DeepSeek vs 
Mistral AI
Verdict
- DeepSeek's flagship leads: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 at 64.0 vs Mistral Large 4 at 56.7.
- DeepSeek has the better model in 4 of 4 price bands.
- Mistral AI's fastest ranked model (Ministral 3 3B, 207 tok/s) beats DeepSeek's (DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017, 195 tok/s).
- Mistral AI publishes more open-weights models (32 vs 24).
- Mistral AI ships more often: one model every 28 days against every 37.
Best model per price band
Each provider’s highest-index model below the price ceiling. Purple marks the winner of the band.
| Price band | DeepSeek | Mistral AI |
|---|---|---|
| Under $0.50/M | DeepSeek V4 Flash max 59.4$0.175/M | Mistral Small 4 thinking 45.6$0.262/M |
| Under $2/M | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 max 64.0$0.525/M | Mistral Medium 3.1 46.1$0.800/M |
| Under $10/M | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 max 64.0$0.525/M | Mistral Large 4 56.7$2.06/M |
| Any price | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 max 64.0$0.525/M | Mistral Large 4 56.7$2.06/M |
Line-up
| Metric | DeepSeek | Mistral AI |
|---|---|---|
| Flagship index | 64.0 | 56.7 |
| Ranked models | 22 | 31 |
| Open-weights models | 24 | 32 |
| Cheapest ranked, $/M | $0.068 | $0.058 |
| Fastest ranked, tok/s | 195 | 207 |
| Release cadence, days | 37 | 28 |
| Last release | 17 Oct 2026 | 6 Oct 2026 |
| Next expected | 8 Nov 2026 – 7 Dec 2026 | 22 Oct 2026 – 14 Nov 2026 |
Data as of 25 Oct 2026. See DeepSeek and Mistral AI in full.