A highly efficient and affordable model, ideal for high-throughput, non-reasoning tasks.
Mistral Small (Feb '24) emerges as a compelling option for developers prioritizing speed and cost-efficiency over complex reasoning capabilities. Positioned as a non-reasoning model, it excels in high-throughput scenarios where rapid text generation and processing are paramount. Its performance metrics, particularly in output speed and pricing, set it apart in its class, making it a strategic choice for a wide array of practical applications.
Despite its designation as 'Small,' this model boasts a substantial 33,000-token context window, allowing it to handle moderately long inputs and generate coherent, extended outputs without losing track of the conversation or document. This generous context, combined with its low operational cost, unlocks new possibilities for applications that require processing larger chunks of text efficiently, such as document summarization, content rephrasing, or generating initial drafts.
However, it's crucial to align expectations with its core design. Mistral Small (Feb '24) scores 8 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, placing it at the lower end among comparable models, which average around 30. This indicates it is not engineered for tasks demanding deep logical inference, creative problem-solving, or nuanced understanding. Instead, its strength lies in its ability to quickly and affordably execute well-defined, less cognitively intensive language tasks.
The model's pricing structure is exceptionally competitive. With an input token price of $1.00 per 1M tokens (compared to an average of $2.00) and an output token price of $3.00 per 1M tokens (significantly below the $10.00 average), Mistral Small (Feb '24) offers remarkable value. This aggressive pricing, coupled with its impressive speed of 136 tokens per second, positions it as a frontrunner for budget-conscious projects and applications requiring rapid, scalable text processing.
8 (52 / 54 / 54)
136 tokens/s
$1.00 per 1M tokens
$3.00 per 1M tokens
N/A
0.29 seconds
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Model Name | Mistral Small (Feb) |
| Owner | Mistral |
| License | Proprietary |
| Context Window | 33,000 tokens |
| Median Output Speed | 139 tokens/s |
| Latency (TTFT) | 0.29 seconds |
| Input Token Price | $1.00 / 1M tokens |
| Output Token Price | $3.00 / 1M tokens |
| Blended Price (3:1) | $1.50 / 1M tokens |
| Intelligence Index | 8 (out of 100) |
| Model Type | Non-reasoning, high-throughput |
| Release Date | February 2024 |
For Mistral Small (Feb '24), the choice of API provider is straightforward as it is a proprietary model offered directly by Mistral. Utilizing the first-party API ensures optimal performance, direct access to the latest updates, and the most competitive pricing.
While third-party aggregators might eventually offer access, going direct to Mistral is almost always the recommended path for their foundational models.
| Priority | Pick | Why | Tradeoff to accept |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Mistral | Direct access to the model, optimized performance, and official support. | No significant tradeoffs for a first-party model. |
| Cost-Efficiency | Mistral | Guaranteed best pricing directly from the source, no intermediary markups. | None. |
| Performance | Mistral | Lowest latency and highest throughput due to direct API integration and optimization. | None. |
| Reliability & Stability | Mistral | Direct access ensures the most stable and reliable service, backed by the model's developer. | None. |
For proprietary models like Mistral Small (Feb), the model owner is typically the sole and best provider, offering direct access and optimal conditions.
Understanding the real-world cost implications of Mistral Small (Feb '24) requires looking beyond raw token prices. Its high speed and low cost per token make it incredibly efficient for specific use cases. Below are some estimated costs for common scenarios, demonstrating its affordability for high-volume tasks.
These estimates are based on the model's input price of $1.00/1M tokens and output price of $3.00/1M tokens, assuming a 3:1 input-to-output token ratio for blended pricing calculations where applicable.
| Scenario | Input | Output | What it represents | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Email Draft Generation | 200 tokens | 300 tokens | Generating a standard business email or response. | ~$0.0011 |
| Product Description | 150 tokens | 250 tokens | Creating a short, factual product blurb for e-commerce. | ~$0.00095 |
| Content Rephrasing | 500 tokens | 400 tokens | Rewriting a paragraph or section of an article for clarity or SEO. | ~$0.0017 |
| Simple Chatbot Response | 50 tokens | 100 tokens | Generating a quick, direct answer for a customer service chatbot. | ~$0.00035 |
| Data Extraction (Simple) | 1000 tokens | 100 tokens | Extracting specific, clearly defined fields from a document. | ~$0.0013 |
| Summarizing Short Article | 1500 tokens | 200 tokens | Condensing a news article into a brief summary. | ~$0.0021 |
As these examples illustrate, Mistral Small (Feb '24) offers extremely low costs per interaction for tasks that align with its capabilities. Its efficiency makes it a powerhouse for applications requiring high volume and rapid turnaround, where individual transaction costs are critical.
Leveraging Mistral Small (Feb '24) effectively means understanding its strengths and optimizing your usage to maximize its cost-efficiency. Here are key strategies to keep your operational costs low while achieving desired outcomes.
Since input tokens contribute to cost, crafting concise yet clear prompts is crucial. Avoid unnecessary preamble or overly verbose instructions. Get straight to the point, providing just enough context for the model to understand the task without wasting tokens.
Mistral Small's exceptional speed and low cost make it ideal for tasks that need to be performed at scale. Think about scenarios where you need to process thousands or millions of simple text operations.
For tasks requiring some level of reasoning or creativity, consider a multi-model approach. Use Mistral Small for the initial, low-complexity steps, and then pass the output to a more capable (and expensive) model for refinement or complex analysis.
Implement robust logging and monitoring for both input and output token counts. This allows you to identify unexpected token consumption patterns and optimize your application's interaction with the model.
Explicitly specify `max_tokens` in your API requests to prevent the model from generating unnecessarily long responses, which directly impacts your output token costs. Tailor this parameter to the minimum required length for your specific use case.
Mistral Small (Feb '24) is a proprietary, non-reasoning language model developed by Mistral. It is designed for high-speed, cost-effective text generation and processing tasks, featuring a 33,000-token context window.
Mistral Small (Feb '24) scores 8 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, placing it among the lower-tier models in terms of reasoning capabilities. It is explicitly a 'non-reasoning' model, meaning it is not suited for tasks requiring complex logic, problem-solving, or deep understanding.
Its main strengths are exceptional output speed (136 tokens/s) and highly competitive pricing ($1.00/1M input tokens, $3.00/1M output tokens). It also offers a generous 33k context window for its price point, making it ideal for high-volume, cost-sensitive applications.
It excels at tasks like generating simple email drafts, product descriptions, content rephrasing, summarization of non-complex texts, and initial content drafts. Essentially, any task that requires fast, affordable text output without demanding advanced cognitive functions.
Mistral Small (Feb '24) features a 33,000-token context window. This allows it to process and generate text based on a substantial amount of input, supporting longer conversations or document-based tasks.
No, it is not. Its low intelligence score indicates it will struggle with complex reasoning, logical inference, and highly creative or nuanced writing tasks. For such applications, more capable (and typically more expensive) models would be a better choice.
Mistral Small (Feb '24) offers highly competitive pricing. Its input token price of $1.00 per 1M tokens is significantly below the average of $2.00, and its output token price of $3.00 per 1M tokens is remarkably lower than the average of $10.00 for comparable models, making it one of the most cost-effective options available.