Mistral Small 3 vs DeepSeek R1
Detailed pricing comparison and cost analysis.
Updated September 2026
Cost Simulator
| Feature | Mistral Small 3 | DeepSeek R1 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Mistral | DeepSeek |
| Input Price (1M) | $0.03 | $0.28 |
| Output Price (1M) | $0.11 | $0.42 |
| Context Window | 33,000 | 64,000 |
Verdict
Mistral Small 3 costs $0.03 per 1M input tokens and $0.11 per 1M output tokens. DeepSeek R1 costs $0.28 per 1M input tokens and $0.42 per 1M output tokens. Mistral Small 3 is 89% cheaper on input tokens than DeepSeek R1. For output tokens, Mistral Small 3 is the more affordable option at $0.11/1M vs $0.42.
On context window, DeepSeek R1 supports 64,000 tokens — meaning it can fit more conversation history, documents, or code in a single request. This matters for RAG pipelines, long document analysis, and agentic workflows where context builds up over many turns.
When to choose Mistral Small 3
- ✓ You need the lowest input token cost ($ 0.03/1M)
- ✓ Your workload is output-heavy — Mistral Small 3 generates text cheaper
- ✓ You are already integrated with Mistral
When to choose DeepSeek R1
- ✓ You need a larger context window (64,000 tokens)
- ✓ You are already integrated with DeepSeek
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 Mistral Small 3 cheaper than DeepSeek R1? ▼
Mistral Small 3 is cheaper on input tokens at $0.03/1M vs $0.28/1M for DeepSeek R1 — a 89% saving.
What is the context window of Mistral Small 3 vs DeepSeek R1? ▼
Mistral Small 3 has a 33,000-token context window. DeepSeek R1 has a 64,000-token context window. DeepSeek R1 supports the larger context, suitable for longer documents and agentic workflows.
Which model is better: Mistral Small 3 or DeepSeek R1? ▼
The best choice depends on your use case. For cost efficiency on input tokens, Mistral Small 3 is the cheaper option. For maximum context length, DeepSeek R1 supports 64,000 tokens. Use the comparison table above to find the right fit for your workload.