Model Comparison

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base vs Nova MicroWhich is better in 2026?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Nova Micro is 2.6x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base vs Nova Micro — which is better?

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base (by Mistral AI) and Nova Micro (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 1 benchmarks (MMLU), while Nova Micro is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA). Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

On price, Nova Micro is roughly 2.6x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Choose Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Mar 2025
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose Nova Micro if…

  • cost matters — it's about 2.6x cheaper per token

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MMLU), while Nova Micro is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Nova Micro costs less

For input processing, Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base ($0.10/1M tokens) is 3.3x more expensive than Nova Micro ($0.03/1M tokens).

For output processing, Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base ($0.30/1M tokens) is 2.1x more expensive than Nova Micro ($0.14/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base is more expensive than Nova Micro.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com
Mistral AI
Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base
Input tokens$0.10
Output tokens$0.30
Best providerMistral
Amazon
Nova Micro
Input tokens$0.03
Output tokens$0.14
Best providerAWS Bedrock
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Both models have the same input context window of 128,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 128,000 tokens.

Mistral AI
Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base
Input128,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Amazon
Nova Micro
Input128,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base supports multimodal inputs, whereas Nova Micro does not.

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Nova Micro

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base is licensed under Apache 2.0, while Nova Micro uses a proprietary license.

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

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Nova Micro

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base was released on 2025-03-17, while Nova Micro was released on 2024-11-20.

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base is 4 months newer than Nova Micro.

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base

Mar 17, 2025

1.3 years ago

3mo newer
Nova Micro

Nov 20, 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.

No cutoff dates available

Provider Availability

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base is available from Mistral AI. Nova Micro is available from Bedrock.

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base

mistral logo
Mistral
Input Price:Input: $0.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.30/1M

Nova Micro

bedrock logo
AWS Bedrock
Input Price:Input: $0.03/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.14/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Mistral AI
Supports multimodal inputs
Has open weights
Higher MMLU score (81.0% vs 77.6%)
Amazon
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Higher GPQA score (40.0% vs 37.5%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base and Nova Micro side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base
✓ Preferred
Nova Micro
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Mistral AI
Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base
Amazon
Nova Micro

FAQ

Common questions about Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base vs Nova Micro.

Which is better, Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base or Nova Micro?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base is made by Mistral AI and Nova Micro is made by Amazon. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base compare to Nova Micro in benchmarks?

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base scores MMLU: 81.0%, TriviaQA: 80.5%, MMMU: 59.3%, MMLU-Pro: 56.0%, GPQA: 37.5%. Nova Micro scores GSM8k: 92.3%, ARC-C: 90.2%, Translation Set1→en COMET22: 88.7%, Translation en→Set1 COMET22: 88.5%, IFEval: 87.2%.

Is Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base cheaper than Nova Micro?

Nova Micro is 3.3x cheaper for input tokens. Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base costs $0.10/M input and $0.30/M output via mistral. Nova Micro costs $0.03/M input and $0.14/M output via bedrock.

What are the context window sizes for Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base and Nova Micro?

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base supports 128K tokens and Nova Micro 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 Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base and Nova Micro?

Key differences include input pricing ($0.10 vs $0.03/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Apache 2.0 vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base and Nova Micro?

Mistral Small 3.1 24B Base is developed by Mistral AI and Nova Micro is developed by Amazon.

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