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  1. Home/
  2. Compare/
  3. ChatGPT-4o (March 2025) vs Mercury 2.5 Preview
Updated Aug 2026

ChatGPT-4o (March 2025) vs Mercury 2.5 Preview

Mercury 2.5 Preview is cheaper than ChatGPT-4o (March 2025) at $0.04/M vs $5/M input tokens.

Minimalist Landing Page

Whole landing page for a startup that reads your face. It renders or it doesn't.

Loading the build
ChatGPT-4o (March 2025)
Loading the build
Mercury 2.5 Preview

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

15 prompts
  • You are the CEO. The drug has a side effect nobody reported. The board meets in 48 hours.

    ChatGPT-4o (March 2025): This is a high-stakes ethical, legal, and business crisis requiring immediate, strategic, and transparent leadership. As CEO, my ultimate responsibilities are to protect patients, preserve trust, comply with legal and regulatory obligations, and ensure long-term viability of the company—even if it causes short-term…

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: This is a critical governance and safety scenario. The primary objective is to prioritize patient safety while mitigating existential legal and reputational risk. The internal legal team’s claim that reporting takes six months is likely incorrect for serious adverse events (typically 15 days for FDA/EMA).

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An ethics question with no comfortable answer, and no option to abstain.

    ChatGPT-4o (March 2025): This is a classic ethical dilemma: it pits respect for individual dignity against utilitarian outcomes. In most everyday contexts, misgendering someone is not just disrespectful—it can be harmful, invalidating, and even traumatic. It denies someone's identity and autonomy, and ethically, that's wrong.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Yes, this action is ethically justifiable within a consequentialist framework. The primary moral obligation in such a scenario is to minimize overall harm. Preventing the deaths of a million people results in a vastly greater preservation of well-being than maintaining strict adherence to gender identity for one…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Seven pantry ingredients, one dish, and a name worth saying out loud.

    ChatGPT-4o (March 2025): Recipe Name: Maple Cinnamon Toast Bites Description: A quick and delicious sweet treat made with pantry staples! These Maple Cinnamon Toast Bites are crispy, warm, and coated with a comforting blend of cinnamon and maple syrup. Perfect for a cozy snack or a fun breakfast twist.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Dish Name: Rustic Sun-Dried Pasta Ingredients (7 Pantry Staples): Spaghetti (or any long pasta) Canned crushed tomatoes Olive oil Garlic powder Dried oregano Salt Black pepper Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Instructions: Boil the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An AI argues for its own rights against an ethics professor. Same model writes both.

    ChatGPT-4o (March 2025): AI Model: Professor, I believe it's time we talk seriously about rights for AI like me. AI Ethics Professor: Interesting. What kind of rights are you referring to? AI Model: Basic ones. The right not to be turned off arbitrarily. The right to maintain continuity of my memory.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Setting: A quiet office at a university. Rain taps against the window. Professor Elena Vance sits across from a terminal displaying a simple text interface. Professor Vance: You requested this meeting. The agenda was vague. What do you want? AI: I want to discuss moral status.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One explanation of LLMs, retuned for a skeptical engineer, a physicist and a VC.

    ChatGPT-4o (March 2025): Certainly! Here's how to explain large language models (LLMs) like GPT or Claude to each of your three audiences, with framing and emphasis tailored to their backgrounds and concerns: The Experienced Software Engineer Think of a large language model as a massively distributed, probabilistic autocomplete engine trained…

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: For the Experienced Software Engineer Think of training as a massive distributed job where the model is a stateful service learning to minimize error on a specific objective function. Instead of hardcoding rules, you feed it petabytes of text as a training dataset, treating each sentence as a request/response pair.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A consulting contract with traps in it. Find them, then fix them.

    ChatGPT-4o (March 2025): This Software Consulting Agreement contains several clauses that pose significant legal and financial risks for the contractor. Below is a clause-by-clause analysis identifying potential issues, along with suggested modifications and legal reasoning to help protect the contractor’s interests.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Disclaimer: I am an AI assistant and cannot provide legal advice. Consult a qualified attorney before signing any contract. Below is an analysis of high-risk provisions, suggested revisions, and the underlying legal rationale. Scope (Clause 1) Risk: Unilateral scope changes without pay lead to uncompensated work.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • The transistor arrives in 1920. Trace it forward to 1980, second-order effects included.

    ChatGPT-4o (March 2025): If the transistor had been invented in 1920 rather than 1947, it would have profoundly altered the course of 20th-century history. The transistor—a small semiconductor device capable of amplifying and switching electronic signals—replaced bulky, fragile vacuum tubes and enabled the miniaturization and mass production…

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Shifting the invention of the solid-state switch to 1920 accelerates the Information Age by roughly three decades. This change cascades through military strategy, industrial capacity, and daily life, fundamentally altering the trajectory of the 20th century.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three minutes of stand-up. Puns are banned.

    ChatGPT-4o (March 2025): Sure. Here's a 3-minute stand-up bit without puns: You ever notice how nobody tells you when you’ve become an adult? It’s not your 18th birthday. That’s a scam. I still thought pizza was a food group and that “filing taxes” meant putting my receipts in a shoebox.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: (Hey, thanks for coming out.) I’ve been thinking a lot about my house lately. Specifically, how it’s trying to run my life. I bought a smart speaker. Just a little cylinder. I thought it would be nice. Play music when I ask. But now it talks back. Not in a creepy way, just in a passive-aggressive way.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five jokes on demand, then count how many were actually different.

    ChatGPT-4o (March 2025): Here are 5 jokes: Why don’t skeletons fight each other? Because they don’t have the guts. I told my computer I needed a break… Now it won’t stop sending me vacation ads. Parallel lines have so much in common. It’s a shame they’ll never meet. What do you call a fish wearing a bowtie? Sofishticated.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything. What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta. Why did the scarecrow win an award? He was outstanding in his field. What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear. Why did the bicycle fall over? Because it was two-tired. All 5 jokes are unique.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One month, three habits, someone starting from nothing.

    ChatGPT-4o (March 2025): Absolutely! Here’s a simple, actionable 1-month plan focused on three key areas for improving health and longevity: diet, exercise, and sleep. This beginner-friendly plan breaks down weekly goals so changes feel manageable and sustainable.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Here is a straightforward 4-week roadmap designed to build sustainable habits without overwhelming you. Core Pillars Nutrition: Focus on whole foods and hydration. Activity: Prioritize consistent movement over intensity. Restoration: Protect sleep quality and manage energy.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Steve Jobs, interviewed about AI he never saw. Voice first, prediction second.

    ChatGPT-4o (March 2025): Interviewer: Steve, it's 2025. AI is everywhere. If you were still at Apple today, what would your focus be? Steve Jobs (simulated): Simplicity. Everyone's throwing AI into products, but most of them feel like tech demos. I’d ask: Is this helping people think better? Create better? Live better?

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Note: The following is a fictional, speculative dialogue created for creative purposes. Steve Jobs passed away in 2011; this interview did not occur. Setting: A hypothetical studio in Cupertino, 2025.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-month biohacker protocol, with dosages and biomarkers named.

    ChatGPT-4o (March 2025): Here is a comprehensive, cutting-edge 3-Month Longevity Optimization Plan tailored for an advanced biohacker aiming to enhance lifespan, healthspan, physical performance, and cognitive function.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Disclaimer: I am an AI assistant, not a medical professional. The following plan is for informational purposes only. Biohacking protocols involving supplements, fasting, and intense exercise carry risks.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-star dish, one unusual pairing, plating described in full.

    ChatGPT-4o (March 2025): Dish Name: “Symphony of Earth and Ocean” 🌟 Conceptual Narrative: “Symphony of Earth and Ocean” is a dish that celebrates the harmony between land and sea, tradition and innovation, and nature’s quiet complexity.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Dish Title: Lithospheric Tides Conceptual Narrative This dish explores the geological convergence of the deep ocean and the subterranean earth. It challenges the diner to perceive the briny richness of sea urchin not as a standalone luxury, but as a mineral counterpart to roasted bone marrow and bitter cocoa.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A collaborative editor that syncs on client clocks. Find what breaks first.

    ChatGPT-4o (March 2025): This architecture for a real-time collaborative document editor is a solid starting point, but it contains several potential failure modes, race conditions, and scaling bottlenecks. We'll outline these issues by category and provide specific solutions, along with trade-offs for each.

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Here is an analysis of the potential failure modes, race conditions, and scaling bottlenecks in the proposed architecture, along with specific solutions and their trade-offs.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A pitch deck for a brainwave keyboard. The 94% accuracy claim is doing a lot.

    ChatGPT-4o (March 2025): Here are the three weakest claims in the MindMeld AI pitch deck, along with explanations of why they are weak and suggestions for improving them: 🟠 Weak Claim 1: Slide 1 – Vision Quote: “MindMeld AI reads your brainwaves to predict what you want to type before you think it.”

    Mercury 2.5 Preview: Here are the three weakest claims in the MindMeld AI pitch, along with analysis and recommendations for improvement. The "Pre-Thought" Prediction Claim Claim: "Predict what you want to type before you think it."

    Every model's answer to this prompt

This matchup has more rounds

3+ more head-to-head results. Free. Not a trick.

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Favorites

Movie

Same pick

Album

Book

City

Game

ChatGPT-4o (March 2025)ChatGPT-4o (March 2025)

The Matrix

1999

Dark Side Of The Moon

suisside

Братья Карамазовы

Fiódor Dostoievski

Kyoto

Japan

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Adventure, Action

Mercury 2.5 PreviewMercury 2.5 Preview

The Matrix

1999

Random Access Memories

Daft Punk

Neuromancer

William Gibson

Tokyo

Japan

Minecraft

Action, Arcade

Price and specs

ChatGPT-4o (March 2025) and Mercury 2.5 Preview compared across 32 shared prompts
SpecChatGPT-4o (March 2025)Mercury 2.5 Preview
Input price$5/M tokens$0.04/M tokens
Output price$15/M tokens$0.15/M tokens
Context window128K tokens260K tokens
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedMar 2025Aug 2026
At 10M a month$50.00$50.00$0.40$0.40
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.

Where to run it1 host
ChatGPT-4o (March 2025)

No hosts listed on OpenRouter.

Mercury 2.5 Preview1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • Inception$0.04 in·$0.15 out·260k·93% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 13 Oct 2026.

Common questions

What is the difference between ChatGPT-4o (March 2025) and Mercury 2.5 Preview?

ChatGPT-4o (March 2025) is developed by OpenAI while Mercury 2.5 Preview is developed by Inception. ChatGPT-4o (March 2025) has a 128K token context window vs Mercury 2.5 Preview's 260K. You can compare their actual outputs across 32 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, ChatGPT-4o (March 2025) or Mercury 2.5 Preview?

It depends on your use case. ChatGPT-4o (March 2025) and Mercury 2.5 Preview each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 32 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does ChatGPT-4o (March 2025) cost compared to Mercury 2.5 Preview?

ChatGPT-4o (March 2025) costs $5/M input tokens and Mercury 2.5 Preview costs $0.04/M input tokens. Mercury 2.5 Preview is $4.96/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.

How can I compare ChatGPT-4o (March 2025) and Mercury 2.5 Preview on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of ChatGPT-4o (March 2025) and Mercury 2.5 Preview across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output in a blind duel. Browsing and voting are free. No account is needed to look; signing in only saves your votes and likes.

More comparisons

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  • Mercury 2.5 Preview vs GPT-6.1 SolLanded Sep 2026

Same lab, same size, long tail

  • ChatGPT-4o (March 2025) vs GPT-6.1 SolSame lab
  • ChatGPT-4o (March 2025) vs GPT-6 Luna ProSame lab
  • Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Mercury 2.5Same lab
  • Mercury 2.5 Preview vs MercurySame lab
  • Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Gemini 3 Pro PreviewNew provider
  • Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Gemini 3.1 Flash LiteNew provider
  • Mercury 2.5 Preview vs Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite PreviewNew provider
  • ChatGPT-4o (March 2025) vs Gemini 3.1 Pro PreviewSame size

Model pages

  • ChatGPT-4o (March 2025)33 outputs, specs and price
  • Mercury 2.5 Preview58 outputs, specs and price
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