LLM APIs · Comparison
Google Gemini API vs Mistral AI API
2 products compared side by side: what you pay for with each one first, then the five access facts, entry prices, recorded plan limits and the bottom line of each review. The evidence note under the table says how each product was checked.
Side by side
| Metric | Google Gemini API | Mistral AI API |
|---|---|---|
| What you're paying for | Easy to adoptGoogle's Gemini models by the token in US dollars, with an ongoing free tier to start and batch, flex and caching discounts to scale. | Worth the priceLow per-token prices on small open-weight models, with EU or US processing you can choose yourself and spending caps per workspace. |
| Overall score | 5.3 | 7.4Best |
| Free option | Free plan | Free plan |
| Card to start | No card needed | No card needed |
| Getting access | Self-serve | Self-serve |
| Starter priceCheapest paid plan | $0.25/1M input tokens | $0.10/1M input tokens |
| Pricing model | Usage-based | Usage-based |
| Pricing page | Public prices | Public prices |
| How you pay | Prepaid credits ($5 minimum), expire after 12 months | Prepaid pay-as-you-go credits, optional auto recharge |
| Free option | Ongoing free tier on select models, no card; limits shown in AI Studio | Free mode, no card; allowance not stated publicly |
| Reference scenario (100M in + 20M out tokens/mo) | $55 on gemini-3.1-flash-lite, computed | $12 on ministral-3b-2512, computed |
| Batch, cache and other discounts | Batch and Flex (preview) 50% off; cached input 90% off | Batch 50% off; cached input 90% off |
| Trained on API data | Paid: no. Free tier: may be used to improve Google products | Unless you opt out (Free mode and paid) |
| Default retention | Abuse logs for a "limited period", days not stated | 30 rolling days for abuse monitoring |
| Zero data retention | Not guaranteed: paid prompts are logged for abuse monitoring (docs point to Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, formerly Vertex AI) | By approval, pay-as-you-go, stateless endpoints only |
| SOC 2 / ISO 27001 | Not stated for this API | Both, stated in the help center |
| HIPAA BAA | Not stated for this API | Not stated |
| Data regions | No region choice stated | EU and US endpoints at +10% |
| Official SDKs | Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, Java, C# | Python, TypeScript |
| Console SSO | Not stated (Google account sign-in) | SAML on the Enterprise plan |
| Bottom line | From its public pages, the Gemini API pairs an ongoing free tier on current models with a detailed USD price list and published batch, flex and caching discounts. Certifications, zero data retention and data regions sit with Google Cloud's Agent Platform, and a few billing pages disagree. | From its public pages, the Mistral AI API has the lowest reference price in this comparison, EU or US endpoints you can pick yourself and spending caps. Training use is an opt-out, rate limits sit behind sign-in, and ZDR and SSO need approval or the Enterprise plan. |
Evidence: Google Gemini API: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Mistral AI API: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run. Prices in USD as listed, excluding tax. "–" means not recorded.
When to pick each
In the words of each review, with the date its facts were checked.
From our Google Gemini API review
Checked Oct 15, 2026- Pick Google Gemini API when
- You want paid prompts kept out of training by default, the free models named on the pricing page, and SDKs in five languages.
- Pick Mistral AI API when
- You want EU or US regional endpoints (+10%), stated SOC 2 and ISO 27001, and a $12 scenario on Ministral 3 3B.
From our Mistral AI API review
Checked Oct 15, 2026- Pick Mistral AI API when
- You want a lower scenario price ($12 against $55), SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 statements, ZDR by approval and a choice of EU or US processing.
- Pick Google Gemini API when
- You want paid prompts kept out of training by default, a flex rate at 50% off (preview), and official SDKs in five languages.
Entry price
Baseline: each product's cheapest paid plan, per month. Included usage differs, so read the line under each price.
- Google Gemini APIGemini 3.1 Flash-Lite$0.25/1M input tokens$1.50 per 1M output tokens; audio input $0.50; cached input $0.025 plus $1.00 per 1M tokens per hour of storage
- 1,048,576 input and 65,536 output tokens
- Batch and Flex $0.125 / $0.75
- Priority $0.45 / $2.70 (preview)
- Function calling and structured outputs
- Mistral AI APIPro$14.99/moExcluding taxes; one plan across Vibe, Studio and API usage
- $25.5 /mo in API credits
- Chat and email support
- Usage beyond the plan at API rates
Prices as listed on each pricing page, in USD per month, excluding tax. Observed: Google Gemini API 2026-10-15, Mistral AI API 2026-10-15.
Which one fits
- If you need to start today without a sales call
- Mistral AI APISelf-serve sign-up, no card needed; the highest score of the 2 self-serve products here (7.4/10).
- If you want to try it without entering a card
- Mistral AI APIFree plan, no card needed, and the highest score of the 2 that skip the card (7.4/10).
- Lowest starter price
- Mistral AI API$0.10/1M input tokens for the Ministral 3 3B plan. Google Gemini API lists no comparable paid price.
- Highest overall score
- Mistral AI API7.4/10 (Good). The review shows the score breakdown and the run behind it.
Picked by fixed rules from the table above, not by hand. How we score
Full reviews
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