Model Comparison

GPT-5.6 Luna vs Pixtral-12BWhich is better in 2026?

Comparing GPT-5.6 Luna and Pixtral-12B across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: GPT-5.6 Luna vs Pixtral-12B — which is better?

GPT-5.6 Luna (by OpenAI) 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 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 process long inputs — it offers a 1,050,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Choose Pixtral-12B 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

No common benchmarks found

GPT-5.6 Luna and Pixtral-12Bdon'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

Pixtral-12B costs less

For input processing, GPT-5.6 Luna ($1.00/1M tokens) is 6.7x more expensive than Pixtral-12B ($0.15/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-5.6 Luna ($6.00/1M tokens) is 40.0x more expensive than Pixtral-12B ($0.15/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-5.6 Luna is more expensive than Pixtral-12B.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Luna
Input tokens$1.00
Output tokens$6.00
Best providerOpenAI
Mistral AI
Pixtral-12B
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 Pixtral-12B's 128,000 tokens. GPT-5.6 Luna can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Pixtral-12B is limited to 8,192 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Luna
Input1,050,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Mistral AI
Pixtral-12B
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,192 tokens
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both GPT-5.6 Luna and Pixtral-12B 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

Pixtral-12B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GPT-5.6 Luna 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.

GPT-5.6 Luna

Proprietary

Closed source

Pixtral-12B

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-5.6 Luna was released on 2026-07-09, while Pixtral-12B was released on 2024-09-17.

GPT-5.6 Luna is 22 months newer than Pixtral-12B.

GPT-5.6 Luna

Jul 9, 2026

1 weeks ago

1.8yr newer
Pixtral-12B

Sep 17, 2024

1.8 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-5.6 Luna has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-16, while Pixtral-12B'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 Pixtral-12B's cutoff date.

GPT-5.6 Luna

Feb 2026

Pixtral-12B

—

Provider Availability

GPT-5.6 Luna is available from OpenAI. Pixtral-12B is available from Mistral AI.

GPT-5.6 Luna

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

Pixtral-12B

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)
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 Pixtral-12B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GPT-5.6 Luna
✓ Preferred
Pixtral-12B
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Luna
Mistral AI
Pixtral-12B

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-5.6 Luna vs Pixtral-12B.

Which is better, GPT-5.6 Luna or Pixtral-12B?

GPT-5.6 Luna (OpenAI) and Pixtral-12B (Mistral AI) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does GPT-5.6 Luna compare to Pixtral-12B 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%. Pixtral-12B scores DocVQA: 90.7%, ChartQA: 81.8%, VQAv2: 78.6%, MT-Bench: 76.8%, HumanEval: 72.0%.

Is GPT-5.6 Luna cheaper than Pixtral-12B?

Pixtral-12B is 6.7x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-5.6 Luna costs $1.00/M input and $6.00/M output via openai. Pixtral-12B costs $0.15/M input and $0.15/M output via mistral.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-5.6 Luna and Pixtral-12B?

GPT-5.6 Luna supports 1.1M tokens and Pixtral-12B supports 128K 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 Pixtral-12B?

Key differences include context window (1.1M vs 128K), 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 Pixtral-12B?

GPT-5.6 Luna is developed by OpenAI and Pixtral-12B is developed by Mistral AI.

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