MiniMax vs 
Mistral AI
Verdict
- MiniMax's flagship leads: MiniMax M3 at 56.0 vs Mistral Medium 3.5 at 49.0.
- MiniMax has the better model in 3 of 4 price bands.
- Mistral AI's fastest ranked model (Ministral 3 3B, 202 tok/s) beats MiniMax's (MiniMax M3, 97 tok/s).
- Mistral AI publishes more open-weights models (38 vs 7).
- Mistral AI ships more often: one model every 46 days against every 108.
Best model per price band
Each provider’s highest-index model below the price ceiling. Purple marks the winner of the band.
| Price band | MiniMax | Mistral AI |
|---|---|---|
| Under $0.50/M | – | Mistral Small 4 44.8$0.262/M |
| Under $2/M | MiniMax M3 56.0$0.525/M | Mistral Large 3 45.0$0.750/M |
| Under $10/M | MiniMax M3 56.0$0.525/M | Mistral Medium 3.5 49.0$3.00/M |
| Any price | MiniMax M3 56.0$0.525/M | Mistral Medium 3.5 49.0$3.00/M |
Line-up
| Metric | MiniMax | Mistral AI |
|---|---|---|
| Flagship index | 56.0 | 49.0 |
| Ranked models | 4 | 24 |
| Open-weights models | 7 | 38 |
| Cheapest ranked, $/M | $0.525 | $0.100 |
| Fastest ranked, tok/s | 97 | 202 |
| Release cadence, days | 108 | 46 |
| Last release | 1 Jun 2026 | 13 Jun 2026 |
| Next expected | 4 Aug 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 | 10 Jul 2026 – 16 Aug 2026 |
Data as of 13 Sept 2026. See MiniMax and Mistral AI in full.