Model Comparison
Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base vs Nova LiteWhich is better in 2026?
Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. Nova Lite is 1.4x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base vs Nova Lite — which is better?
Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base (by Mistral AI) and Nova Lite (by Amazon) 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.
Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base outperforms in 2 benchmarks (MMLU, MMMU), while Nova Lite is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA). Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, Nova Lite is roughly 1.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Nova Lite also accepts a larger context window (300,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 3 shared benchmarks
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Mar 2025
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Nova Lite if…
- cost matters — it's about 1.4x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 300,000 token context window
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base outperforms in 2 benchmarks (MMLU, MMMU), while Nova Lite is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).
Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base ($0.10/1M tokens) is 1.7x more expensive than Nova Lite ($0.06/1M tokens).
For output processing, Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base ($0.30/1M tokens) is 1.3x more expensive than Nova Lite ($0.24/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base is more expensive than Nova Lite.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Nova Lite accepts 300,000 input tokens compared to Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base's 128,000 tokens. Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Nova Lite is limited to 2,048 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base and Nova Lite support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base
Nova Lite
License
Usage and distribution terms
Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base is licensed under Apache 2.0, while Nova Lite uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base was released on 2025-03-17, while Nova Lite was released on 2024-11-20.
Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base is 4 months newer than Nova Lite.
Mar 17, 2025
1.2 years ago
3mo newerNov 20, 2024
1.5 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
Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base is available from Mistral AI. Nova Lite is available from Bedrock.
Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base
Nova Lite
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base
View detailsMistral AI
Nova Lite
View detailsAmazon
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base vs Nova Lite.