In this comparison
Overview
Not every interesting AI model comes from OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic. Mistral and xAI are building compelling alternatives that are worth your attention.
Mistral Large is France's answer to GPT-4 — a powerful model from the European AI startup that's proven you don't need Silicon Valley money to build frontier AI. It's multilingual, efficient, and has carved out a strong position in enterprise.
Grok 2 is Elon Musk's xAI model, primarily available through X (Twitter) and the xAI API. It's known for having fewer content restrictions, real-time X data access, and a personality that's, well, more opinionated than most AI models.
Both are genuine contenders that do some things better than the Big Three. Here's what.
Mistral Large vs Grok 2: Side-by-Side
| Category | Mistral Large | Grok 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Mistral AI (Paris) | xAI |
| Context Window | 128K tokens | 128K tokens |
| API Input Price | $2.00/M tokens | $2.00/M tokens |
| API Output Price | $6.00/M tokens | $10.00/M tokens |
| MMLU Score | 84.0 | 87.5 |
| Multilingual | Excellent (esp. European) | Good |
| Content Restrictions | Standard | Minimal |
| Real-time Data | No (API only) | Yes (X/Twitter data) |
| Image Generation | No | Yes (Aurora) |
| Open Source Options | Yes (Mistral 7B, Mixtral) | Grok-1 (older version) |
Raw Performance
On benchmarks, Grok 2 edges ahead. Its 87.5 MMLU score is strong — not quite GPT-4o territory but not far off. Mistral Large's 84.0 is solid but a tier below the very top models.
In practice, both handle everyday tasks competently. You won't notice the benchmark gap for writing, summarization, or general Q&A. The difference shows up on harder reasoning tasks where Grok 2's higher capability ceiling gives it more headroom.
Winner: Grok 2 on benchmarks and hard tasks.
Multilingual & European Languages
Mistral Large is the best model available for European languages. French, Spanish, German, Italian — it handles them with a fluency that other models can't match. This makes sense given Mistral is a French company that specifically optimized for multilingual performance.
Grok 2 handles major languages well but doesn't have the same depth in European languages. For any application serving a European audience, Mistral has a real advantage.
Winner: Mistral Large, especially for European deployments.
Personality & Content Policy
This is where Grok 2 is genuinely different. Most AI models are carefully guardrailed to avoid controversy. Grok was explicitly designed to be less restricted — it'll engage with edgy topics, express opinions, and occasionally crack irreverent jokes.
Whether that's a feature or a bug depends on your perspective. For creative applications and casual conversation, Grok's personality is refreshing. For business applications, Mistral's more measured responses might be preferable.
Mistral Large is professional and reliable — it won't surprise you. Grok 2 might.
Winner: Depends entirely on what you want. Grok 2 for personality, Mistral Large for professionalism.
Ecosystem & Integration
Mistral has built a strong ecosystem for developers and enterprises. Le Chat (their consumer product) is clean and functional. Their API is well-documented, competitively priced, and offers models at multiple capability levels (Tiny, Small, Medium, Large).
Grok 2 is primarily accessible through X Premium and the xAI API. Its integration with X gives it unique real-time data access — you can ask about trending topics and get current information. But the ecosystem is narrower; it's mostly an X feature plus an API.
Winner: Mistral for developer ecosystem. Grok 2 for real-time social data.
Pricing & Value
Both are competitively priced. Mistral Large at $2/$6 per million tokens (input/output) is cheaper on the output side than most frontier models. Grok 2 at $2/$10 is pricier for output but still reasonable.
Mistral also offers smaller, cheaper models (Mistral Small, Mistral Tiny) that are excellent for tasks that don't need the full Large model. This model ladder gives you more flexibility to optimize costs.
Winner: Mistral, for pricing flexibility.
The Verdict
These are both solid models that deserve more attention than they get. Mistral Large is the better choice for developers and enterprises, especially those serving European or multilingual audiences. Its ecosystem is more mature and its pricing is competitive.
Grok 2 is more interesting as a consumer product. Its integration with X, fewer content restrictions, and distinctive personality make it unique. If you're building something that needs real-time social data or want an AI that's less buttoned-up, Grok is worth trying.
Neither model is going to dethrone GPT-4o or Claude for most tasks. But they both do specific things better than the leaders, and they keep the market competitive — which benefits everyone.
Our pick: Mistral Large for professional/enterprise use. Grok 2 for consumer applications and real-time data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mistral a serious competitor to OpenAI?
In specific areas, yes. Mistral Large is genuinely competitive for multilingual and European language applications, and their smaller models offer excellent price-to-performance. They're not matching GPT-4o across the board, but they don't need to.
Is Grok 2 really less censored?
It has fewer content restrictions than most major AI models. It'll discuss topics and express opinions that ChatGPT or Claude would decline. However, it still has safety guardrails for genuinely harmful content — it's less restricted, not unrestricted.
Can Grok access real-time X/Twitter data?
Yes, Grok 2 has access to posts on X, giving it real-time information about trending topics, public conversations, and current events. This is a unique advantage no other major AI model has.
Does Mistral have open-source models?
Yes. Mistral 7B and Mixtral 8x7B are open-source and widely used. Mistral Large itself is proprietary, but the company maintains a commitment to open-source AI alongside their commercial models.