Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 17, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Mistral Large 3 delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,456 vs 1,248), while Mistral Large 3 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (55.4%), while Mistral Large 3 is more budget-friendly at $6/1M per 1M output tokens. Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
9 benchmarks evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
Original Claude 3 flagship. Kept so opus 3 vs later Opus and vs GPT-4o still resolve.
Mistral European flagship with strong function calling.
Δ 208 Arena Elo pts
112 tok/s
$6 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Comparing top standard models across 6 key capability dimensions. Tap any spoke or dot to inspect.
Category wins across reasoning intelligence, generation speed, and token cost.
Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy
Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness
Cost per million tokens and max context window length
| Benchmark | Claude 3 Opus | Mistral Large 3 | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +208 | ||
| LiveBench | +15.6% | ||
| SWE-bench | +17% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +23.7% | ||
| Time to first token | +230 ms | ||
| Output speed | 48 tok/s | 112 tok/s | +64 tok/s |
| Input price | +$13/1M | ||
| Output price | +$69/1M | ||
| Context window | +72k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Mistral Large 3 is estimated to save $1,490.00/month ($17,880/year).
Higher SWE-bench (55.4%).
Lower output list price ($6/1M).
Lower TTFT (190 ms).
Larger window (200k).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Mistral Large 3).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Mistral Large 3 | Higher SWE-bench (55.4%). |
| High-volume chat | Mistral Large 3 | Lower output list price ($6/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Mistral Large 3 | Lower TTFT (190 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Claude 3 Opus | Larger window (200k). |
| Screenshots / vision | Mistral Large 3 | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Mistral Large 3). |
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