The cheapest viable option for simple NLP tasks, but don't expect small-flagship performance.
42
Coding
48
Writing
38
Research
0
Images
94
Value
60
Long Context
Use this when
High-volume, low-latency tasks where cost and speed matter more than frontier-level reasoning.
Strengths
Exceptionally low cost at $0.10/1M tokens for both input and output — among the cheapest available
128K context window is generous for a 3B model, enabling document summarization on a budget
Fast inference suitable for edge or real-time applications
Solid instruction-following for its size class, outperforming older small models like GPT-3.5-level tasks
Weaknesses
3B parameters means significantly weaker reasoning, math, and complex multi-step tasks compared to 7B+ models
Monthly cost estimate
See what Mistral: Ministral 3 3B 2512 actually costs at your usage level
Input tokens / month1M
10k50M
Output tokens / month500k
10k25M
Input cost
$0.100
Output cost
$0.050
Total / month
$0.150
Based on Mistral: Ministral 3 3B 2512 API pricing: $0.09999999999999999/1M input · $0.09999999999999999/1M output. Real costs vary by provider discounts and caching. Check the provider for exact current rates.
Price History
Mistral: Ministral 3 3B 2512 pricing over time
→0% since May 9
4 data points · tracked daily since May 9, 2026
Ready to try it?
Start using Mistral: Ministral 3 3B 2512
High-volume, low-latency tasks where cost and speed matter more than frontier-level reasoning.. Start free — no card required.
Recommendations are made independently based on real-world use and public benchmarks. See our disclosures for details.
Compare alternatives
Similar models worth checking before you commit.
MistralBudget
Mistral: Ministral 3 14B 2512
Ministral 3B is Mistral's compact edge-optimized model designed for high-throughput, low-latency tasks at an extremely competitive price point. Despite its small size, it supports a 262K context window, making it unusually capable for a sub-$0.20/1M token model.
Verdict
An ultra-cheap, fast model with a surprisingly large context window, but quality limitations make it a pipeline tool rather than a general assistant.
Quality score
48%
Pricing
$0.20/1M in
$0.20/1M out
Speed
Change history
Pricing moves, ranking shifts, and capability updates.
New ModelMar 27, 2026
Mistral: Ministral 3 3B 2512 — added to UseRightAI
Mistral: Ministral 3 3B 2512 (Mistral) is now indexed. The cheapest viable option for simple NLP tasks, but don't expect small-flagship performance.
Mistral: Ministral 3 3B 2512 is best for high-volume, low-latency tasks where cost and speed matter more than frontier-level reasoning.. It is a strong fit when that workflow matters more than the tradeoffs around budget pricing and very fast speed.
When should I avoid Mistral: Ministral 3 3B 2512?
You need reliable multi-step reasoning, complex code generation, or high-quality long-form writing — even budget alternatives like GPT-4o Mini will outperform it significantly.
What is a cheaper alternative to Mistral: Ministral 3 3B 2512?
Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is the lower-cost option to compare first when you want a similar workflow fit with less token spend.
What is a faster alternative to Mistral: Ministral 3 3B 2512?
Mistral: Ministral 3 14B 2512 is the better pick when response time matters more than maximum depth or premium quality.
Newsletter
Get notified when Mistral: Ministral 3 3B 2512 pricing changes
We track pricing daily. When this model drops or spikes, you'll know first.
No spam. Useful updates only. Affiliate disclosures always clearly labeled.
Skip this if
You need reliable multi-step reasoning, complex code generation, or high-quality long-form writing — even budget alternatives like GPT-4o Mini will outperform it significantly.
Not competitive with GPT-4o Mini or Claude Haiku 3.5 on nuanced writing or coding tasks
No multimodal support — text only
Very fast
Best for high-volume, cost-sensitive workflows like document triage, classification, summarization, and lightweight coding assistance where budget is the primary constraint.
Context
262k tokens
Model name suggests a December 2025 revision ('2512'). Pricing is symmetric at $0.20/1M for both input and output, which simplifies cost modeling. Confirm availability on your target API platform as Mistral model availability varies by provider.
budgetedgesmall modellong contexthigh throughput
Best for
High-volume, cost-sensitive workflows like document triage, classification, summarization, and lightweight coding assistance where budget is the primary constraint.
Ministral 3B is Mistral's ultra-compact edge model designed for low-latency, cost-sensitive deployments. It punches above its weight for a sub-4B parameter model, handling instruction following, summarization, and lightweight reasoning at near-negligible cost.
Verdict
The go-to model for bulk processing tasks where cost and speed trump quality.
Quality score
50%
Pricing
$0.15/1M in
$0.15/1M out
Speed
Very fast
Best for high-volume, latency-sensitive applications where cost per token matters more than top-tier quality.
Context
262k tokens
The '8B 2512' in the model name likely refers to a specific versioned release; despite the naming, this is based on Mistral's 3B architecture. Confirm parameter count and capabilities with Mistral's official documentation before production use.
budgetedgefastlong-contextcompact
Best for
High-volume, latency-sensitive applications where cost per token matters more than top-tier quality.
Mistral Large 3 2512 is Mistral's flagship dense model updated in December 2025, offering strong multilingual reasoning and coding capabilities at a significantly reduced price point compared to its predecessor. It targets enterprise workloads that need high-quality outputs without paying top-tier frontier model prices.
Verdict
The best price-per-quality ratio in the non-mini flagship tier, especially for multilingual and long-context enterprise tasks.
Quality score
69%
Pricing
$2.00/1M in
$6.00/1M out
Speed
Balanced
Best for multilingual enterprise tasks, code generation, and long-document analysis where cost efficiency matters more than absolute state-of-the-art performance.
Context
262k tokens
Pricing of $0.50 input / $1.50 output per 1M tokens places it firmly in the budget-flagship category. Available via Mistral API (La Plateforme) and major cloud providers. December 2025 update ('2512') improves instruction following over the earlier 2407 release.
Multilingual enterprise tasks, code generation, and long-document analysis where cost efficiency matters more than absolute state-of-the-art performance.
