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Mistral AI vs Cohere

Mistral AI logo

Mistral AI

Software

European AI lab with open models, API platform and Le Chat assistant

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cohere logo

Cohere

Software

Enterprise AI platform for NLP

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Cohere has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Mistral AI smaller model selection compared to OpenAI; Mistral Medium 3.5 significantly more expensive than competing mid-tier models; Cohere aPI-only service with no self-hosted options for most users

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mistral AI and Cohere actually diverge.

Attributes where Mistral AI and Cohere differ
AttributeMistral AICohere
Starting priceOn requestFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, API, Self-hosted, Cloud (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, SAP, IBM, Snowflake, NVIDIA, Outscale)Api, Cloud
FoundedUnknown2019

Identical on both: pricing model (usage-based), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Mistral AI

Nothing recorded that Cohere does not also cover.

Only in Cohere

  • Generate
  • Embed
  • Rerank
  • Classify
  • REST API
  • SDKs
  • Cloud deployment
  • Api support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Mistral AI

  • EU-regulated workloads requiring data residency outside USnot Cohere
  • Custom model training and domain-specific fine-tuningnot Cohere
  • Multi-modal document processing with OCRnot Cohere
  • Autonomous development with Vibe for Codenot Cohere

Cohere

  • ai tools managementnot Mistral AI
  • Workflow automationnot Mistral AI
  • Reportingnot Mistral AI

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Mistral AI

  • Smaller model selection compared to OpenAI; Mistral Medium 3.5 significantly more expensive than competing mid-tier models
  • Batch processing only available at 50% discount, not free tier
  • No free tier; all API access requires payment

Cohere

  • API-only service with no self-hosted options for most users
  • Trial tier severely limited at 1,000 calls per month
  • Smaller context window compared to some competing APIs
  • Less emphasis on safety and alignment compared to competing APIs

Pricing, plan by plan

Mistral AI

On request
  • Mistral Small 4$0.15/per million input tokens
    • Multimodal
    • Multilingual
    • Apache 2.0 license
  • Mistral Small 4 output$0.6/per million output tokens
    • Same model
  • Mistral Large 3$0.5/per million input tokens
    • General-purpose flagship
  • Mistral Large 3 output$1.5/per million output tokens
    • Same model

Cohere

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • Rate limited
    • Evaluation
  • Production$0.4/per-million-tokens
    • Full access
    • SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose Mistral AI if

  • You work on Web, API, Self-hosted, Cloud (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, SAP, IBM, Snowflake, NVIDIA, Outscale).
Mistral AI review

Choose Cohere if

  • You need generate.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api, Cloud.
  • You also want embed.
Cohere review

Questions people ask

Is Mistral AI or Cohere better?
Neither clearly leads. Mistral AI starts at On request and Cohere at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mistral AI or Cohere?
Cohere has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Mistral AI and Free for Cohere.
Does Mistral AI or Cohere run on more platforms?
Mistral AI runs on Web, API, Self-hosted, Cloud (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, SAP, IBM, Snowflake, NVIDIA, Outscale). Cohere runs on Api, Cloud.
Can I use Cohere for free?
Yes. Cohere has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mistral AI starts at On request.
What is Mistral AI best used for?
Mistral AI is most often used for eu-regulated workloads requiring data residency outside us, custom model training and domain-specific fine-tuning, multi-modal document processing with ocr, autonomous development with vibe for code. Of those, eu-regulated workloads requiring data residency outside us and custom model training and domain-specific fine-tuning are not what Cohere is typically brought in for.
What can Mistral AI do that Cohere cannot?
Cohere covers Generate, Embed, Rerank, Classify.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cohere: Does Cohere offer a free tier?

Yes. Cohere provides Trial API keys that allow 1,000 free API calls per month across all models and endpoints. Trial keys are rate-limited to 20 requests per minute for Chat endpoints and 5-10 requests per minute for other endpoints, and cannot be used for production or commercial purposes.

Source
Cohere: What is the cost structure for production use?

Cohere uses pay-as-you-go pricing based on tokens consumed. Costs vary by model: Command costs from 0.15 to 2.50 USD per 1M input tokens, with output tokens priced higher. Embed models cost 0.10 USD per 1M input tokens. Production keys have monthly billing with invoices at month-end or when charges reach 250 USD.

Source
Cohere: Can I self-host Cohere models?

No. Cohere operates as an API-only platform. However, enterprise customers can arrange dedicated or managed deployments through the Model Vault platform starting at 4.00 USD per hour with custom pricing for dedicated instances.

Source
Cohere: What are the main differences between Cohere and Claude API?

Cohere excels in cost-effective NLP applications and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) capabilities. Claude API emphasizes reasoning and safety with Constitutional AI training. Cohere's Command R+ offers similar performance to GPT-4 at 40-50 percent lower cost, while Claude focuses on factual accuracy and transparency.

Source
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