Nova Micro 1.0 vs Mistral Small 3
Updated October 21, 2026. 36 benchmarks have a result for both. Coding is ranked on the Vibe Coding Index; every other board is shown as published.
Decision reading
Neither model has a coding score yet, so the two cannot be ranked on coding.
Nova Micro 1.0 has the edge where the context window is larger, 128K against 33K tokens, and where what matters is LiveCodeBench (Artificial Analysis run) or LMArena Text: coding, where it leads.
- Shared results
- 36
- Nova Micro 1.0 only
- 3
- Mistral Small 3 only
- 0
- Like-for-like categories
- 7 of 9
Shared results can support a head-to-head reading. Results only one model has describe coverage, not superiority.
Which one for your work
Each card is decided by one number both models carry. Where only one has it, the card says so and makes no call.
Coding
Vibe Coding Index, six public coding benchmarks
No call
Neither has a coding score yet.
One side not measured
Intelligence
AA Intelligence Index
Mistral Small 3
Mistral Small 3 leads, 6.7 against 5.9.
Same board, both measured
Long documents
Listed context window
Nova Micro 1.0
Nova Micro 1.0 takes 128K tokens against 33K.
Listed by OpenRouter
Everyday cost
1K input + 500 output tokens
Mistral Small 3
Nova Micro 1.0 $0.0001, Mistral Small 3 $0.0001 per turn.
List prices
At a glance
- Coding index
- Nova Micro 1.0 not benchmarked, Mistral Small 3 not benchmarked.
- Widest category
- Coding, 7.1 points apart on average over 3 shared benchmarks.
- Widest single gap
- Long context reasoning (AA-LCR): Nova Micro 1.0 13.0% against Mistral Small 3 0.0%, 13.0 points apart on a 0 to 100 scale.
- Output price
- Nova Micro 1.0 $0.14 against Mistral Small 3 $0.08 per million output tokens, 1.8x apart.
- Context window
- Nova Micro 1.0 takes 128K tokens, Mistral Small 3 33K.
Benchmark by benchmark
First the score: boards each model leads, per category, where both have a result. Then every board, a category to a fold; bars are each result on a 0 to 100 scale, so compare the two in a row, not one row with another.
| Category | Nova Micro 1.0 | Bars | Mistral Small 3 | Ties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coding | 0 | 3 | ||
| Intelligence | 0 | 1 | ||
| Agentic work | 0 | 1 | ||
| Reasoning | 1 | 4 | ||
| Math | 2 | 2 | ||
| Knowledge | 1 | 4 | ||
| General | 5 | 12 | ||
| All shared boards | 9 | 27 |
CodingLike-for-likeSix of these boards feed the Vibe Coding Index03
| Benchmark | Nova Micro 1.0 | Mistral Small 3 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| LiveCodeBench (Artificial Analysis run) | 14.0% | 25.2% | Mistral Small 3 |
| Terminal-Bench Hard (Artificial Analysis run) | 1.5% | Not measured | Only Nova Micro 1.0 measured |
| LMArena Text: coding | 1218 | 1246 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: software and IT | 1215 | 1248 | Mistral Small 3 |
| Neither model has a result on the other 34 boards here | |||
IntelligenceLike-for-likePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index01
| Benchmark | Nova Micro 1.0 | Mistral Small 3 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Intelligence Index | 5.9 | 6.7 | Mistral Small 3 |
| Neither model has a result on the other 1 board here | |||
Agentic workLike-for-likePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index01
| Benchmark | Nova Micro 1.0 | Mistral Small 3 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| τ²-Bench Telecom | 14.0% | 19.6% | Mistral Small 3 |
| Neither model has a result on the other 38 boards here | |||
ReasoningLike-for-likePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index14
| Benchmark | Nova Micro 1.0 | Mistral Small 3 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPQA Diamond (Artificial Analysis run) | 35.8% | 46.2% | Mistral Small 3 |
| Humanity's Last Exam (Artificial Analysis run) | 4.6% | 3.8% | Nova Micro 1.0 |
| LMArena Text: hard prompts | 1191 | 1233 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: expert | 1183 | 1202 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: hard prompts in English | 1203 | 1243 | Mistral Small 3 |
| Neither model has a result on the other 16 boards here | |||
MathLike-for-likePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index22
| Benchmark | Nova Micro 1.0 | Mistral Small 3 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Math Index | 6.0 | 4.3 | Nova Micro 1.0 |
| AIME 2025 (Artificial Analysis run) | 6.0% | 4.3% | Nova Micro 1.0 |
| LMArena Text: math | 1206 | 1240 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: mathematical work | 1212 | 1243 | Mistral Small 3 |
| Neither model has a result on the other 9 boards here | |||
KnowledgeLike-for-likePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index14
| Benchmark | Nova Micro 1.0 | Mistral Small 3 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| MMLU Pro (Artificial Analysis run) | 53.1% | 65.2% | Mistral Small 3 |
| MMLU | 70.8% | Not measured | Only Nova Micro 1.0 measured |
| LMArena Text: science | 1210 | 1235 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: medicine and healthcare | 1207 | 1215 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: legal and government | 1221 | 1219 | Nova Micro 1.0 |
| LMArena Text: business and finance | 1182 | 1205 | Mistral Small 3 |
| Neither model has a result on the other 11 boards here | |||
Web designNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nova Micro 1.0 | Mistral Small 3 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 9 boards here | |||
GeneralLike-for-likePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index512
| Benchmark | Nova Micro 1.0 | Mistral Small 3 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| IFBench | 29.4% | 26.4% | Nova Micro 1.0 |
| Long context reasoning (AA-LCR) | 13.0% | 0.0% | Nova Micro 1.0 |
| LMArena Text | 1208 | 1234 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: instruction following | 1174 | 1214 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: creative writing | 1172 | 1194 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: English | 1224 | 1256 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: non-English | 1186 | 1198 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: Chinese | 1209 | 1204 | Nova Micro 1.0 |
| LMArena Text: German | 1192 | 1211 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: Japanese | 1154 | 1111 | Nova Micro 1.0 |
| LMArena Text: Korean | 1150 | 1188 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: French | 1238 | 1204 | Nova Micro 1.0 |
| LMArena Text: Spanish | 1225 | Not measured | Only Nova Micro 1.0 measured |
| LMArena Text: Russian | 1185 | 1216 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: multi-turn | 1178 | 1217 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: longer queries | 1205 | 1246 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: writing and language | 1192 | 1214 | Mistral Small 3 |
| LMArena Text: entertainment and media | 1163 | 1184 | Mistral Small 3 |
| Neither model has a result on the other 28 boards here | |||
Image generationNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Nova Micro 1.0 | Mistral Small 3 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 5 boards here | |||
What each workload costs
Three fixed token mixes at each model's listed price, so per-token rates become a bill.
Chat turn
1K input + 500 output tokens
Mistral Small 3 costs less
Repository review
50K input + 3K output tokens
Nova Micro 1.0 costs less
Agent loop
200K input + 10K output tokens
Nova Micro 1.0 costs less
Listed OpenRouter rates, without cache or batch discounts. A workload that does not fit a model's context window would need splitting.
Specification differences
The leading value in a row is marked; a row with a missing value names no leader. Our two rows are marked in red.
| Specification | Amazon Nova Micro 1.0 | Mistral Small 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Amazon | Mistral AI |
| Weights | No public weights listed | Open weights |
| Released | December 5, 2024 | January 30, 2025 |
| Context window | 128K | 33K |
| Input $/Mtok | $0.035 | $0.05 |
| Output $/Mtok | $0.14 | $0.08 |
| Coding index | Not benchmarked | Not benchmarked |
| Independent measurements behind it | 0 | 0 |
| Cost per solved task | Not computable | Not computable |
| Source | OpenRouter listing | OpenRouter listing |
Questions
Is Nova Micro 1.0 better than Mistral Small 3 for coding?
Neither model has a coding score yet, so the two cannot be ranked on coding. Nova Micro 1.0 has the edge where the context window is larger, 128K against 33K tokens, and where what matters is LiveCodeBench (Artificial Analysis run) or LMArena Text: coding, where it leads.
Which is cheaper, Nova Micro 1.0 or Mistral Small 3?
Nova Micro 1.0 costs $0.035 per million input tokens and $0.14 per million output tokens; Mistral Small 3 costs $0.05 and $0.08. Cost per solved task is known for neither of them.
Which has the bigger context window, Nova Micro 1.0 or Mistral Small 3?
Nova Micro 1.0, with 128K tokens against 33K.
How many benchmarks is the Nova Micro 1.0 vs Mistral Small 3 comparison based on?
36 benchmarks have a result for both models as of October 21, 2026. Nova Micro 1.0's coding index rests on 0 independent benchmarks and Mistral Small 3's on 0. Where only one model has a result, the page says so instead of naming a winner.