Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 edges out the Anthropic Claude 3 Opus in the ai language models category, particularly in price, scoring 5.4/10 vs 4.4/10. If you want the better overall performer, Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 is the clear pick.
Scores are relative within the ai language modelscategory. Percentages show each dimension's weight in the overall score. A difference of less than 0.5 points is considered a tie.
✓ Pros
✗ Cons
✓ Pros
✗ Cons
Lower cost = better value. Free = open-source self-hosted.
| Metric | 3 Opus | Small 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Input (Prompt) | $15.00/1M | ✓$0.10/1M |
| Output (Completion) | $75.00/1M | ✓$0.30/1M |
| Open Source | Proprietary | ✓ Free |
Context Window (tokens)
| Metric | 3 Opus | Small 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Max Output | 4,096 tok | 4,096 tok |
| Speed | 35 tok/s | ✓200 tok/s |
| Time to First Token | 1.2s | ✓250ms |
| Languages | ✓50+ | 12+ |
Higher is better. Industry-standard AI evaluation benchmarks.
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| Feature | 3 Opus | Small 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Reasoning / Chain-of-Thought | ✕ | ✕ |
| Vision (Image Input) | ✓ | ✕ |
| Audio Input | ✕ | ✕ |
| Video Input | ✕ | ✕ |
| Image/Audio Output | ✕ | ✕ |
| Function Calling / Tools | ✓ | ✓ |
| JSON Mode | ✓ | ✓ |
| Real-time Web Access | ✕ | ✕ |
| Fine-tuning Support | ✕ | ✓ |
| Batch API | ✓ | ✓ |
| Streaming | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open Source | ✕ | ✓ |
| Field | 3 Opus | Small 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | Mistral AI |
| Parameters | — | 24B |
| Knowledge Cutoff | 2023-08 | 2024-01 |
| License | Commercial | Apache 2.0 |
| Best For | complex analysisresearchlong context | cost efficiencyopen sourceself hostinghigh volume |
Buy Anthropic Claude 3 Opus if…
The Anthropic Claude 3 Opus is worth considering if you prefer its specific design, ecosystem, or brand — though it scores lower overall in our comparison.
Buy Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 if…
Buy the Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 if you want the best overall value in this comparison. It scores higher overall and is the recommended choice for most buyers.
Who do you think wins this matchup?
Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 edges out the Anthropic Claude 3 Opus in the ai language models category, particularly in price, scoring 5.4/10 vs 4.4/10. If you want the better overall performer, Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 is the clear pick.
No, Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 scores higher (7.9 vs 8.8).
Check the latest prices using the buy links above.
The Anthropic Claude 3 Opus is worth considering if you prefer its specific design, ecosystem, or brand — though it scores lower overall in our comparison.
Buy the Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 if you want the best overall value in this comparison. It scores higher overall and is the recommended choice for most buyers.