What is the difference between DeepSeek R1 and Mistral Small 4?

DeepSeek R1 is developed by DeepSeek while Mistral Small 4 is developed by Mistral AI. DeepSeek R1 has a 128K token context window vs Mistral Small 4's 262K. You can compare their actual outputs across 41 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, DeepSeek R1 or Mistral Small 4?

It depends on your use case. DeepSeek R1 and Mistral Small 4 each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 41 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does DeepSeek R1 cost compared to Mistral Small 4?

DeepSeek R1 costs $0.55/M input tokens and Mistral Small 4 costs $0.15/M input tokens. Mistral Small 4 is $0.40/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.

How can I compare DeepSeek R1 and Mistral Small 4 on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of DeepSeek R1 and Mistral Small 4 across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output, and Pro users can create custom challenges to test both models with their own prompts.

Rival

Updated Mar 16, 2026

DeepSeek R1vsMistral Small 4

36 fights queued

Why DeepSeek R1?

Dead even. This one's a coin flip.

Why Mistral Small 4?

3.7x cheaper overall$0.15/M in · $0.60/M out

2x more context262K

14 months newerMar 2026

Favorites

DeepSeek R1Mistral Small 4

Movie

The Godfather

19728.7

The Dark Knight

20088.5

Album

The Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd

OK Computer

Radiohead

Book

Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen

Братья Карамазовы

Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский

City

Kyoto

Japan

Kyoto

Japan

Game

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Adventure, Action4.4

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Adventure, Action4.5

6 / 36

Estimate Complexityreasoning

Tests an AI's ability to make educated estimates based on technical knowledge

DeepSeek R1

Deepseek · Feb 2025text

Nothing here. The model returned empty. We stared at it for a while.

Try this prompt

Mistral Small 4

Mistral · Mar 2026text

Nothing here. The model returned empty. We stared at it for a while.

Try this prompt

Vote

2 / 36

AI Board Game Logicreasoning

Tests an AI's ability to understand game rules and strategy

DeepSeek R1

Deepseek · Feb 2025svg

Nothing here. The model returned empty. We stared at it for a while.

Try this prompt

Mistral Small 4

Mistral · Mar 2026svg

Nothing here. The model returned empty. We stared at it for a while.

Try this prompt

Vote

3 / 36

Logic Puzzlereasoning

Tests an AI's ability to solve a simple but potentially confusing logic puzzle

DeepSeek R1

Deepseek · Feb 2025text

Nothing here. The model returned empty. We stared at it for a while.

Try this prompt

Mistral Small 4

Mistral · Mar 2026text

Nothing here. The model returned empty. We stared at it for a while.

Try this prompt

Vote

4 / 36

Stochastic Consistency Testanalysis

Tests an AI's randomness and creativity

DeepSeek R1

Deepseek · Feb 2025text

Nothing here. The model returned empty. We stared at it for a while.

Try this prompt

Mistral Small 4

Mistral · Mar 2026text

Nothing here. The model returned empty. We stared at it for a while.

Try this prompt

Vote

5 / 36

SVG Layout Challengeimage generation

Tests an AI's ability to generate vector graphics

DeepSeek R1

Deepseek · Feb 2025svg

Nothing here. The model returned empty. We stared at it for a while.

Try this prompt

Mistral Small 4

Mistral · Mar 2026svg

Nothing here. The model returned empty. We stared at it for a while.

Try this prompt

Vote

6 / 36

Xbox Controller SVG Artimage generation

Tests an AI's ability to create detailed SVG illustrations of gaming hardware

DeepSeek R1

Deepseek · Feb 2025svg

Nothing here. The model returned empty. We stared at it for a while.

Try this prompt

Mistral Small 4

Mistral · Mar 2026svg

Nothing here. The model returned empty. We stared at it for a while.

Try this prompt

Vote

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Our Verdict

DeepSeek R1

Mistral Small 4

No community votes yet. On paper, these are closely matched - try both with your actual task to see which fits your workflow.

Mistral Small 4 is 3.6x cheaper per token — worth considering if cost matters.

Too close to call

These are our prompts. Yours will tell you more.

Run DeepSeek R1 vs Mistral Small 4 on your actual task. 5 free credits. No card.

Test with your prompt

FAQ

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DeepSeek R1 vs Mistral Small 4

Which is better, DeepSeek R1 or Mistral Small 4?