Model comparison
Mistral Small 4 vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
- Input
- $0.15 / 1M tokens
- Output
- $0.60 / 1M tokens
- Context
- 256K
- Released
- 2026-03-16
- Input
- $0.25
- Output
- $1.50
- Context
- 1M
- Released
- 2026-03-03
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite scores higher on 2 of the 2 benchmarks both models report; Mistral Small 4 is cheaper on input tokens ($0.2 vs $0.3 per 1M, 1.7×); Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite has the larger context window (1M vs 256K); Mistral Small 4 ships open weights while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is API-only.
Specs and pricing side by side
| Spec | Mistral Small 4 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Mistral AI | |
| Released | 2026-03-16 | 2026-03-03 |
| Context window | 256K | 1M |
| Max output | not published | 64K |
| Input price | $0.15 / 1M tokens | $0.25 |
| Output price | $0.60 / 1M tokens | $1.50 |
| Parameters | 119B total / 6.5B active (MoE) | Undisclosed |
| License | Apache 2.0 | Proprietary |
| Weights | Open weights | API only |
| Modalities | Text, Vision | Text, Vision, Audio, Video |
| Knowledge cutoff | Not disclosed | Jan 2025 |
Benchmarks both models report
| Benchmark | Mistral Small 4 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite |
|---|---|---|
| GPQA Diamond | 71.2% | 86.9% |
| LiveCodeBench | 64% | 72% |
Scores are as published by each maker or its cited source; harness, reasoning effort and date can differ between rows, so treat small gaps as ties. Sources are listed on each model page.
Which one should you pick?
Pick Mistral Small 4 if…
- Cost matters: input tokens cost 1.7× less ($0.2 vs $0.3 per 1M).
- You want to self-host or fine-tune (open weights, Apache 2.0).
- Your use case is: self-hosted assistants and agents where an open, commercially-usable license matters.
Pick Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite if…
- You care about GPQA Diamond, LiveCodeBench (it scores higher on 2 shared benchmarks).
- You need the longer context (1M vs 256K).
- You need Audio / Video input, which Mistral Small 4 lacks.
- Your use case is: reach for it for high-volume, cost-sensitive workloads like translation, classification, and tagging.
FAQ
Which is better, Mistral Small 4 or Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite?
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite scores higher on 2 of the 2 benchmarks both models report; Mistral Small 4 is cheaper on input tokens ($0.2 vs $0.3 per 1M, 1.7×); Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite has the larger context window (1M vs 256K); Mistral Small 4 ships open weights while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is API-only. The better pick depends on whether you value benchmark scores, price per token, context length or openness for your workload.
How much cheaper is Mistral Small 4?
Mistral Small 4: $0.15 / 1M tokens input, $0.60 / 1M tokens output. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite: $0.25 input, $1.50 output (list API prices as published by each maker).
What are the context windows of Mistral Small 4 and Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite?
Mistral Small 4 offers 256K; Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite offers 1M with up to 64K output.
Is Mistral Small 4 newer than Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite?
Mistral Small 4 was released 2026-03-16; Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite was released 2026-03-03.
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