Model Comparison

GPT-5.6 Luna vs Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)Which is better in 2026?

GPT-5.6 Luna significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) is 15.0x cheaper per token.

Verdict: GPT-5.6 Luna vs Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) — which is better?

GPT-5.6 Luna (by OpenAI) and Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) (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-5.6 Luna outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-5.6 Luna significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) is roughly 15.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

GPT-5.6 Luna also accepts a larger context window (1,050,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose GPT-5.6 Luna if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,050,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Choose Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) if…

  • cost matters — it's about 15.0x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

1 benchmarks

GPT-5.6 Luna outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) is better at 0 benchmarks.

GPT-5.6 Luna significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) costs less

For input processing, GPT-5.6 Luna ($1.00/1M tokens) is 6.7x more expensive than Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) ($0.15/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-5.6 Luna ($6.00/1M tokens) is 40.0x more expensive than Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) ($0.15/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-5.6 Luna is more expensive than Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512).*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Luna
Input tokens$1.00
Output tokens$6.00
Best providerOpenAI
Mistral AI
Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)
Input tokens$0.15
Output tokens$0.15
Best providerMistral
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

GPT-5.6 Luna accepts 1,050,000 input tokens compared to Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)'s 262,100 tokens. Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) can generate longer responses up to 262,100 tokens, while GPT-5.6 Luna is limited to 128,000 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Luna
Input1,050,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Mistral AI
Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)
Input262,100 tokens
Output262,100 tokens
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both GPT-5.6 Luna and Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

GPT-5.6 Luna

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GPT-5.6 Luna is licensed under a proprietary license, while Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) uses Apache 2.0.

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

GPT-5.6 Luna

Proprietary

Closed source

Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-5.6 Luna was released on 2026-07-09, while Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) was released on 2025-12-04.

GPT-5.6 Luna is 7 months newer than Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512).

GPT-5.6 Luna

Jul 9, 2026

1 weeks ago

7mo newer
Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)

Dec 4, 2025

7 months ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-5.6 Luna has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-16, while Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)'s cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm GPT-5.6 Luna's training data extends to 2026-02-16, but cannot make a direct comparison without Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)'s cutoff date.

GPT-5.6 Luna

Feb 2026

Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)

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Provider Availability

GPT-5.6 Luna is available from OpenAI. Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) is available from Mistral AI.

GPT-5.6 Luna

openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $1.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $6.00/1M

Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)

mistral logo
Mistral
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.15/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

OpenAI
Larger context window (1,050,000 tokens)
Higher GPQA score (92.3% vs 66.8%)
Mistral AI
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GPT-5.6 Luna and Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GPT-5.6 Luna
✓ Preferred
Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Luna
Mistral AI
Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-5.6 Luna vs Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512).

Which is better, GPT-5.6 Luna or Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)?

GPT-5.6 Luna significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-5.6 Luna is made by OpenAI and Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) is made by Mistral AI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-5.6 Luna compare to Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) in benchmarks?

GPT-5.6 Luna scores Connectors: 99.9%, HealthBench Consensus: 95.1%, GPQA: 92.3%, Search and Function-Calling: 89.7%, Capture-the-Flag Challenges (Internal): 85.2%. Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) scores AIME 2024: 86.0%, AIME 2025: 78.7%, GPQA: 66.8%, LiveCodeBench: 61.6%.

Is GPT-5.6 Luna cheaper than Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)?

Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) is 6.7x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-5.6 Luna costs $1.00/M input and $6.00/M output via openai. Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) costs $0.15/M input and $0.15/M output via mistral.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-5.6 Luna and Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)?

GPT-5.6 Luna supports 1.1M tokens and Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) supports 262K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between GPT-5.6 Luna and Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)?

Key differences include context window (1.1M vs 262K), input pricing ($1.00 vs $0.15/M), licensing (Proprietary vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-5.6 Luna and Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)?

GPT-5.6 Luna is developed by OpenAI and Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) is developed by Mistral AI.

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