GPT-5.1 Codex vs Mistral Small 3.2

Side-by-side benchmark comparison across coding, math, reasoning, speed, and pricing.

GPT-5.1 Codex by OpenAI wins on 10 of 14 benchmarks against Mistral Small 3.2 by Mistral, which leads on 4. This head-to-head comparison covers coding, math, reasoning, speed, and pricing metrics from our benchmark data.

Category-by-Category Breakdown

General Intelligence: In general intelligence, GPT-5.1 Codex scores 1395 on Chatbot Arena ELO compared to Mistral Small 3.2's 1190, while GPT-5.1 Codex scores 82.0% on MMLU-Pro compared to Mistral Small 3.2's 58.0%.

Coding: In coding, GPT-5.1 Codex scores 96.0% on HumanEval+ compared to Mistral Small 3.2's 70.0%, while GPT-5.1 Codex scores 78.0% on SWE-bench Verified compared to Mistral Small 3.2's 20.0%, while GPT-5.1 Codex scores 85.0% on LiveCodeBench compared to Mistral Small 3.2's 24.0%.

Math: In math, GPT-5.1 Codex scores 85.0% on MATH compared to Mistral Small 3.2's 58.0%, while GPT-5.1 Codex scores 95.0% on GSM8K compared to Mistral Small 3.2's 80.0%.

Reasoning: In reasoning, GPT-5.1 Codex scores 65.0% on GPQA Diamond compared to Mistral Small 3.2's 30.0%, while GPT-5.1 Codex scores 52.0% on ARC-AGI compared to Mistral Small 3.2's 10.0%.

Context: In context, GPT-5.1 Codex scores 400K on Context Length compared to Mistral Small 3.2's 256K.

Pricing Comparison

GPT-5.1 Codex costs $1.3/1M input tokens and $10.0/1M output tokens, while Mistral Small 3.2 costs $0.07/1M input and $0.20/1M output. Mistral Small 3.2 is the more affordable option for API usage.

Speed Comparison

GPT-5.1 Codex generates output at 85 tok/s compared to Mistral Small 3.2's 160 tok/s, and the time to first token is 400 ms for GPT-5.1 Codex versus 120 ms for Mistral Small 3.2. Mistral Small 3.2 delivers faster throughput.

Verdict

For developers prioritizing coding and general intelligence and math, GPT-5.1 Codex has the edge. For those who value affordability and speed, Mistral Small 3.2 is the stronger choice.

GPT-5.1 Codex vs Mistral Small 3.2 — FAQ

Which is better, GPT-5.1 Codex or Mistral Small 3.2?

GPT-5.1 Codex wins on more benchmarks overall (10 vs 4). However, the best choice depends on your specific needs — each model excels in different areas.

How does GPT-5.1 Codex compare to Mistral Small 3.2 for coding?

GPT-5.1 Codex is better for coding, scoring 78.0% on SWE-bench Verified compared to 20.0%. SWE-bench tests real-world software engineering by resolving actual GitHub issues.

Is GPT-5.1 Codex cheaper than Mistral Small 3.2?

Yes, Mistral Small 3.2 is cheaper. GPT-5.1 Codex costs $1.3/1M input and $10.0/1M output tokens. Mistral Small 3.2 costs $0.07/1M input and $0.20/1M output tokens.

Which is faster, GPT-5.1 Codex or Mistral Small 3.2?

Mistral Small 3.2 is faster, generating output at 160 tok/s compared to 85 tok/s. Faster output speed means shorter wait times for API responses.

What benchmarks does the GPT-5.1 Codex vs Mistral Small 3.2 comparison cover?

This comparison covers 14 benchmarks including Chatbot Arena ELO, MMLU-Pro, HumanEval+, MATH, GPQA Diamond, SWE-bench Verified, Output Speed, LiveCodeBench, and more. Metrics span general intelligence, coding, math, reasoning, speed, and cost categories.