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  5. Claude 2vsMercury 2.5
Updated Sep 2026

Claude 2vsMercury 2.5

Mercury 2.5 is cheaper than Claude 2 at $0.04/M vs $11.02/M input tokens.

Claude 2 and Mercury 2.5 compared across 2 shared prompts
SpecClaude 2Mercury 2.5
Input price$11.02/M tokens$0.04/M tokens
Output price$32.68/M tokens$0.15/M tokens
Context window100K tokens260K tokens
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedJun 2023Sep 2026
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from every prompt both answered. Formatting stripped, words untouched.

Simple 7-Ingredient Recipe

Create a simple recipe for a delicious dish (sweet or savory) using only 7 common pantry ingredients. Include a creative name for the dish…

Claude 2146 words
Here is a 7-ingredient recipe for a sweet dish I'll call "Cinnamon Apple Surprise": Cinnamon Apple Surprise Ingredients: 3 apples, cored and sliced 1⁄4 cup brown sugar 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1⁄4 tsp nutmeg 2 tbsp butter, melted 1 refrigerated pie crust Instructions: Preheat oven to 375°F.
Read the full answer
Mercury 2.5190 words
Pantry Pasta Primavera Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Servings: 2 Ingredients (7 Common Pantry Items) Pasta (spaghetti, penne, or fusilli) – 8 oz Canned crushed tomatoes – 1 can (14 oz) Olive oil – 3 tablespoons Garlic powder – 1 teaspoon Dried oregano – 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese (grated) – ½ cup Salt and…
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Beginner's Longevity Plan

Outline a simple, actionable 1-month plan for someone starting their journey towards better health and longevity. Focus on 3 key areas…

Claude 2257 words
Here is a 1-month beginner health and longevity plan focused on diet, exercise, and sleep: Diet: Eliminate sugary drinks and limit sweets. Replace with water and fruits. Eat more veggies. Aim for 1-2 cups with each meal. Focus on dark leafy greens, broccoli, carrots. Increase fiber intake.
Read the full answer
Mercury 2.5325 words
Here is a simple, actionable 1-month plan to kickstart your journey toward better health and longevity. This guide focuses on three foundational pillars: Nutrition, Movement, and Sleep. Week 1: Awareness & Small Wins Goal: Build habits without overwhelming yourself.
Read the full answer
Our Verdict
Claude 2
Claude 2
Mercury 2.5
Mercury 2.5

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, nothing separates them.

Mercury 2.5 costs 218x less per token.

Too close to call
API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

Claude 2
Input
$11.02
Output
$32.68
Mercury 2.5
Input
$0.04
276× cheaper
Output
$0.15
218× cheaper

Mercury 2.5 is cheaper on both: 276× input, 218× output.

Where to run it

1 host

Claude 2

No hosts listed on OpenRouter.

Mercury 2.51 host
HostInOutContextUptime
Inception$0.04 in·$0.15 out·260k·100% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 23 Sep 2026.

Research

What we learned reading every model

FAQ

Common questions

Claude 2 is developed by Anthropic while Mercury 2.5 is developed by Inception. Claude 2 has a 100K token context window vs Mercury 2.5's 260K. You can compare their actual outputs across 2 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

It depends on your use case. Claude 2 and Mercury 2.5 each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 2 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

Claude 2 costs $11.02/M input tokens and Mercury 2.5 costs $0.04/M input tokens. Mercury 2.5 is $10.98/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Claude 2 and Mercury 2.5 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.

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