OpenAI o3-mini edges out the Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 in the ai language models category, particularly in design, scoring 6.6/10 vs 5.4/10. If you want the better overall performer, OpenAI o3-mini 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 | Small 3 | OpenAI o3-mini |
|---|---|---|
| Input (Prompt) | ✓$0.10/1M | $1.10/1M |
| Output (Completion) | ✓$0.30/1M | $4.40/1M |
| Open Source | ✓ Free | Proprietary |
Context Window (tokens)
| Metric | Small 3 | OpenAI o3-mini |
|---|---|---|
| Max Output | 4,096 tok | ✓100,000 tok |
| Speed | ✓200 tok/s | 80 tok/s |
| Time to First Token | ✓250ms | 2.0s |
| Languages | 12+ | ✓50+ |
Higher is better. Industry-standard AI evaluation benchmarks.
Small 3
OpenAI o3-mini
Small 3
OpenAI o3-mini
Small 3
OpenAI o3-mini
Small 3
OpenAI o3-mini
Small 3
OpenAI o3-mini
| Feature | Small 3 | OpenAI o3-mini |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Small 3 | OpenAI o3-mini |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Mistral AI | OpenAI |
| Parameters | 24B | — |
| Knowledge Cutoff | 2024-01 | 2023-10 |
| License | Apache 2.0 | Commercial |
| Best For | cost efficiencyopen sourceself hostinghigh volume | reasoningcodingmathcost efficiency |
Buy Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 if…
The Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 is worth considering if you prefer its specific design, ecosystem, or brand — though it scores lower overall in our comparison.
Buy OpenAI o3-mini if…
Buy the OpenAI o3-mini if you want the best performance in this comparison. It scores higher overall and is the recommended choice for most buyers.
OpenAI o3-mini edges out the Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 in the ai language models category, particularly in design, scoring 6.6/10 vs 5.4/10. If you want the better overall performer, OpenAI o3-mini is the clear pick.
No, OpenAI o3-mini scores higher (8.9 vs 7.9).
Check the latest prices using the buy links above.
The Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 is worth considering if you prefer its specific design, ecosystem, or brand — though it scores lower overall in our comparison.
Buy the OpenAI o3-mini if you want the best performance in this comparison. It scores higher overall and is the recommended choice for most buyers.