.4 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 25.0x more expensive than Mistral Small ($0.60/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.4 is more expensive than Mistral Small.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-5.4 accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to Mistral Small's 32,768 tokens. GPT-5.4 can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Mistral Small is limited to 32,768 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-5.4 supports multimodal inputs, whereas Mistral Small does not.
GPT-5.4 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-5.4
Mistral Small
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-5.4 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Mistral Small uses Mistral Research License.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
Mistral Research License
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GPT-5.4 was released on 2026-03-05, while Mistral Small was released on 2024-09-17.
GPT-5.4 is 18 months newer than Mistral Small.
Mar 5, 2026
3 months ago
1.5yr newerSep 17, 2024
1.7 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-5.4 is available from OpenAI. Mistral Small is available from Mistral AI.
GPT-5.4
Mistral Small
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-5.4
View detailsOpenAI
Mistral Small
View detailsMistral AI
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5.4 vs Mistral Small.