Model Comparison

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) vs Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-InstructWhich is better in 2026?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) is 4.9x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) vs Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct — which is better?

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) (by Mistral AI) and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct (by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team) 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.

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) outperforms in 1 benchmarks (AIME 2025), while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA). Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

On price, Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) is roughly 4.9x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) also accepts a larger context window (131,100 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) if…

  • cost matters — it's about 4.9x cheaper per token
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 131,100 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2025

Choose Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $0.15/M input and $1.50/M output

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) outperforms in 1 benchmarks (AIME 2025), while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Tue Jul 28 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) costs less

For input processing, Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) ($0.10/1M tokens) is 1.5x cheaper than Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct ($0.15/1M tokens).

For output processing, Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) ($0.10/1M tokens) is 15.0x cheaper than Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct ($1.50/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct is more expensive than Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512).*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Jul 28 2026 • llm-stats.com
Mistral AI
Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512)
Input tokens$0.10
Output tokens$0.10
Best providerMistral
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct
Input tokens$0.15
Output tokens$1.50
Best providerNovita
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

77.0B diff

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct has 77.0B more parameters than Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512), making it 2566.7% larger.

Mistral AI
Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512)
3.0Bparameters
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct
80.0Bparameters
3.0B
Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512)
80.0B
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) accepts 131,100 input tokens compared to Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct's 65,536 tokens. Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) can generate longer responses up to 131,100 tokens, while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct is limited to 65,536 tokens.

Mistral AI
Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512)
Input131,100 tokens
Output131,100 tokens
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct
Input65,536 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Tue Jul 28 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) supports multimodal inputs, whereas Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct does not.

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512)

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Both models are licensed under Apache 2.0.

Both models share the same licensing terms, providing consistent usage rights.

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512)

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) was released on 2025-12-04, while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct was released on 2025-09-10.

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) is 3 months newer than Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct.

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512)

Dec 4, 2025

7 months ago

2mo newer
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct

Sep 10, 2025

10 months ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Provider Availability

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) is available from Mistral AI. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct is available from Novita.

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512)

mistral logo
Mistral
Input Price:Input: $0.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.10/1M

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct

novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.50/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Mistral AI
Larger context window (131,100 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Higher AIME 2025 score (72.1% vs 69.5%)
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Higher GPQA score (72.9% vs 53.4%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512)
✓ Preferred
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Mistral AI
Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512)
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct

FAQ

Common questions about Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) vs Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct.

Which is better, Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) or Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) is made by Mistral AI and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct is made by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) compare to Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct in benchmarks?

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) scores AIME 2024: 77.5%, AIME 2025: 72.1%, LiveCodeBench: 54.8%, GPQA: 53.4%. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct scores MMLU-Redux: 90.9%, MultiPL-E: 87.8%, IFEval: 87.6%, WritingBench: 87.3%, Creative Writing v3: 85.3%.

Is Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) cheaper than Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct?

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) is 1.5x cheaper for input tokens. Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) costs $0.10/M input and $0.10/M output via mistral. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct costs $0.15/M input and $1.50/M output via novita.

What are the context window sizes for Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct?

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) supports 131K tokens and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct supports 66K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct?

Key differences include context window (131K vs 66K), input pricing ($0.10 vs $0.15/M), multimodal support (yes vs no). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct?

Min istral 3 (3B Reasoning 2512) is developed by Mistral AI and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct is developed by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team.

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