OpenAI GPT-4.5 vs Mistral AI Mistral Small 3

Name: OpenAI GPT-4.5
Brand: OpenAI
SKU: gpt-4-5

Looking for an honest OpenAI GPT-4.5 vs Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 comparison in 2026? We scored both ai language models on the same six-dimension framework — performance, battery, display, camera, design and value — using identical methodology, so the numbers below are directly comparable. In our overall scoring the Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 comes out ahead 51/100 to 54/100 — a 3-point gap. The widest gap is in design and build, where the OpenAI GPT-4.5 pulls noticeably ahead.

OpenAI

GPT-4.5

Prices may vary · We may earn a commission on purchases. Learn more

AI Matrix

Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 narrowly beats the OpenAI GPT-4.5 in the ai language models category, especially in value, scoring 54 vs 51. If you want the better overall ai language models, Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 is the recommended choice.

Reviewed by VersusMatrix Editorial Team|Our methodology

3 Reasons Why Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 Is Better

1.Better display rating: 64 vs 11
2.Better value score: 99 vs 0
3.Higher overall score: 54 vs 51

Score Breakdown

OpenAI GPT-4.5Mistral AI Mistral Small 3

Benchmark (MMLU)30% weight

OpenAI GPT-4.5 Winner

Cost Efficiency20% weight

Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 Winner

Arena ELO20% weight

OpenAI GPT-4.5 Winner

Context Window10% weight

OpenAI GPT-4.5 Winner

Speed (tok/s)10% weight

Mistral AI Mistral Small 3 Winner

Coding (HumanEval)10% weight

OpenAI GPT-4.5 Winner

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.

OpenAI GPT-4.5

✓ Pros

●Higher performance score
●Better battery score
●Better camera score

✗ Cons

●Higher price relative to value
●Lower display score

Mistral AI Mistral Small 3

Winner

✓ Pros

●Better display score
●Better value for money

✗ Cons

●Weaker battery score
●Lower camera score
●Lower performance score

💰 Token Pricing (per 1M tokens)

Lower cost = better value. Free = open-source self-hosted.

Metric	OpenAI GPT-4.5	Small 3
Input (Prompt)	$75.00/1M	✓$0.10/1M
Output (Completion)	$150.00/1M	✓$0.30/1M
Open Source	Proprietary	✓ Free

⚡ Context Window & Speed

Context Window (tokens)

OpenAI GPT-4.5128K

Small 332K

Metric	OpenAI GPT-4.5	Small 3
Max Output	✓16,384 tok	4,096 tok
Speed	50 tok/s	✓200 tok/s
Time to First Token	900ms	✓250ms
Languages	✓50+	12+

📊 Benchmark Scores

Higher is better. Industry-standard AI evaluation benchmarks.

OpenAI GPT-4.5

Small 3

MMLU (Knowledge)

90.0|81.0

OpenAI GPT-4.5

Small 3

HumanEval (Coding)

88.0|83.0

OpenAI GPT-4.5

Small 3

MATH (Mathematics)

78.0|62.0

OpenAI GPT-4.5

Small 3

GPQA (Expert Q&A)

72.0|40.0

OpenAI GPT-4.5

Small 3

Chatbot Arena ELO

1370.0|1196.0

OpenAI GPT-4.5

Small 3

🔧 Capabilities

Feature	OpenAI GPT-4.5	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	✕	✓

ℹ️ Model Details

Field	OpenAI GPT-4.5	Small 3
Provider	OpenAI	Mistral AI
Parameters	—	24B
Knowledge Cutoff	2024-09	2024-01
License	Commercial	Apache 2.0
Best For	creative writingemotional intelligenceconversationnuanced tasks	cost efficiencyopen sourceself hostinghigh volume

Who Should Buy

Buy OpenAI GPT-4.5 if…

The OpenAI GPT-4.5 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.