GPT-4o mini vs Mistral Large 2
A complete head-to-head: pricing, context window, benchmarks, modality coverage, and openness, with a programmatic verdict synthesized from the underlying data.
Updated
GPT-4o mini specs · Mistral Large 2 specs- PriceGPT-4o mini
GPT-4o mini is roughly 10.0× cheaper on output tokens ($0.60 vs $6.00 per 1M).
- Context windowTie
Both ship a 128K-token context window.
- BenchmarksMistral Large 2
Mistral Large 2 leads in 1 of 1 shared benchmarks; the biggest gap is on MMLU (broad academic knowledge), where it scores 84.0 vs 82.0.
- ModalitiesGPT-4o mini
GPT-4o mini supports 2 modalities (text, vision) vs 1 for Mistral Large 2.
- OpennessMistral Large 2
Mistral Large 2 ships open weights (Mistral Research License); GPT-4o mini is API-only.
It's a genuine coin-flip between GPT-4o mini and Mistral Large 2: 2 category wins each, with the rest tied. GPT-4o mini is roughly 10.0× cheaper on output tokens ($0.60 vs $6.00 per 1M). Both ship a 128K-token context window.
Mistral Large 2 leads in 1 of 1 shared benchmarks; the biggest gap is on MMLU (broad academic knowledge), where it scores 84.0 vs 82.0. They differ in modality coverage, GPT-4o mini handles text, vision while Mistral Large 2 handles text, which can be the deciding factor before you even look at benchmarks. Mistral Large 2 ships open weights (Mistral Research License); GPT-4o mini is API-only.
Both shipped within roughly a month of each other in 2024, so they share the same generation of training data and tooling. GPT-4o mini is usually picked for customer support and summarization workloads, while Mistral Large 2 sees more deployments in coding llm and multilingual. If pricing matters more than every last benchmark point, run the numbers in the calculator below before committing.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | GPT-4o mini | Mistral Large 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | Mistral |
| Released | Jul 2024 | Jul 2024 |
| Modalities | text, vision | text |
| Context window | 128K tokens | 128K tokens |
| Max output | , | , |
| Input · 1M | $0.15 / 1M tokens | $2.00 / 1M tokens |
| Output · 1M | $0.60 / 1M tokens | $6.00 / 1M tokens |
| Knowledge cutoff | , | 2024-04 |
| Open weights | No | Yes (Mistral Research License) |
| API available | Yes | Yes |
Pricing at scale
What you'd actually pay at typical workloads. Numbers come from each model's published per-million-token rates.
- Light usage, 100k in / 50k out per day$1.35 vs $15.00
- Heavy usage, 1M in / 500k out per day$13.50 vs $150
- RAG workload, 5M in / 200k out per day$26.10 vs $336
Light usage, 100k in / 50k out per day: $1.35 vs $15.00 per month, model A comes out ahead. Heavy usage, 1M in / 500k out per day: $13.50 vs $150 per month, model A comes out ahead. RAG workload, 5M in / 200k out per day: $26.10 vs $336 per month, model A comes out ahead.
Estimated spend for the listed models at your usage. Numbers are derived from each model's published per-million-token rates.
- GPT-4o mini$0.045
- Mistral Large 2$0.500
Benchmarks compared
Only sourced numbers. Where a benchmark is missing for one model we show the available value rather than fabricating the other.
- MMLU82.084.0
- HumanEval,92.0
GPT-4o mini fits when…
- Cheap
- Fast
- Mature
- Cost-sensitive workloads, 10.0× cheaper than Mistral Large 2 on output tokens.
- Multimodal needs covering vision.
Mistral Large 2 fits when…
- Strong code and math
- EU data residency
- Multilingual
- Self-hosting and on-prem requirements, open weights (Mistral Research License).
Consider GPT-5.5
OpenAI's mid-cycle GPT-5 refresh, improved reasoning, tool use, and multimodal grounding over the 2025 launch.
Frequently asked
Is GPT-4o mini or Mistral Large 2 cheaper?
GPT-4o mini is cheaper at $0.60 / 1M tokens per million output tokens, vs $6.00 / 1M tokens for Mistral Large 2.Which has the larger context window?
Both GPT-4o mini and Mistral Large 2 ship a 128K-token context window.Is GPT-4o mini or Mistral Large 2 better for coding?
Both GPT-4o mini and Mistral Large 2 are competitive on coding benchmarks. See each model's individual spec page for HumanEval and SWE-bench scores where published. For an opinionated pick, consult our Best LLM for Coding ranking.Are either of these models open source?
Mistral Large 2 ships open weights (Mistral Research License). GPT-4o mini is API-only.When were GPT-4o mini and Mistral Large 2 released?
GPT-4o mini was released by OpenAI on 2024-07-18. Mistral Large 2 was released by Mistral on 2024-07-24.
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