What is the difference between Mistral Small 4 and MiniMax M1?

Mistral Small 4 is developed by Mistral AI while MiniMax M1 is developed by MiniMax. Mistral Small 4 has a 262K token context window vs MiniMax M1's 1.0M. You can compare their actual outputs across 26 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, Mistral Small 4 or MiniMax M1?

It depends on your use case. Mistral Small 4 and MiniMax M1 each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 26 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does Mistral Small 4 cost compared to MiniMax M1?

Mistral Small 4 costs $0.15/M input tokens and MiniMax M1 costs $0.3/M input tokens. Mistral Small 4 is $0.15/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 Mistral Small 4 and MiniMax M1 on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Mistral Small 4 and MiniMax M1 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

Mistral Small 4vsMiniMax M1

26 fights queued

Why Mistral Small 4?

2.6x cheaper overall$0.15/M in · $0.60/M out

9 months newerMar 2026

Why MiniMax M1?

3.8x more context1.0M

Favorites

Mistral Small 4MiniMax M1

Movie

The Dark Knight

20088.5

Inception

20108.4

Album

OK Computer

Radiohead

—

Book

Братья Карамазовы

Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский

—

City

Kyoto

Japan

—

Game

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Adventure, Action4.5

—

6 / 26

Stochastic Consistency Testanalysis

Tests an AI's randomness and creativity

Mistral Small 4

Mistral · Mar 2026text

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

Try this prompt

MiniMax M1

Minimax · Jun 2025text

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

Try this prompt

Vote

2 / 26

SVG Layout Challengeimage generation

Tests an AI's ability to generate vector graphics

Mistral Small 4

Mistral · Mar 2026svg

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

Try this prompt

MiniMax M1

Minimax · Jun 2025svg

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

Try this prompt

Vote

3 / 26

Xbox Controller SVG Artimage generation

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

Mistral Small 4

Mistral · Mar 2026svg

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

Try this prompt

MiniMax M1

Minimax · Jun 2025svg

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

Try this prompt

Vote

4 / 26

Generate a Stand-Up Routineconversation

Tests an AI's humor and creative writing ability

Mistral Small 4

Mistral · Mar 2026text

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

Try this prompt

MiniMax M1

Minimax · Jun 2025text

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

Try this prompt

Vote

5 / 26

Minimalist Landing Pageweb design

Tests an AI's ability to generate a complete, working landing page

Mistral Small 4

Mistral · Mar 2026website

Try this prompt

MiniMax M1

Minimax · Jun 2025website

Try this prompt

Vote

6 / 26

Pokémon Battle UI Recreationweb design

Recreate an interactive, nostalgic Pokémon battle UI in a single HTML file.

Mistral Small 4

Mistral · Mar 2026website

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

Try this prompt

MiniMax M1

Minimax · Jun 2025website

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

Try this prompt

Vote

This matchup has more rounds

20+ more head-to-head results. Free. Not a trick.

$0No card. No catch. Just a login.

Free account. No card required. By continuing, you agree to Rival's Terms and Privacy Policy

Find Your Model

Static demos are useful. Your prompt matters more.

Run this matchup on your actual task. 30 seconds. No card.

Can you tell Claude from GPT?

Run your prompt blind. Judge outputs, not logos.

Take the blind test

Our Verdict

MiniMax M1

Mistral Small 4Runner-up

No community votes yet. On paper, MiniMax M1 has the edge — bigger model tier, bigger context window.

Too close to call

These are our prompts. Yours will tell you more.

Run Mistral Small 4 vs MiniMax M1 on your actual task. 5 free credits. No card.

Test with your prompt

FAQ

Keep going

Mistral Small 4 vs Claude Opus 4New provider

Mistral Small 4 vs GPT-5New provider

Mistral Small 4 vs Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 06-05New provider

This comparison gets 800+ views/month. Your brand could be here.

Advertise

Mistral Small 4 vs MiniMax M1

Which is better, Mistral Small 4 or MiniMax M1?