DeepSeek R1 vs Ministral 3 3B
Detailed pricing comparison and cost analysis.
Updated September 2026
Cost Simulator
| Feature | DeepSeek R1 | Ministral 3 3B |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | DeepSeek | Mistral |
| Input Price (1M) | $0.28 | $0.10 |
| Output Price (1M) | $0.42 | $0.10 |
| Context Window | 64,000 | 262,000 |
Verdict
DeepSeek R1 costs $0.28 per 1M input tokens and $0.42 per 1M output tokens. Ministral 3 3B costs $0.10 per 1M input tokens and $0.10 per 1M output tokens. Ministral 3 3B is 64% cheaper on input tokens than DeepSeek R1. For output tokens, Ministral 3 3B is the more affordable option at $0.10/1M vs $0.42.
On context window, Ministral 3 3B supports 262,000 tokens — meaning it can fit more conversation history, documents, or code in a single request. This matters for RAG pipelines, long document analysis, and agentic workflows where context builds up over many turns.
When to choose DeepSeek R1
- ✓ You are already integrated with DeepSeek
When to choose Ministral 3 3B
- ✓ You need the lowest input token cost ($ 0.10/1M)
- ✓ Your workload is output-heavy — Ministral 3 3B generates text cheaper
- ✓ You need a larger context window (262,000 tokens)
- ✓ You are already integrated with Mistral
Use the calculator above to simulate your specific workload and find the exact break-even point. For most applications, the cheapest model is the one that minimises your total monthly bill given your input-to-output token ratio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DeepSeek R1 cheaper than Ministral 3 3B? ▼
Ministral 3 3B is cheaper on input tokens at $0.10/1M vs $0.28/1M for DeepSeek R1 — a 64% saving.
What is the context window of DeepSeek R1 vs Ministral 3 3B? ▼
DeepSeek R1 has a 64,000-token context window. Ministral 3 3B has a 262,000-token context window. Ministral 3 3B supports the larger context, suitable for longer documents and agentic workflows.
Which model is better: DeepSeek R1 or Ministral 3 3B? ▼
The best choice depends on your use case. For cost efficiency on input tokens, Ministral 3 3B is the cheaper option. For maximum context length, Ministral 3 3B supports 262,000 tokens. Use the comparison table above to find the right fit for your workload.