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Model comparison · Updated 10 Oct 2026

Mistral Small 4 vs Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct

Mistral Small 4 is about 1.7× cheaper on input ($0.15 against $0.25 per 1M tokens) and on output. Both have a 262K-token context window. For a support chatbot at 10,000 chats a day, the standard-tier bill is about $122 a month for Mistral Small 4 and $180 for Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct.

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ModelsAtlas. “Mistral Small 4 vs Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct”. Retrieved 10 Oct 2026. https://modelsatlas.com/compare/mistralai/mistral-small/vs/qwen/3-vl-8b-instruct

Model A

Mistral Small 4

by Mistral AI · weights not marked open · GRIDC4

Input / 1M
$0.15
observed We measured
Source
Our catalogue
Retrieved
17 Aug 2026
Output / 1M$0.60
Context262K
vs

Model B

Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct

by Qwen (Alibaba) · open weights · GRIDC4

Input / 1M
$0.25
observed We measured
Source
Our catalogue
Retrieved
10 Oct 2026
Output / 1M$0.75
Context262K

Key numbers

Standard tier · highlighted = better

Mistral Small 4
Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct
Input / 1M tokens
$0.15
$0.25
Output / 1M tokens
$0.60
$0.75
Batch input / output
$0.08 / $0.30
Not listed
Context window
262,144
262,144
Input types
Not disclosed
text
Weights
Not marked open
Open
License
Not disclosed
apache-2.0
Tiers listed
batch, standard
standard
Prices checked
2026-10-10
2026-10-10

What it costs for real workloads

Monthly, standard tier, 30 days

Support chatbot10k chats/day · 1.5k in, 300 out
$122/mo
$180/mo
RAG over documents2k queries/day · 12k in, 500 out
$126/mo
$203/mo
Coding agent300 tasks/day · 60k in, 8k out
$124/mo
$189/mo

Mistral Small 4   Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct · Derived from the standard-tier prices above, input and output tokens per request as stated, 30 days. Excludes caching discounts and batch. Try your own numbers.

On the atlas

Price band (A–H) × context band (1–6)

Same square. Mistral Small 4 and Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct share C4.

Same square as Mistral Small 4: Qwen3 30B A3B Instruct 2507 ($0.10), Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct ($0.10), Qwen3.5-9B ($0.10). Open C4

AFreeB<$0.10C$0.10–0.30D$0.30–1E$1–3F$3–10G$10–30H$30+1<32K232–128K3128–256K4256K–1M51M6>1MINPUT PRICE PER 1M TOKENS →CONTEXT WINDOW ↑ · position within a square follows the real valueMinistral 3 8B 2512 · C4Qwen3 VL 30B A3B Instruct · C4Qwen3 Coder Next · C4Ministral 3 14B 2512 · C4Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct · C4Qwen3 30B A3B Instruct 2507 · C4Qwen3.5-122B-A10B · C4Qwen3.5-27B · C4Mistral Small 4Mistral Small 4Qwen3 VL 8B InstructQwen3 VL 8B Instruct
Mistral Small 4Qwen3 VL 8B InstructNearest neighboursOpen weights
View the map as a table (1 squares)
SquarePrice bandContext bandModels
GRIDC4$0.10–0.30256K–1MMistral Small 4, Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct, Ministral 3 8B 2512, Qwen3 VL 30B A3B Instruct, Qwen3 Coder Next, Ministral 3 14B 2512, Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct, Qwen3 30B A3B Instruct 2507, Qwen3.5-122B-A10B, Qwen3.5-27B

Capabilities side by side

Only what our records list

Mistral Small 4
Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct
Vision input
Not disclosed
Not recorded
Audio input
Not disclosed
Not recorded
Open weights
Not marked open
Supported
Batch tier
Supported
Not listed
Free tier
Not listed
Not listed
Thinking tier
Not listed
Not listed

Which should you choose?

Editorial

Choose Mistral Small 4 if…

  • you pay by the token: it costs $0.15 per 1M input against $0.25
  • output dominates your bill: $0.60 per 1M output against $0.75
  • work can wait: it lists a batch tier and the other does not

Choose Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct if…

  • you want open weights, so you can run the model yourself

Each reason is a fact from the tables above. Picking between them is our judgement, and we do not benchmark quality: price and context are what we can measure, so test both on your own prompts before you commit.

Questions

Is Mistral Small 4 better than Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct?
We do not benchmark quality, so we cannot say. On the recorded numbers: Mistral Small 4 is about 1.7× cheaper on input ($0.15 against $0.25 per 1M tokens) and on output. Both have a 262K-token context window. For a support chatbot at 10,000 chats a day, the standard-tier bill is about $122 a month for Mistral Small 4 and $180 for Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct. Which is better for you depends on your task; test both on your own prompts.
Which is cheaper, Mistral Small 4 or Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct?
Mistral Small 4: $0.15 against $0.25 per 1M input tokens, and $0.60 against $0.75 per 1M output, on standard pricing.
How much does each cost per 1M tokens?
Mistral Small 4: $0.15 input and $0.60 output. Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct: $0.25 input and $0.75 output. Standard tier, USD.
Which has the larger context window?
Neither: both have 262,144 tokens.
Do both offer batch pricing?
Mistral Small 4 lists a batch tier, at 50% of its standard price. Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct lists no batch tier.
Can both read images or audio?
Input types recorded for Mistral Small 4: none recorded. For Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct: text. Where a record lists none we say so rather than guess; check each vendor's documentation before relying on a capability.
Is either model open-weight?
Mistral Small 4: not marked open-weight in our records. Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct: open weights.
What would each cost for a support chatbot?
At 10,000 chats a day, 1,500 input and 300 output tokens each, 30 days, standard tier: about $122 a month for Mistral Small 4 and $180 for Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct. This is our calculation from the listed prices, not a quote.

About the two models

Mistral Small 4

By Mistral AI. $0.15 input and $0.60 output per 1M tokens, 262K context, atlas square C4. Tiers listed: batch, standard.

Full specs & pricing →

Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct

By Qwen (Alibaba), open weights. $0.25 input and $0.75 output per 1M tokens, 262K context, atlas square C4. Tiers listed: standard.

Full specs & pricing →

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