API cost decision in 10 seconds

Mistral Small 4 vs Granite 4.0 Micro

Pick Granite 4.0 Micro for lower cost; pick Mistral Small 4 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 Granite 4.0 Micro for lower cost; pick Mistral Small 4 only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Granite 4.0 Micro is estimated at $0.07 vs $0.45 for Mistral Small 4, saving $0.38 (83.8% lower).

Cost-first pickGranite 4.0 Micro
Context-first pickMistral Small 4
Sample savings$0.3883.8%
10x traffic gap$3.77

Mistral Small 4 has more context, but Granite 4.0 Micro saves $0.38 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $3.77. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Granite 4.0 Micro stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickMistral Small 4Granite 4.0 Micro
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputGranite 4.0 Micro$1.05$0.14
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputGranite 4.0 Micro$0.75$0.13
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputGranite 4.0 Micro$3.15$0.58
Cheaper input Granite 4.0 Micro $0.15 vs $0.017 / 1M

Granite 4.0 Micro is $0.13 cheaper per 1M input tokens (88.7% lower; 8.82x difference).

Cheaper output Granite 4.0 Micro $0.6 vs $0.112 / 1M

Granite 4.0 Micro is $0.49 cheaper per 1M output tokens (81.3% lower; 5.36x difference).

Larger context Mistral Small 4 262.14K vs 131K

Mistral Small 4 has 131.14K more context (2x larger).

Sample workload Granite 4.0 Micro $0.45 vs $0.07

Granite 4.0 Micro is $0.38 cheaper on the standard workload (83.8% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
Mistral Small 4 Calculating… Estimated API cost
Granite 4.0 Micro Calculating… Estimated API cost
Cheaper for this workload Calculating… Difference: calculating…

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

Verdict

Granite 4.0 Micro has the lower input price; Granite 4.0 Micro has the lower output price; Mistral Small 4 offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Granite 4.0 Micro is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.45 for Mistral Small 4 and $0.07 for Granite 4.0 Micro.

Best Fit

Choose Mistral Small 4 when you care most about larger context window.

Choose Granite 4.0 Micro when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Granite 4.0 Micro is estimated at $0.07 vs $0.45 for Mistral Small 4, saving $0.38 (83.8% lower).
  • Granite 4.0 Micro is $0.38 cheaper on the standard workload (83.8% lower).
  • Granite 4.0 Micro is $0.13 cheaper per 1M input tokens (88.7% lower; 8.82x difference).
  • Granite 4.0 Micro is $0.49 cheaper per 1M output tokens (81.3% lower; 5.36x difference).
  • Mistral Small 4 has 131.14K more context (2x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureMistral Small 4
(Mistral)		Granite 4.0 Micro
(IBM)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M		$0.15$0.017
Completion Price
per 1M tokens		$0.6$0.112
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output		$0.45$0.07
Context Window262.14K131K
Release Date

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionGranite 4.0 MicroOn the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Granite 4.0 Micro is estimated at $0.07 vs $0.45 for Mistral Small 4, saving $0.38 (83.8% lower).
High-volume input processingGranite 4.0 MicroLower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsGranite 4.0 MicroLower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workMistral Small 4A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps
  • Mistral Nemo can replace Mistral Small 4 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.04.
  • Mistral Small 3 can replace Mistral Small 4 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.09.
  • Ministral 3 3B 2512 can replace Mistral Small 4 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.15.
  • Mistral Small 3.2 24B can replace Mistral Small 4 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.17.
Popular competitors
  • No popular competitor is currently available.

Cheaper alternatives

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Larger context alternatives

Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.

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Provider catalogs

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Mistral catalog

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IBM catalog

Check other IBM models with comparable pricing, context, or release timing.

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