Ministral 3 3B 2512 is $0.02 cheaper per 1M input tokens (16.7% lower; 1.2x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
Gemma 4 31B vs Ministral 3 3B 2512
Pick Ministral 3 3B 2512 for lower cost; pick Gemma 4 31B only if the larger context window matters more.
Pricing data updated:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick Ministral 3 3B 2512 for lower cost; pick Gemma 4 31B only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Ministral 3 3B 2512 is estimated at $0.15 vs $0.3 for Gemma 4 31B, saving $0.15 (50.8% lower).
Cost-first pickMinistral 3 3B 2512
Context-first pickGemma 4 31B
Sample savings$0.1550.8%
10x traffic gap$1.55
Gemma 4 31B has more context, but Ministral 3 3B 2512 saves $0.15 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $1.55. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Ministral 3 3B 2512 stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Gemma 4 31B | Ministral 3 3B 2512 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Ministral 3 3B 2512 | $0.78 | $0.55 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Ministral 3 3B 2512 | $0.49 | $0.2 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Ministral 3 3B 2512 | $1.97 | $0.6 |
Ministral 3 3B 2512 is $0.27 cheaper per 1M output tokens (73% lower; 3.7x difference).
Gemma 4 31B has 131.07K more context (2x larger).
Ministral 3 3B 2512 is $0.15 cheaper on the standard workload (50.8% lower).
Estimate your workload cost
Your Workload Cost
This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.
Quick Decision
Ministral 3 3B 2512 has the lower input price; Ministral 3 3B 2512 has the lower output price; Gemma 4 31B offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Ministral 3 3B 2512 is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.3 for Gemma 4 31B and $0.15 for Ministral 3 3B 2512.
Choose Gemma 4 31B when you care most about larger context window.
Choose Ministral 3 3B 2512 when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Ministral 3 3B 2512 is estimated at $0.15 vs $0.3 for Gemma 4 31B, saving $0.15 (50.8% lower).
- Ministral 3 3B 2512 is $0.15 cheaper on the standard workload (50.8% lower).
- Ministral 3 3B 2512 is $0.02 cheaper per 1M input tokens (16.7% lower; 1.2x difference).
- Ministral 3 3B 2512 is $0.27 cheaper per 1M output tokens (73% lower; 3.7x difference).
- Gemma 4 31B has 131.07K more context (2x larger).
| Feature | Gemma 4 31B (Google) | Ministral 3 3B 2512 (Mistral) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.12 | $0.1 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.37 | $0.1 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.3 | $0.15 |
| Context Window | 262.14K | 131.07K |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Ministral 3 3B 2512 | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Ministral 3 3B 2512 is estimated at $0.15 vs $0.3 for Gemma 4 31B, saving $0.15 (50.8% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Ministral 3 3B 2512 | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Ministral 3 3B 2512 | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Gemma 4 31B | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Gemma 4 26B A4B (free) can replace Gemma 4 31B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Gemma 4 31B (free) can replace Gemma 4 31B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Lyria 3 Pro Preview can replace Gemma 4 31B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Lyria 3 Clip Preview can replace Gemma 4 31B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
- Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.2 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- No popular competitor is currently available.
Cheaper alternatives
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