Mistral Large 3 vs Claude Haiku 4.5 for research: which is better in 2026?
A head-to-head look at Mistral Large 3 and Claude Haiku 4.5 for research. Benchmarks via artificialanalysis.ai, pricing as of May 2026. Compare AI models like these inside Admix.
Quick verdict
For research in May 2026, Mistral Large 3 edges out Claude Haiku 4.5 on the intelligenceIndex metric. EU data residency options.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | Mistral | Haiku |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence index | 69.8 | 65.8 |
| Coding index | 67.4 | 66.2 |
| Context window | 256K tokens | 500K tokens |
| Speed (tok/s) | 115 | 205 |
| Input $/M | $2.00 | $0.80 |
| Output $/M | $6.00 | $4.00 |
| Released | Jan 14, 2026 | Mar 19, 2026 |
How they handle research
Mistral Large 3: EU data residency options. The main caveat is behind us labs on raw benchmarks.
Claude Haiku 4.5: Cheap Claude quality for everyday tasks. The main caveat is not as strong as opus on agentic coding.
Cost per 1,000 queries
Assuming 1,500 input and 800 output tokens per query:
- Mistral Large 3: $7.80 per 1,000 queries
- Claude Haiku 4.5: $4.40 per 1,000 queries
Verdict by sub-task
- Best raw quality on research:
- Best price: Claude Haiku 4.5
- Longest context: Claude Haiku 4.5
- Fastest: Claude Haiku 4.5
FAQ
Is Mistral Large 3 better than Claude Haiku 4.5 for research?
On May 2026 benchmarks (artificialanalysis.ai), Mistral Large 3 ranks higher than Claude Haiku 4.5 for research on the intelligenceIndex metric. The gap is small enough that the choice often comes down to price, context length, and tone.
Which is cheaper, Mistral Large 3 or Claude Haiku 4.5?
Mistral Large 3 costs $2.00 input and $6.00 output per million tokens. Claude Haiku 4.5 costs $0.80 input and $4.00 output per million tokens.
Can I use both Mistral and Haiku in one app?
Yes. Admix is a multi model AI chat aggregator that lets you run Mistral Large 3 and Claude Haiku 4.5 side by side under one subscription.
Sources
Benchmarks from artificialanalysis.ai (May 2026).
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