Alternatives · 15 models compared · checked 17 Aug 2026
Ministral 3 3B 2512 alternatives: 15 models in or near grid C3
The closest model to Ministral 3 3B 2512 on the atlas is Llama Guard 4 12B, in the same square, at $0.18 per 1M input tokens against Ministral 3 3B 2512’s . 6 of the 15 nearest models are cheaper on input; the cheapest is gpt-oss-20b at $0.02. We rank by position on the atlas, not by capability, because we hold no capability data.
$0.10
observed We measured
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- Our catalogue
- Retrieved
- 17 Aug 2026
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ModelsAtlas. “Ministral 3 3B 2512 alternatives: 15 models in or near grid C3”. Retrieved 17 Aug 2026. https://modelsatlas.com/models/mistralai/ministral-3b/alternatives
Where the alternatives sit
Each square is a price band (A–H) × a context band (1–6). How the grid works
Same squareGRIDC39 modelsDeepSeek V3 0324, DeepSeek V3.1, DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus and 6 more
Ministral 3 3B 2512Its 15 nearest modelsOther modelsOpen weights
View the map as a table (2 squares)
| Square | Price band | Context band | Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRIDB3 | <$0.10 | 128–256K | gpt-oss-20b, Mistral Nemo, gpt-oss-120b, Gemma 3 12B, Gemma 3 4B, Llama 3.1 8B Instruct |
| GRIDC3 | $0.10–0.30 | 128–256K | Ministral 3 3B 2512, Llama Guard 4 12B, Nemotron 3.5 Content Safety, MiniMax M2.7, Llama 3.3 70B Instruct, DeepSeek V3.1, DeepSeek V3.2, DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus, MiniMax M2.5, DeepSeek V3 0324 |
Top 15 alternatives
Ranked by steps away on the atlas, then cheaper before pricier, then input price
| # | Model | Grid | Why it fits | Input / 1M | vs Ministral 3 3B 2512 | Output / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Ministral 3 3B 2512Mistral AI · the model you’re replacing | GRIDC3 | Baseline | $0.10 | — | $0.10 | 131K | |
| 1 | Llama Guard 4 12BMeta | GRIDC3 | Same square, 80% pricier input, 1.3× the context | $0.18 | +80% | $0.18 | 164K | Compare → |
| 2 | Nemotron 3.5 Content SafetyNVIDIA | GRIDC3 | Same square, 100% pricier input | $0.20 | +100% | $0.20 | 131K | Compare → |
| 3 | MiniMax M2.7MiniMax | GRIDC3 | Same square, 110% pricier input, 1.6× the context | $0.21 | +110% | $0.84 | 205K | Compare → |
| 4 | Llama 3.3 70B InstructMeta | GRIDC3 | Same square, 120% pricier input | $0.22 | +120% | $0.50 | 131K | Compare → |
| 5 | DeepSeek V3.1DeepSeek | GRIDC3 | Same square, 150% pricier input, 1.3× the context | $0.25 | +150% | $0.95 | 164K | Compare → |
| 6 | DeepSeek V3.2DeepSeek | GRIDC3 | Same square, 159% pricier input, 1.3× the context | $0.26 | +159% | $0.80 | 164K | Compare → |
| 7 | DeepSeek V3.1 TerminusDeepSeek | GRIDC3 | Same square, 170% pricier input, 1.3× the context | $0.27 | +170% | $1.00 | 164K | |
| 8 | MiniMax M2.5MiniMax | GRIDC3 | Same square, 170% pricier input, 1.6× the context | $0.27 | +170% | $1.08 | 205K | |
| 9 | DeepSeek V3 0324DeepSeek | GRIDC3 | Same square, 190% pricier input, 1.3× the context | $0.29 | +190% | $1.14 | 164K | |
| 10 | gpt-oss-20bOpenAI | GRIDB3 | Neighbouring square B3, 82% cheaper input | $0.02 | −82% | $0.09 | 131K | |
| 11 | Mistral NemoMistral AI | GRIDB3 | Same maker, neighbouring square B3, 71% cheaper input | $0.03 | −71% | $0.03 | 131K | |
| 12 | gpt-oss-120bOpenAI | GRIDB3 | Neighbouring square B3, 70% cheaper input | $0.03 | −70% | $0.15 | 131K | |
| 13 | Gemma 3 12BGoogle | GRIDB3 | Neighbouring square B3, 50% cheaper input | $0.05 | −50% | $0.15 | 131K | |
| 14 | Gemma 3 4BGoogle | GRIDB3 | Neighbouring square B3, 50% cheaper input | $0.05 | −50% | $0.10 | 131K | |
| 15 | Llama 3.1 8B InstructMeta | GRIDB3 | Neighbouring square B3, 50% cheaper input | $0.05 | −50% | $0.08 | 131K |
What switching saves
3,000 input + 800 output tokens × 1,000 requests a day
Σ Derived from standard-tier prices; excludes caching and batch discounts. Use your own numbers →
Larger-context alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama Guard 4 12BMeta | $0.18 | 164K | Compare |
| MiniMax M2.7MiniMax | $0.21 | 205K | Compare |
| DeepSeek V3.1DeepSeek | $0.25 | 164K | Compare |
| DeepSeek V3.2DeepSeek | $0.26 | 164K | Compare |
| DeepSeek V3.1 TerminusDeepSeek | $0.27 | 164K |
Free alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyria 3 Clip PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M | |
| Lyria 3 Pro PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M |
Compare Ministral 3 3B 2512 head to head
Questions
What is the best alternative to Ministral 3 3B 2512?
Llama Guard 4 12B ranks first: same square, 80% pricier input, 1.3× the context. Input is $0.18 per 1M tokens against $0.10 for Ministral 3 3B 2512. Ranking is by position on the atlas, not by quality.
What is the cheapest alternative to Ministral 3 3B 2512?
gpt-oss-20b at $0.02 per 1M input tokens, 82% less than Ministral 3 3B 2512, among the 15 closest.
Is there an open-weight alternative to Ministral 3 3B 2512?
None of the 15 closest is marked open-weight in our records.
Which alternative has a larger context window?
MiniMax M2.7, MiniMax M2.5, Llama Guard 4 12B, DeepSeek V3.1 and 3 more hold more than Ministral 3 3B 2512's 131K; the largest is MiniMax M2.7 at 205K.
How are alternatives ranked?
By distance on the atlas grid from Ministral 3 3B 2512's square C3: the same square first, then neighbouring squares. Within the same distance, cheaper models come before pricier ones, then the lowest input price wins. We hold no capability data, so we do not claim a model can do what Ministral 3 3B 2512 does, only that it costs and holds about the same. No vendor pays for position.
More alternatives
Keep going in your AI
Opens with this page as the source. We add nothing else to the prompt.
- What is the best alternative to Ministral 3 3B 2512?
- What is the cheapest alternative to Ministral 3 3B 2512?
- Is there an open-weight alternative to Ministral 3 3B 2512?