Mistral AI Provider Guide¶
European AI excellence with GDPR compliance and competitive free tier
Overview¶
Mistral AI is a European AI company offering powerful open-source and proprietary models with built-in GDPR compliance, European data residency, and competitive pricing. Perfect for EU-based companies and privacy-conscious applications.
GDPR Compliance Built-In
Mistral AI is EU-based with European data residency by default. Ideal for GDPR-compliant applications without additional configuration required.
Key Benefits¶
- 🇪🇺 European Company: GDPR-compliant by design
- 🆓 Free Tier: Generous free tier for experimentation
- 🚀 High Performance: Competitive with GPT-4 and Claude
- 💰 Cost-Effective: Lower pricing than major US providers
- 🔓 Open Source: Mistral 7B model fully open-source
- ⚡ Fast Inference: Optimized for low latency
Use Cases¶
- EU Compliance: GDPR-compliant AI for European companies
- Cost Optimization: Lower costs than OpenAI/Anthropic
- Code Generation: Excellent coding capabilities (Codestral)
- Enterprise: Production-ready with EU data residency
- Research: Open-source models for experimentation
Quick Start¶
1. Get Your API Key¶
- Visit Mistral AI Console
- Create a free account
- Go to "API Keys" section
- Click "Create new key"
- Copy the key (format:
xxx...
)
2. Configure NeuroLink¶
Add to your .env
file:
3. Test the Setup¶
# CLI - Test with default model
npx @juspay/neurolink generate "Bonjour! Comment allez-vous?" --provider mistral
# CLI - Use specific model
npx @juspay/neurolink generate "Explain quantum physics" --provider mistral --model "mistral-large-latest"
# SDK
node -e "
const { NeuroLink } = require('@juspay/neurolink');
(async () => {
const ai = new NeuroLink();
const result = await ai.generate({
input: { text: 'Hello from Mistral AI!' },
provider: 'mistral'
});
console.log(result.content);
})();
"
Model Selection Guide¶
Available Models¶
Model | Description | Context | Best For | Pricing |
---|---|---|---|---|
mistral-large-latest | Flagship model, GPT-4 competitive | 128K | Complex reasoning, coding | €8/1M tokens |
mistral-small-latest | Balanced performance/cost | 128K | General tasks, production | €2/1M tokens |
mistral-medium-latest | Mid-tier (deprecated, use large) | 32K | Legacy apps | €2.7/1M tokens |
codestral-latest | Code specialist | 32K | Code generation, review | €1/1M tokens |
mistral-embed | Embeddings model | - | RAG, semantic search | €0.1/1M tokens |
Free Tier Details¶
✅ What's Included:
- $5 free credits for new users
- No time limit on free credits
- All models available on free tier
- No credit card required for signup
💡 Free Tier Estimate:
- ~2.5M tokens with mistral-small
- ~625K tokens with mistral-large
- ~5M tokens with codestral
Model Selection by Use Case¶
// Complex reasoning and analysis
const complex = await ai.generate({
input: { text: "Analyze this business strategy..." },
provider: "mistral",
model: "mistral-large-latest",
});
// General production workloads
const general = await ai.generate({
input: { text: "Customer support query" },
provider: "mistral",
model: "mistral-small-latest",
});
// Code generation and review
const code = await ai.generate({
input: { text: "Write a REST API in Python" },
provider: "mistral",
model: "codestral-latest",
});
// Embeddings for RAG
const embeddings = await ai.generateEmbeddings({
texts: ["Document 1", "Document 2"],
provider: "mistral",
model: "mistral-embed",
});
GDPR Compliance & European Deployment¶
Why Mistral for EU Companies¶
Built-in GDPR Compliance:
- ✅ European company (France-based)
- ✅ EU data centers
- ✅ GDPR-compliant by design
- ✅ No data sent to US servers
- ✅ Data residency in Europe
Data Residency Configuration¶
// Ensure EU data residency
const ai = new NeuroLink({
providers: [
{
name: "mistral",
config: {
apiKey: process.env.MISTRAL_API_KEY,
region: "eu", // Explicitly use EU endpoints
},
},
],
});
GDPR Compliance Checklist¶
// ✅ GDPR-compliant setup
const gdprAI = new NeuroLink({
providers: [
{
name: "mistral",
config: {
apiKey: process.env.MISTRAL_API_KEY,
// Data stays in EU
region: "eu",
// Enable audit logging
enableAudit: true,
// Data retention policy
dataRetention: "30-days",
},
},
],
});
// Document data processing
const result = await gdprAI.generate({
input: { text: userQuery },
provider: "mistral",
metadata: {
userId: "anonymized-id",
purpose: "customer-support",
legalBasis: "consent",
},
});
Compliance Features¶
Feature | Mistral AI | Other Providers |
---|---|---|
EU Data Centers | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Limited |
GDPR Compliance | ✅ Built-in | ⚠️ Varies |
Data Residency | ✅ EU-only option | ⚠️ Often US |
Privacy Controls | ✅ Granular | ⚠️ Limited |
Audit Logs | ✅ Available | ⚠️ Varies |
SDK Integration¶
Basic Usage¶
import { NeuroLink } from "@juspay/neurolink";
const ai = new NeuroLink();
// Simple generation
const result = await ai.generate({
input: { text: "Explain artificial intelligence" },
provider: "mistral",
});
console.log(result.content);
With Specific Model¶
// Use Mistral Large for complex tasks
const large = await ai.generate({
input: { text: "Analyze this complex business scenario..." },
provider: "mistral",
model: "mistral-large-latest",
temperature: 0.7,
maxTokens: 2000,
});
// Use Codestral for code generation
const code = await ai.generate({
input: { text: "Create a FastAPI application with authentication" },
provider: "mistral",
model: "codestral-latest",
});
Streaming Responses¶
// Stream long responses for better UX
for await (const chunk of ai.stream({
input: { text: "Write a detailed technical article about microservices" },
provider: "mistral",
model: "mistral-large-latest",
})) {
process.stdout.write(chunk.content);
}
Multi-Language Support¶
// Mistral excels at European languages
const languages = [
{ lang: "French", prompt: "Expliquez la blockchain" },
{ lang: "Spanish", prompt: "Explica la inteligencia artificial" },
{ lang: "German", prompt: "Erkläre maschinelles Lernen" },
{ lang: "Italian", prompt: "Spiega il deep learning" },
];
for (const { lang, prompt } of languages) {
const result = await ai.generate({
input: { text: prompt },
provider: "mistral",
});
console.log(`${lang}: ${result.content}`);
}
Cost Tracking¶
// Track costs with analytics
const result = await ai.generate({
input: { text: "Your prompt" },
provider: "mistral",
model: "mistral-small-latest",
enableAnalytics: true,
});
// Calculate cost (mistral-small: €2/1M tokens)
const cost = (result.usage.totalTokens / 1_000_000) * 2;
console.log(`Cost: €${cost.toFixed(4)}`);
console.log(`Tokens used: ${result.usage.totalTokens}`);
CLI Usage¶
Basic Commands¶
# Generate with default model
npx @juspay/neurolink generate "Hello Mistral" --provider mistral
# Use specific model
npx @juspay/neurolink gen "Write code" --provider mistral --model "codestral-latest"
# Stream response
npx @juspay/neurolink stream "Tell a story" --provider mistral
# Check status
npx @juspay/neurolink status --provider mistral
Advanced Usage¶
# With temperature and max tokens
npx @juspay/neurolink gen "Creative writing" \
--provider mistral \
--model "mistral-large-latest" \
--temperature 0.9 \
--max-tokens 2000
# Code generation with Codestral
npx @juspay/neurolink gen "Create a React component" \
--provider mistral \
--model "codestral-latest" \
> component.tsx
# Interactive mode
npx @juspay/neurolink loop --provider mistral --model "mistral-large-latest"
Cost-Effective Workflows¶
# Use mistral-small for production (cheaper)
npx @juspay/neurolink gen "Customer query: How do I reset my password?" \
--provider mistral \
--model "mistral-small-latest"
# Use mistral-large only for complex tasks
npx @juspay/neurolink gen "Analyze quarterly financial performance" \
--provider mistral \
--model "mistral-large-latest"
Configuration Options¶
Environment Variables¶
# Required
MISTRAL_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
# Optional
MISTRAL_BASE_URL=https://api.mistral.ai # Custom endpoint
MISTRAL_DEFAULT_MODEL=mistral-small-latest # Default model
MISTRAL_TIMEOUT=60000 # Request timeout (ms)
MISTRAL_REGION=eu # Enforce EU endpoints
Programmatic Configuration¶
const ai = new NeuroLink({
providers: [
{
name: "mistral",
config: {
apiKey: process.env.MISTRAL_API_KEY,
defaultModel: "mistral-small-latest",
region: "eu",
timeout: 60000,
retryAttempts: 3,
},
},
],
});
Enterprise Deployment¶
Production Setup¶
// Enterprise-grade Mistral configuration
const enterpriseAI = new NeuroLink({
providers: [
{
name: "mistral",
priority: 1,
config: {
apiKey: process.env.MISTRAL_API_KEY,
region: "eu",
enableAudit: true,
// Rate limiting
rateLimit: {
requestsPerMinute: 100,
tokensPerMinute: 1_000_000,
},
// Retry logic
retryAttempts: 3,
retryDelay: 1000,
// Timeouts
timeout: 120000,
},
},
{
name: "anthropic", // Fallback for critical workloads
priority: 2,
},
],
});
Multi-Region Deployment¶
// Serve EU and global users
const multiRegionAI = new NeuroLink({
providers: [
{
name: "mistral",
region: "eu",
priority: 1,
condition: (req) => req.userRegion === "EU",
},
{
name: "openai",
priority: 1,
condition: (req) => req.userRegion !== "EU",
},
],
});
Cost Optimization¶
// Smart model selection based on complexity
async function generateWithCostOptimization(prompt: string) {
const complexity = estimateComplexity(prompt);
const model =
complexity > 0.7
? "mistral-large-latest" // Complex: €8/1M
: "mistral-small-latest"; // Simple: €2/1M
return await ai.generate({
input: { text: prompt },
provider: "mistral",
model,
});
}
function estimateComplexity(prompt: string): number {
// Complexity scoring constants (0-1 scale)
const LENGTH_WEIGHT = 0.3; // Characters per 1000
const CODE_COMPLEXITY_WEIGHT = 0.4; // Technical implementation tasks
const ANALYSIS_COMPLEXITY_WEIGHT = 0.5; // Deep analysis/reasoning tasks
const LENGTH_SCALE = 1000; // Normalize character count
const length = prompt.length;
const hasCodeKeywords = /function|class|api|database/i.test(prompt);
const hasAnalysisKeywords = /analyze|compare|evaluate|assess/i.test(prompt);
return (
(length / LENGTH_SCALE) * LENGTH_WEIGHT +
(hasCodeKeywords ? CODE_COMPLEXITY_WEIGHT : 0) +
(hasAnalysisKeywords ? ANALYSIS_COMPLEXITY_WEIGHT : 0)
);
}
Troubleshooting¶
Common Issues¶
1. "Invalid API Key"¶
Problem: API key is incorrect or expired.
Solution:
# Verify key at console.mistral.ai
# Ensure no extra spaces in .env
MISTRAL_API_KEY=your_key_here # ✅ Correct
MISTRAL_API_KEY= your_key_here # ❌ Extra space
2. "Rate Limit Exceeded"¶
Problem: Exceeded free tier or paid tier limits.
Solution:
// Implement exponential backoff
async function generateWithBackoff(prompt, maxRetries = 3) {
for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) {
try {
return await ai.generate({
input: { text: prompt },
provider: "mistral",
});
} catch (error) {
if (error.message.includes("rate limit")) {
const delay = Math.pow(2, i) * 1000;
await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, delay));
} else {
throw error;
}
}
}
}
3. "Insufficient Credits"¶
Problem: Free tier exhausted.
Solution:
- Add payment method in Mistral console
- Use fallback provider
- Monitor usage:
// Track usage to avoid surprises
const result = await ai.generate({
input: { text: prompt },
provider: "mistral",
enableAnalytics: true,
});
console.log(`Tokens used: ${result.usage.totalTokens}`);
console.log(`Estimated cost: €${(result.usage.totalTokens / 1_000_000) * 2}`);
4. Slow Response Times¶
Problem: Model or network latency.
Solution:
// Use streaming for immediate feedback
for await (const chunk of ai.stream({
input: { text: "Long prompt requiring detailed response" },
provider: "mistral",
})) {
// Display partial results immediately
console.log(chunk.content);
}
Best Practices¶
1. GDPR-Compliant Usage¶
// ✅ Good: Anonymize user data
const result = await ai.generate({
input: { text: sanitizeUserInput(userQuery) },
provider: "mistral",
metadata: {
userId: hashUserId(userId), // Hash, don't store raw
timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
purpose: "customer-support",
},
});
// Document processing
await auditLog.record({
action: "ai-generation",
provider: "mistral",
legalBasis: "legitimate-interest",
dataRetention: "30-days",
});
2. Cost Optimization¶
// ✅ Good: Use appropriate model for task
const customerSupport = await ai.generate({
input: { text: "How do I reset my password?" },
provider: "mistral",
model: "mistral-small-latest", // €2/1M vs €8/1M
});
// ✅ Good: Cache common queries
const cache = new Map();
const cacheKey = `mistral:${userQuery}`;
if (cache.has(cacheKey)) {
return cache.get(cacheKey);
}
const result = await ai.generate({
input: { text: userQuery },
provider: "mistral",
});
cache.set(cacheKey, result);
3. Multi-Language Support¶
// ✅ Good: Leverage Mistral's multilingual strength
const supportedLanguages = ["en", "fr", "es", "de", "it"];
async function generateInLanguage(prompt, language) {
const languagePrompt =
language !== "en" ? `[Respond in ${language}] ${prompt}` : prompt;
return await ai.generate({
input: { text: languagePrompt },
provider: "mistral", // Excellent European language support
});
}
Related Documentation¶
- Provider Setup Guide - General provider configuration
- GDPR Compliance Guide - GDPR implementation
- Cost Optimization - Reduce AI costs
- Multi-Region Deployment - Geographic distribution
Additional Resources¶
- Mistral AI Console - API keys and billing
- Mistral AI Documentation - Official docs
- Mistral Models - Model capabilities
- Pricing - Current pricing
Need Help? Join our GitHub Discussions or open an issue.