API cost decision in 10 seconds

NewLaguna M.1 (free) vs Mistral Large 3 2512

Pick Laguna M.1 (free) for lower cost; pick Mistral Large 3 2512 only if the larger context window matters more.

Page updated:  Data confirmed:  Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick Laguna M.1 (free) for lower cost; pick Mistral Large 3 2512 only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna M.1 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $1.25 for Mistral Large 3 2512, saving $1.25 (100% lower).

Cost-first pickLaguna M.1 (free)
Context-first pickMistral Large 3 2512
Sample savings$1.25100%
10x traffic gap$12.5

Mistral Large 3 2512 has more context, but Laguna M.1 (free) saves $1.25 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $12.5. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Laguna M.1 (free) stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickLaguna M.1 (free)Mistral Large 3 2512
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputLaguna M.1 (free)$0$3.25
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputLaguna M.1 (free)$0$2
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputLaguna M.1 (free)$0$8
Cheaper input Laguna M.1 (free) $0 vs $0.5 / 1M

Laguna M.1 (free) is free for input tokens while Mistral Large 3 2512 costs $0.5 per 1M tokens.

Cheaper output Laguna M.1 (free) $0 vs $1.5 / 1M

Laguna M.1 (free) is free for output tokens while Mistral Large 3 2512 costs $1.5 per 1M tokens.

Larger context Mistral Large 3 2512 131.07K vs 262.14K

Mistral Large 3 2512 has 131.07K more context (2x larger).

Sample workload Laguna M.1 (free) $0 vs $1.25

Laguna M.1 (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $1.25.

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
Laguna M.1 (free) Calculating… Estimated API cost
Mistral Large 3 2512 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

Laguna M.1 (free) has the lower input price; Laguna M.1 (free) has the lower output price; Mistral Large 3 2512 offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Laguna M.1 (free) is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0 for Laguna M.1 (free) and $1.25 for Mistral Large 3 2512.

Best Fit

Choose Laguna M.1 (free) when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Choose Mistral Large 3 2512 when you care most about larger context window.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna M.1 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $1.25 for Mistral Large 3 2512, saving $1.25 (100% lower).
  • Laguna M.1 (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $1.25.
  • Laguna M.1 (free) is free for input tokens while Mistral Large 3 2512 costs $0.5 per 1M tokens.
  • Laguna M.1 (free) is free for output tokens while Mistral Large 3 2512 costs $1.5 per 1M tokens.
  • Mistral Large 3 2512 has 131.07K more context (2x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureNewLaguna M.1 (free)
(Poolside)
Mistral Large 3 2512
(Mistral)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M
$0$0.5
Completion Price
per 1M tokens
$0$1.5
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output
$0$1.25
Context Window131.07K262.14K
Release Date

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionLaguna M.1 (free)On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna M.1 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $1.25 for Mistral Large 3 2512, saving $1.25 (100% lower).
High-volume input processingLaguna M.1 (free)Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsLaguna M.1 (free)Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workMistral Large 3 2512A 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 Large 3 2512 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.04.
  • Mistral Small 3 can replace Mistral Large 3 2512 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.09.
  • Ministral 3 3B 2512 can replace Mistral Large 3 2512 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.15.
  • Mistral Small 3.2 24B can replace Mistral Large 3 2512 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.17.
Larger context near this budget

Cheaper alternatives

Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.

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Larger context alternatives

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

Open largest context models

Provider catalogs

Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.

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Poolside catalog

Review all tracked Poolside models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.

Open Poolside models

Mistral catalog

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

Open Mistral models
Laguna M.1 (free)

Laguna M.1 is the flagship coding agent model from [Poolside](https://poolside.ai), optimized for complex software engineering tasks. Designed for agentic coding workflows, it supports tool calling and reasoning, with a 128K...

Mistral Large 3 2512

Mistral Large 3 2512 is Mistral’s most capable model to date, featuring a sparse mixture-of-experts architecture with 41B active parameters (675B total), and released under the Apache 2.0 license.