Head-to-head AI model comparison graphic: Gemini 3.8 Flash (Google) vs Mistral Large 4 Preview (Mistral). Intelligence index 30.8 vs 25.3; output speed 121 vs 130 tokens per second; time to first token 27s vs 1.9s; output price $3.75 vs $2.10 per million tokens; input price $0.75 vs $0.70 per million tokens. franklineh.com
Gemini 3.8 Flash vs Mistral Large 4 Preview: head-to-head AI benchmark comparison. Mistral Large 4 Preview leads on output speed, time to first token, output price and input price; Gemini 3.8 Flash leads on intelligence index.
Head to headUpdated

Gemini 3.8 Flash High vs Mistral Large 4 Preview compared

Gemini 3.8 Flash High leads the intelligence index 30.8 to 25.3. Benchmarks, sample bills, speed and a verdict.

Pick it for Gemini 3.8 Flash · High

  • Higher intelligence index: 30.8 against 25.3.

Pick it for Mistral Large 4 Preview

  • Shorter wait for the first token: 1.9 seconds against 27 seconds.
  • Lower cost: $1.12 against $1.50 for 1 million input and 200,000 output tokens.
  • The newer release (October 2026).

By the numbers

MetricGemini 3.8 Flash (High)Mistral Large 4 Preview
Intelligence Index30.825.3
Input price (per 1M tokens)$0.75$0.70
Output price (per 1M tokens)$3.75$2.10
Output speed (tokens/s)121130
Time to first token27s1.9s
Release date2026-09-022026-10-06

Gemini 3.8 Flash (High) from Google and Mistral Large 4 Preview from Mistral are both tracked in Franklin AI's benchmark catalogue. Time to first token is the standout number here: 1.9 seconds for Mistral Large 4 Preview, 27 seconds for Gemini 3.8 Flash High. The figures come from tracked catalogue data, not from our own testing, so treat them as a starting point for a trial on your tasks.

Throughput and time to first token

Gemini 3.8 Flash High generates about 121 tokens per second and Mistral Large 4 Preview about 130 tokens per second. Throughput is close to level. Time to first token is 27 seconds for Gemini 3.8 Flash High and 1.9 seconds for Mistral Large 4 Preview. Gemini 3.8 Flash High waits 14 times as long before its first token.

Add the two numbers up for a 2,000-token reply and Mistral Large 4 Preview finishes first: 44 seconds for Gemini 3.8 Flash High, 17 seconds for Mistral Large 4 Preview.

The headline benchmark

On the intelligence index, Gemini 3.8 Flash High scores 30.8 against 25.3 for Mistral Large 4 Preview. It is a meaningful gap rather than a rounding difference. In relative terms, Gemini 3.8 Flash High scores 22% higher.

Across the 109 active models with an intelligence score in the catalogue, Gemini 3.8 Flash High ranks 50th and Mistral Large 4 Preview ranks 67th.

The catalogue does not yet split either model's score into coding and math indexes.

What they cost

Gemini 3.8 Flash High lists $0.75 per million input tokens and $3.75 per million output tokens; Mistral Large 4 Preview lists $0.70 and $2.10. That makes Mistral Large 4 Preview's output 44% cheaper.

A reference job of 1 million input tokens and 200,000 output tokens costs $1.50 with Gemini 3.8 Flash High and $1.12 with Mistral Large 4 Preview, so Mistral Large 4 Preview saves $0.38. Scale it up to a chat app with 50,000 sessions of 800 input and 300 output tokens and the bill is $86.25 for Gemini 3.8 Flash High against $59.50 for Mistral Large 4 Preview.

Release timing

Gemini 3.8 Flash High came first, on September 2, 2026; Mistral Large 4 Preview followed on October 6, 2026. They are effectively contemporaries.

Value for money

A blunt value measure, blended price over intelligence score, puts Gemini 3.8 Flash High at $0.049 and Mistral Large 4 Preview at $0.042 per point. So Gemini 3.8 Flash High buys its higher score at a premium, while Mistral Large 4 Preview is the value pick, paying 15% less per point.

Common questions about Gemini 3.8 Flash High and Mistral Large 4 Preview

Is Mistral Large 4 Preview better than Gemini 3.8 Flash High?

Neither wins everywhere: Gemini 3.8 Flash High scores higher on the intelligence index, 30.8 to 25.3; Mistral Large 4 Preview is 30% cheaper on blended price; and Mistral Large 4 Preview reaches its first token sooner.

How much do Gemini 3.8 Flash High and Mistral Large 4 Preview cost?

Mistral Large 4 Preview is cheaper on a blended basis. Gemini 3.8 Flash High lists $0.75 per million input tokens and $3.75 per million output tokens; Mistral Large 4 Preview lists $0.70 and $2.10. For 1 million input and 200,000 output tokens that is $1.50 against $1.12.

Are Gemini 3.8 Flash High and Mistral Large 4 Preview from the same company?

Gemini 3.8 Flash High is made by Google and Mistral Large 4 Preview by Mistral. Gemini 3.8 Flash High was released on September 2, 2026 and Mistral Large 4 Preview on October 6, 2026.

When were Gemini 3.8 Flash High and Mistral Large 4 Preview released?

Mistral Large 4 Preview is newer. It was released on October 6, 2026, 34 days after Gemini 3.8 Flash High (September 2, 2026).

Where do these numbers come from?

The figures are the recorded benchmark, price and speed data in Franklin AI's model catalogue. This page is written from that data automatically; neither model was tested by hand for it.

Final whistle

The verdict: Mistral Large 4 Preview has more going for it here, but Gemini 3.8 Flash High is not without an argument. Pick Mistral Large 4 Preview if users are waiting on the first word and cost matters ($2.10 against $3.75 per million output tokens). Pick Gemini 3.8 Flash High if you need the higher overall score (30.8 against 25.3).

Where the numbers come from

The scores, speed and prices in this comparison come from independent third-party model evaluations that Franklin AI syncs each day, and the article was written from a snapshot of them. For the latest results, open the Gemini 3.8 Flash (High) and Mistral Large 4 Preview pages. The AI Benchmark methodology explains how that data is collected and shown.

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